The following question came up in a Charedi forum that I read (https://forum.otzar.org/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=38047). In Israel the Kupot Cholim (health insurance) will reimburse new mothers when buying breast pumps (2). Can you do the following, buy 2 breast pumps, then return them and get the money back, and then send the receipts to the insurance company and get reimbursed for the pumps and buy a baby carriage? There was a heated discussion, with many saying it is simply stealing and others coming up with various heterim as to why it is permitted.
One fascinating heter is that non-profit corporations (which is what the kupot cholim in Israel are) are simply not recognized by the Torah and any money the company has is considered ownerless and therefore there can be no issur to steal from them.
One person wrote back in the name of some dayanim, that saying that is an embarrassment to the Torah. It is basically saying that the Torah cannot deal with modern corporate concepts and of course the Torah system deals with corporations.
Defrauding corporations? Meh. You make it sound as if he, God forbid, ate before שחרית or something...
ReplyDeleteI've heard people make the same argument about government money in general in a democracy. The government is not a person, so any money held by the government is hefker, and you might as well take advantage of any way you can get some of that hefker money.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the halacha to follow the law of the land ? Chillul Hashem ? Do Rabbis actually give such a hetar to defraud non-profits or governments ?
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