Q&A: Acquisition Through Theft
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Acquisition Through Theft
Question
Rabbi, hello!
What is the status of an object found in the possession of a thief? Does his liability for unavoidable accidents stem from an acquisition created through the theft? If he used the object, is he required to pay or exempt, and if he is exempt, is that connected to acquisition through theft?
Answer
He is exempt from payment for the use, because the object is defined as being in his ownership. But this is an ownership whose purpose is only to make him liable for unavoidable accidents.