Babylonian Talmud, Baba Metzia 112a

תלמוד בבלי , בבא מציעא קיב : א

Original Text:

כל הכובש שכר שכיר כאילו נוטל נפשו ממנו

Translation:

Whoever withholds an employee’s wages, it is as though he has taken the person’s life from her. [Translation by Hillel. Edited for gender neutrality]

Suggested Discussion Questions:

1. On what grounds can we equate withholding wages with taking a life?
2. Is taking a person's life equivalent to murder? What is the meaning of this phrase here?

Time Period:	Rabbinic (Maccabees through the Talmud)
Type:	Legal Text
Categories:	Law & Business Ethics, Labor Rights, Civil/Human Rights
Keywords:	workers rights, Labor, earnings
Related Texts:	Babylonian Talmud, Baba Metzia 112a
Related Sourcesheets:	Child Labor

Submitted By

Hillel

Comments on this Text

Should we prosecute abusive employers today with murder charges? What is the appropriate punishment?

By RuthBalinsky at 03/27/2011 - 18:49
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