My neighbor entrusted me with money to pay his bills while he was away for a couple of months in Israel. I neglected to pay his electric bill, which resulted in his having to pay late fees upon his return to Dallas. Does Jewish law require me to reimburse my neighbor for his late fees, since it’s my fault?
I was driving the other day and went over a puddle which splashed muddy water onto a friend, who now has to clean his suit. I offered to pay him, and he said it’s all right; it wasn’t my fault because I didn’t know there was a puddle. I would still like to pay him if Jewish law says I should. Is there a law about this?
I was walking down the sidewalk with my umbrella open in the rain and my neighbor went by with her umbrella and tore mine. Does she need to pay according to Jewish law?
A passenger sitting in the back seat of my car, which I had just parked in the street to drop him off, opened his door into the street without looking into the path of an oncoming car. The door was knocked off and much damage was done to both cars. He claims I should have warned him, since I have a rear-view mirror and should have seen the oncoming car. I say I never told him to open the door and expected him to look first. Is my passenger obligated to pay the damages?
Recently my neighbor’s washing machine broke down late at night, and, knowing I am somewhat knowledgeable in such matters, he approached me to see if I could get it going. It seemed to me a minor problem that I could fix and I offered to do so as a favor. However, rather than fixing it, I wound up causing more extensive damage as I wasn’t so well versed in that brand of machine. I wonder if Jewish law requires me to pay for the damage I caused. Your prompt reply would be most appreciated.