Can I Reimburse the Discounted Price?
When items are purchased in bulk, they are generally cheaper than if purchased individually. An example is a metro card: one pays a discounted price for multiple rides. What is the halachah if someone borrowed another’s metro card, but did not discuss in advance how much they would reimburse the card owner—should they repay the price of a single ride or the discounted price paid by the card owner for multiple rides? The same question applies to someone who borrowed a monthly mikvah card for a single use. Clearly, the halachah is that if it is illegal to sell or lend one’s card or similar item, the borrower has to reimburse the owner at the rate that was paid, and pay the difference to the MTA, mikvah, or similar entity. There are many more details involved in this halachah that are beyond the scope of today’s discussion. #384