Q&A: Rights of a Private Business
Rights of a Private Business
Question
Good evening, Rabbi, I’d be happy to get help with an argument I’m having with someone at work.
I work at General Motors on autonomous vehicles.
The discussion is: is a private business allowed to exclude customers?
And beyond the general question, would we allow the owner of the only supermarket in a town to decide that he excludes someone with a mustache?
Is that a legitimate step?
Answer
From a legal standpoint, it is forbidden. Are you asking from a halakhic perspective? Jewish law does not obligate someone to sell something to someone else. Everything depends on the will of the seller and the buyer. But it of course recognizes the law of the land.
Discussion on Answer
Definitely not moral, unless they have a justified reason. Without your stating the reason, it’s hard to give an answer.
I’m asking from the moral perspective.
On the one hand, a business owner has the right to do what he sees fit.
On the other hand, if there is only one supermarket in the town, then someone in the town will have no way to buy.
The question is: from the moral standpoint, is the supermarket owner obligated to sell to everyone?
Or if there are three supermarkets, and for their own reasons, all three do not want to sell to someone, is that moral?