Dear Jewish Response Staff,

I do not hate Jews but some of my colleagues at work certainly seem to. One of them told me that according to Jewish law, Jews are allowed and encouraged to steal from gentiles whenever possible. He told me about a website that is full of Talmudic quotations to support this idea. I was very troubled and I hope you could clear up this issue for me. Please include quotes from the rabbis in your reply.

James W.

Dear James,

Anyone who steals even a minor amount violates the prohibition of [Leviticus 19:11] "You shall not steal" and is required to repay [the amount stolen] whether one steals from a Jew or a gentile. (Shulchan Aruch  Code of Jewish Law, Choshen Mishpat 348:2)

It is forbidden to rob or to cheat even a minor amount from either a Jew or a gentile. (Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat 359:1)

It is forbidden to rob or to steal even a minor amount from either a Jew or a gentile. (R. Shlomo Gantzfried, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch - Abridged Code of Jewish Law, 182:1)

And it is biblically forbidden to steal even a minor amount; even a gentile - it is forbidden to steal from him or to cheat him. And if you stole from him or cheated him you must return the stolen money or object. (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Stealing 1:2)

Maimonides of blessed memory wrote that if one lies in his measures and thereby overcharges even to an idolatrous gentile one violates a negative commandment and must return the money. Similarly, it is forbidden to mislead the gentiles in calculating prices as it says [Leviticus 25:50] "he shall make a reckoning with his purchaser" [see below] even if he is subjugated to your authority; even more so if the gentile is not subjugated to your authority and it says [Deuteronomy 25:16] "For an abomination to the Lord, you G-d, are all who do this." (Sefer HaChinuch, 259)

It is worse to steal from a gentile than from a Jew because of desecration of [G-d's] name. (Tosefta Bava Kamma 10:8)