Q&A: Robbery/Theft
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Robbery/Theft
Question
A question about robbery/theft:
Soldiers found millions of shekels in cash in the home of a senior Hamas official. Is a soldier allowed to take some of the money for himself? Does it belong to the Hamas official?
Answer
From a halakhic standpoint, this can be viewed as spoils of war. Legally, of course, it is forbidden. It should be turned over to the authorities.
Discussion on Answer
I don’t know what the Holy One, blessed be He, would do; I’m not on that level. But it is a transgression, a halakhic prohibition.
Half to the king and half to the people—that is the Jewish law regarding plunder.
That is, half goes into the fighters’ pockets and half should be passed on to “the system.”
If I take the money for myself and no one knows, would I be considered a criminal halakhically, and would the Holy One, blessed be He, punish me?