הלכות שכירות ט׳Hiring 9

Halacha 4ד׳

הַשּׂוֹכֵר אֶת הַפּוֹעֲלִים וְהִטְעוּ אֶת בַּעַל הַבַּיִת אוֹ בַּעַל הַבַּיִת הִטְעָה אוֹתָם אֵין לָהֶם זֶה עַל זֶה אֶלָּא תַּרְעֹמֶת. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בְּשֶׁלֹּא הָלְכוּ. אֲבָל הָלְכוּ הַחַמָּרִין וְלֹא מָצְאוּ תְּבוּאָה. פּוֹעֲלִים וּמָצְאוּ שָׂדֶה כְּשֶׁהִיא לָחָה. אוֹ שֶׁשָּׂכַר לְהַשְׁקוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה וּמְצָאוּהָ שֶׁנִּתְמַלְּאָה מַיִם. אִם בִּקֵּר בַּעַל הַבַּיִת מְלַאכְתּוֹ מִבָּעֶרֶב וּמָצָא שֶׁצְּרִיכָה פּוֹעֲלִים אֵין לַפּוֹעֲלִים כְּלוּם מַה בְּיָדוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת. וְאִם לֹא בִּקֵּר נוֹתֵן לָהֶם שְׂכָרָן כְּפוֹעֵל בָּטֵל שֶׁאֵינוֹ דּוֹמֶה הַבָּא טָעוּן לְבָא רֵיקָן וְעוֹשֶׂה מְלָאכָה לְבַטֵּל. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בְּשֶׁלֹּא הִתְחִילוּ בִּמְלָאכָה. אֲבָל אִם הִתְחִיל הַפּוֹעֵל בַּמְּלָאכָה וְחָזַר בּוֹ אֲפִלּוּ בַּחֲצִי הַיּוֹם חוֹזֵר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה נה) "כִּי לִי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדִים" וְלֹא עֲבָדִים לַעֲבָדִים. וְכֵיצַד דִּין הַפּוֹעֵל שֶׁחָזַר בּוֹ אַחַר שֶׁהִתְחִיל. שָׁמִין לוֹ מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה וְנוֹטֵל. וְאִם קַבְּלָן הוּא שָׁמִין לוֹ מַה שֶּׁעָתִיד לַעֲשׂוֹת. בֵּין שֶׁהוּזְלוּ בְּעֵת שֶׁשְּׂכָרָן בֵּין לֹא הוּזְלוּ בֵּין שֶׁהוּזְלָה מְלָאכָה אַחַר כֵּן בֵּין לֹא הוּזְלָה שָׁמִין לוֹ מַה שֶּׁעָתִיד לַעֲשׂוֹת. כֵּיצַד. קִבֵּל מִמֶּנּוּ קָמָה לִקְצֹר בִּשְׁתֵּי סְלָעִים קָצַר חֶצְיָהּ וְהִנִּיחַ חֶצְיָהּ. בֶּגֶד לֶאֱרֹג בִּשְׁתֵּי סְלָעִים אָרַג חֶצְיוֹ וְהִנִּיחַ חֶצְיוֹ. שָׁמִין לוֹ מַה שֶּׁעָתִיד לַעֲשׂוֹת. אִם הָיָה שָׁוֶה שִׁשָּׁה דִּינָרִין נוֹתֵן לוֹ שֶׁקֶל אוֹ יִגְמְרוּ אֶת מְלַאכְתָּן. וְאִם הָיָה הַנִּשְׁאָר יָפֶה שְׁנַיִם דִּינָרִין אֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן לָהֶן אֶלָּא סֶלַע שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא עָשׂוּ אֶלָּא חֲצִי מְלָאכָה. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בְּדָבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ אָבוּד אֲבָל בְּדָבָר הָאָבוּד כְּגוֹן פִּשְׁתָּנוֹ לְהַעֲלוֹת מִן הַמִּשְׁרָה אוֹ שֶׁשָּׂכַר חֲמוֹר לְהָבִיא חֲלִילִין לְמֵת אוֹ לְכַלָּה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן אֶחָד פּוֹעֵל וְאֶחָד קַבְּלָן אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַחְזֹר בּוֹ אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן נֶאֱנַס כְּגוֹן שֶׁחָלָה אוֹ שָׁמַע שֶׁמֵּת לוֹ מֵת. וְאִם לֹא נֶאֱנַס וְחָזַר בּוֹ שׂוֹכֵר עֲלֵיהֶן אוֹ מַטְעָן. כֵּיצַד מַטְעָן. אוֹמֵר לָהֶם סֶלַע קָצַצְתִּי לָכֶם בּוֹאוּ וּטְלוּ שְׁתַּיִם עַד שֶׁיִּגְמְרוּ מְלַאכְתָּן וְלֹא יִתֵּן לָהֶם אֶלָּא מַה שֶּׁפָּסַק תְּחִלָּה וַאֲפִלּוּ נָתַן לָהֶם הַשְּׁתַּיִם מַחְזִיר מֵהֶן הַתּוֹסֶפֶת. כֵּיצַד שׂוֹכֵר עֲלֵיהֶן. שׂוֹכֵר פּוֹעֲלִים אֲחֵרִים וְגוֹמְרִים מְלַאכְתָּן שֶׁלֹּא תֹּאבַד וְכָל שֶׁיּוֹסִיף לְאֵלּוּ הַפּוֹעֲלִין הָאֲחֵרִים עַל מַה שֶּׁפָּסַק לָרִאשׁוֹנִים נוֹטֵל מִן הָרִאשׁוֹנִים. עַד כַּמָּה עַד כְּדֵי שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל רִאשׁוֹנִים. וְאִם הָיָה לָהֶם מָמוֹן תַּחַת יָדוֹ שׂוֹכֵר לְהַשְׁלִים הַמְּלָאכָה עַד אַרְבָּעִים וַחֲמִשִּׁים זוּז בְּכָל יוֹם לְכָל פּוֹעֵל אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁשָּׂכַר הַפּוֹעֵל שְׁלֹשָׁה אוֹ אַרְבָּעָה. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים שֶׁאֵין שָׁם פּוֹעֲלִים לִשְׂכֹּר בִּשְׂכָרָן לְהַשְׁלִים הַמְּלָאכָה אֲבָל יֵשׁ פּוֹעֲלִים לִשְׂכֹּר בִּשְׂכָרָן וְאָמְרוּ לוֹ צֵא וּשְׂכֹר מֵאֵלּוּ לְהַשְׁלִים מְלַאכְתְּךָ וְלֹא תֹּאבַד בֵּין שׂוֹכֵר בֵּין קַבְּלָן אֵין לוֹ עֲלֵיהֶן אֶלָּא תַּרְעֹמֶת וְשָׁמִין לַשּׂוֹכֵר מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה וְלַקַּבְּלָן מַה שֶּׁעָתִיד לַעֲשׂוֹת:

When a person hires workers and the workers hoax the employer or the employer hoaxes the workers, all they have is complaints against each other. When does the above apply? When the workers did not go to the appointed place. Different rules apply, however, if donkey drivers went to the appointed place and did not find any grain, workers went to a field and found that the ground was wet, or the employer hired workers to irrigate his field and they discovered that it was filled with water. If the owner checked the area that required work on the previous evening and saw that the workers were necessary, the workers are not entitled to any reimbursement. What could the owner have done? If, however, he did not check the land where he wants the work to be performed beforehand, he must pay them as an idle worker. For a person who comes carrying a burden cannot be compared to someone who comes empty-handed, nor can a person who performs labor be compared to someone who does not. When does the above apply? When they did not begin doing work. If, however, the worker began doing his work different rules apply. A worker may quit his work even in the middle of the day. This is derived from Leviticus 25:55: "The children of Israel are servants to Me" - i.e., to Me alone. They are not servants to servants. What is the law that applies to a worker who quits after having started work? We evaluate the work that he performed and he is paid that amount. If he is a contractor, we evaluate the work that still must be performed. Whether the price of labor was low at the time he was hired or it was not low, whether it was reduced afterwards or whether it was not reduced, we evaluate the work that must be performed. What is implied? A person agreed to harvest standing grain for two selaim. He harvested half of the grain, but left half unharvested. Similarly, a person agreed to weave a garment for two selaim. He wove half of the garment, but left half unwoven. If the remainder would cost six dinarim to complete, the original contractor is paid a shekel or he is given the option of completing his work. If the remainder was worth only two dinarim, the owner need not pay the contractor more than a sela, because he did not perform more than half the work. When does the above apply? With regard to work that does not involve an immediate loss. If, however, the work involves an immediate loss - e.g., he hired the workers to remove flax from the vat, or he hired a donkey to bring flutes for a funeral or for a wedding or the like - neither a worker nor a contractor may retract unless he is held back by forces beyond his control -e.g., he became ill or a close relative died. If the worker is not held back by forces beyond his control, and he retracts, the owner may hire others on their account or deceive them.What is meant by deceiving them? He tells them: "I agreed to pay you a sela; take two so that you will complete your work." Afterwards, he is not required to give them anything more than he originally agreed. Moreover, even if he gave them two, he can compel them to return the additional amount. What is meant by hiring others on their account? He hires other workers who complete their task so that he will not suffer a loss. Whatever he must add to pay these later workers beyond the amount the first workers agreed upon, he may take from the first workers. To what extent are the first workers responsible? For their entire wage. Moreover, if they have property that is in the employer's possession, the employer can use that property to hire workers to complete their work until he pays each worker 40 or 50 zuz a day although he originally hired the worker at three or four zuz. When does the above apply? When there are no workers available to hire at the wage to be paid the original workers. If, however, such workers are available and the original workers tell the employer: "Go out and hire from these to complete your work so that you will not suffer a loss," whether a worker or a contractor is involved, the employer has only complaints against them. To determine the wage that should be paid, we follow these guidelines: For a worker, we calculate the work he already[ performed and for a contractor, we calculate the work that must be performed.

Halacha 5ה׳

הַשּׂוֹכֵר אֶת הַפּוֹעֵל וְנֶאֱחָז לַעֲבוֹדַת הַמֶּלֶךְ לֹא יֹאמַר לוֹ הֲרֵינִי לְפָנֶיךָ אֶלָּא נוֹתֵן לוֹ שְׂכַר מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה:

When a person hires a worker, but [the worker is then taken to perform the king's service, the worker need not be paid for a full day's work. Instead, the employer should pay him only for the work he performed.