I damaged a car while rushing to prepare for Shabbos; am I liable?

#562: I damaged a car while rushing to prepare for Shabbos; am I liable?

Haratz b’erev Shabbos, one who is running errands during the Erev Shabbos rush—and in their haste to perform the mitzvah of preparing for Shabbos, cause damage to another’s property—is exempt from liability. They are excused due to the fact that they were rushing to do a mitzvah.

There is a machlokes haposkim (difference of opinion among halachic authorities) whether this exemption applies only at sundown, or throughout the entire day of erev Shabbos. Whereas some authorities extend this exemption to all mitzvos, others limit it to those mitzvos where stress is created due to limitations of time.

In practice, if damage was done, a rav should be consulted.

https://halacha2go.com?number=562

Practical Halacha: One minute a day. By Horav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, shlita, Mara D'asra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights.