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Home
and Family
Pay Slip
by Rosally Saltsman
I would like to share a pet peeve of mine with you. Now,
Sheindel doesn't like me to be negative; she likes me to be
positive, but this pet-peeve of mine is one that trips up
many people and causes suffering to both the perpetrators (in
the form of committing theft, causing pain, and being guilty
of not paying workers on time and lying -- sins committed by
Noach's generation) and the victims -- in terms of monetary
loss, anxiety, loss of trust and being led blindly into
making promises that they cannot keep.
Whenever I do a piece of work for someone, or am promised a
contribution for something, or someone owes me money and
promises to pay and I don't receive payment for the above
promise, money owed or debt, this begins a chain reaction of
unkept promises, unpaid debts and unhonored commitments. Yes,
it's only a small sum and yes, it's only a few days later,
but these small sums add up to large amounts that I need to
cover and these small delays add up to loss of credibility,
honesty and trust between myself and the people whose check I
am awaiting, as well as myself and those awaiting my
payment.
Now, to my knowledge, no one reading this paper is guilty of
the aforementioned regarding me. (YATED actually pays on
schedule, may such employers increase.) But ask yourselves,
"Have I been negligent lately in paying a gemach [or
returning a borrowed article to a specific gemach], a
worker or a pledge?" Have you promised to put a check in the
mail to someone and forgotten, or put it off because you
didn't have a stamp/check/address or time and money? None of
the above are good excuses (well, maybe the last one).
Yes I know, these things happen, but the people they happen
to suffer because of it. They wait for the money promised to
them and the people whom they promised it to wait in their
turn, all the while feeling resentful, worried, helpless,
anxious, mistrustful and confused. And this continues in a
vicious cycle.
If you can't make the commitment or afford the service, or
keep to the payment schedule, then don't commit to it, or say
so at the outset. I have the unfortunate habit of believing
people when they tell me they'll pay me on time or send me a
check. Not everyone is guilty of being lax in this but
everyone is going through hard times and we all want to feel,
nay, need to feel, that we can rely on others.
It is a terrible sin not to pay people on time, especially if
you have misled them, intentionally or not, into believing
they will receive payment due when it's due.
If you can't pay someone or -- oops, didn't have a stamp,
please be fair and let them know. It is one's personal,
ethical, halachic and legal responsibility. In Noach's time,
the Flood was brought on because of the sin of gezel
and the Midrash tells us that the sums involved were
minute.
I sincerely urge everyone to take action NOW to rectify and
restitute any unpaid debts, especially the small ones.
Don't wait for a rainy day!
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