Reply To: Changed Topic of Shiur – Do I Have A Right To Be Disappointed?

Even had he thought he was stealing, I have a right to disagree with him.

That’s fine.

As I mentioned, I feel VERY wrong about taking food and drink from a shul where I’m not a member at a kiddush or similar function*. Do I think it’s stealing if other people do it? Of course not — I understand that this is my own personal feeling and it applies to no one but me.

I had a similar issue yesterday. My mother was in for surgery and I spent the day at the hospital along with my sister and her friend. While they had no problem taking food from the bikur cholim room, I refused. My personal feeling is that if it’s truly an extenuating circumstance, then I can take “advantage” of the generosity of others, but if I have other food/drink available to me, then I should not. So, for example, if I showed up at the hospital at two in the morning and there was no other way to get decent (non-junk) kosher food, then I might partake. But if the cafeteria is open a few floors down which has kosher food and I have money available to purchase it, I should do so rather than take “advantage” of the kindness of others.

Again, this is my personal feeling. I don’t think any less of anyone who doesn’t adhere to this.

The same can be said for the meals in the shul. If I’m not a contributing member of the shul (as it is, I’m only a leech because I sometimes daven there without any other appreciable support** for the shul) then I don’t feel that I have the right to take advantage of their generosity.

Do you disagree with me? That’s fine — just please keep the discussion civil.

The Wolf

* Obviously, if I was invited to the function because I’m a relative/friend of the ba’al simcha, that’s different.

** Aside from some coins dropped in the pushka when it’s passed around.