Mesira (Informing)

Motek

Tue, Jul 18 2006, 6:57 pm

There are many mesira (informing) situations that arise and I wonder how many people consult with a rav before taking action.

Back in Soviet Russia, sometimes Jews informed on one another out of desperation. They were threatened and did so under duress. Quite a rachmonus on them. Sometimes, these informers were killed by their fellow Jews (!!) because they posed literal danger to other people's lives.

But nowadays? What about informing the authorities that someone is doing construction illegally?

What about calling the police about another Jew for any reason - is it okay? What if someone is blocking your driveway, parking in your spot?

What about criminal activity - can you/should you tell the police?

Ambassador-to-KJ

Tue, Jul 18 2006, 7:07 pm

Quote:

What if someone is blocking your driveway

guilty of that one myself once. I was in Boro Park and parked in an illegal driveway, I had checked and it didnt even look like a driveway, the owners had cut out the curb to park the car in front of their house, nevertheless I would not have parked there had I noticed.

When I got back to my car around 9:30pm, I would have so much rathered come back to a ticket! They had taken matters into their own hands and covered almost my entire front and back windows with candle wax....... There was even a magazine on the back ledge with a picture of the Rebbe on it so they wrote Moshiach Now on my back window. I was 19, a few months married, and had to drive with almost zero visability to pick up my dh in crown height who blew his top....... I still shake when I think about that night, anyway Im not sure what this has to do with the OPs question but it just reminded me...

shalhevet

Tue, Jul 18 2006, 7:10 pm

It depends on the individual situation.

There are certainly cases in which one has to inform the police /authorities.

Around Purim many shops sell "napatzim" etc here (mini explosives which the boys just love). There have been children who have lost limbs and digits and old people /pregnant women who have had serious consequences just from being scared by the noise.
Rabbanim have published that it is a mitzva to inform on anyone who sells the illegal versions.

Sometimes a rav will allow someone to inform the authorities about e.g. illegal construction if it will cause other people damage and attempts to otherwise ask the person not to go ahead are ignored.

There are, unfortunately, a few people who look very religious, think they can behave in whatever way they want and then scream "moser" if anyone complains.

amother

Wed, Jul 19 2006, 9:03 am

I once heard my neighboors downstairs in a loud fight. I heard crying and crashing, and it seemed the husband was hurting his wife. The Rav told me to call 911.

cindy324

Wed, Jul 19 2006, 2:02 pm

Quote:

amother why would you waste precious time of what could have been to call a rav and not call the police right away?

Excellent question. I wonder how you would've liked it if C"V your husband was being violent towards you, and your neighbor called a rav first , maybe causing you more suffering or possibly worse, rather than call the police right away. If there's even a possibility of danger to another person's life, where's the shaalah in that???

amother

Wed, Jul 19 2006, 2:57 pm

Quote:

why would you waste precious time of what could have been to call a rav and not call the police right away?

Ahh!!! That was indeed part of my Cheshbon!!
The fact is, that though I THOUGHT he was hurting her, I did not KNOW it. I was ambivalent about calling the cops, as I didn't want to cause them more problems if it was "just" a bad fight.
If the Rav hadn't answered on the first or second ring, I'd have taken matters into my own hands.
I have called 911 on other occasions (even Shabbos) without talking to a Rav first.

Motek

Thu, Jul 20 2006, 1:21 pm

And what happened? Had he actually physically hurt her? From hearing crashing and crying you would have no way of knowing.

As for those who advocate immediately calling the police - would you do that if you saw a parent hit their child? Many parents hit their children and are not what we would call child abusers. But how would you feel if someone felt that any hitting is abuse and called the police on you or someone you knew for that?