Paying on Time

Question: I asked a child to deliver some mishloach manos packages for me on Purim for a small fee. Do I need to pay him on Purim or can it wait until the following day?

Answer: There is both a positive mitzva (Devarim 24:15) to pay workers on time as well as an aveira (Vayikra 19:13) not to withhold paying one’s worker’s wages. The Gemara (Bava Metzia 111a) writes that there another 5 potential mitzvos that one transgresses by not paying one’s worker on time.

The Gemara (ibid 112a) writes that the employer has only transgressed the aveira when they refuse to pay the employee when they ask for payment.

The Chafetz Chaim (Nesiv Hachesed 9:29) writes that if the employee doesn’t actually ask for his money, though comes for it, the employer must still pay that day.

The Chafetz Chaim (Ahavas Chesed 1:9:5) stresses that these halachos applies equally to children, though unfortunately people often take advantage of them and don’t pay them on time (See Shut Harashba 3:99). As children may be shy to specifically ask for the money, their employers need to be particularly careful to pay even if they don’t ask.

While one can agree to pay one’s worker at a later date, it is certainly ideal to pay them that same day.

Davening in Costume

Question: Is it appropriate to daven in shul on Purim while wearing a fancy-dress costume?

Answer: Davening nowadays has replaced the korbanos that were offered by the kohanim. Just as they wore unique clothes when they performed their avoda, it would be ideal to have separate clothes for davening in. Nonetheless, the Shulchan Aruch (OC 98:4) concedes that this is not really feasible.

Rambam (Tefilla 5:1) lists appropriate dress as one of eight things that are necessary for davening. The Mishna Berura (91:12) writes that one should dress as one would when greeting a dignitary, noting that what is considered appropriate is different in each place.

The Shulchan Aruch (OC 90:23) writes that one should not daven in front of art or colourful drapes as they can distract one’s davening. The Rema adds that one should avoid printing pictures in siddurim as they can also be distracting.

Thus, R’ Shmuel Wosner (Shevet Halevi 10:18:1) writes that one may daven on Purim while wearing a fancy-dress costume, though one must ensure that it is respectable, properly covers the body and will not distract themselves or others. While the example that R’ Wosner brings is of one dressing up as a chassid, etc. it would seem that this would be subjective to the shul that one davens in and what would be considered appropriate there on purim.

In conclusion, one may daven in shul on Purim while wearing a fancy-dress costume, provided that the costume is appropriate and would not unnecessarily distract anyone from davening properly.

Working on Motzaei Shabbos

Question: I was fixing a button to a jacket that fell off on Shabbos, though my husband said that I shouldn’t be doing this on Motzaei Shabbos. Why is this?

Answer: The Gemara (Pesachim 50b) writes that one who does work on Motzaei Shabbos will not be blessed. Based on this, the Magen Avraham (OC 299:15) quotes the Abudraham (end of Seder Motzaei Shabbos) who writes that the custom is for women not to perform melacha on Motzaei Shabbos.

The Aruch Hashulchan (OC 299:22), however, writes that this custom is unheard of, and providing that they have heard havdala, can do any melacha. He quotes the Gemara Yerushalmi (Pesachim 4:1) that writes that while there is a minhag for women not to do menial melacha on rosh chodesh, there is no such minhag to abstain on Motzaei Shabbos. As for the Gemara that writes about lack of blessing, that is specifically talking about doing melacha before hearing havdala.

Likewise, R’ Ephraim Greenblatt (Rivevos Ephraim 2:107) writes that as this minhag is not brought in the later poskim, women may do any melacha after havdala.