Q&A: Gaming the System
Gaming the System
Question
Hello Rabbi,
There are a lot of situations where you can "game" the larger system, on different levels. It can be many things, starting with the beard exemption for religious soldiers even though I don’t shave only because I’m lazy; it could be using the equipment of the company I work for for personal needs even though that’s not what is expected of me; or when they give the class an honor-system test whether to copy or not. (There’s probably a difference between the examples, but the atmosphere that attaches to these situations seems similar to me.)
What does the Rabbi think?
Thanks
Answer
This is a general question, and it can’t be answered in a general, sweeping way. Each case has to be judged on its own merits. As for army regulations, I don’t think the army’s disciplinary hassles are all that sacred, and therefore a small bit of maneuvering from time to time does not seem terrible to me. You just have to watch out for desecration of God’s name, and for the anger of your secular friends at using religious principles in order to gain privileges.
Using company equipment for personal needs is theft. Copying on an honor-system test in class is a breach of trust, and it is not proper to do so.
Discussion on Answer
Everything was explained.
Sometimes the company provides equipment for private needs, like a printer, photocopier, and fax machine (they prefer that you give them more hours at work and not leave the company early for those needs).
That’s why there are sometimes also gyms and PlayStation corners in high-tech companies.
With God's help, eve of Rosh Hashanah 5781
Why sting? Learn from us. We sting only when there is no choice. Our whole lives are devoted to giving sweet and tasty honey, which the Land of Israel flows with and to which the Torah is compared. Don’t sting—give sweet honey!
With blessings for a good and sweet year,
Deborah'le.
But seemingly in all the cases we’re talking about a "large body" or a system that I’m part of, with its own values, and they trust me to uphold them. So why in the army are these rules not sacred, but in academia they are?