Positive Commandment 200 (Digest)
Timely Remittance of Wages
"Give him his wage on the day it is due"—Deuteronomy 24:15.
We are commanded to pay a daily worker in a timely fashion, and not to delay payment. A day worker collects his wages on the night that follows, and a night worker collects his wages on the following day. This mitzvah applies to all workers—whether Jewish or gentile.
Unabridged English Text of this Mitzvah »
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> The 200th mitzvah is that we are commanded to pay a hired worker on the day that he works, and not to delay it to another day.
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> The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement;) (exalted be He), "You must give him his wage on the day it is due."
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> This mitzvah dictates that a day worker can collect his wages the following night and that a night worker can collect his wages the following day, as explained in the prohibitions.;)
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> The details of this mitzvah are completely explained in the 9th chapter of tractate Bava Metzia.;) There it is explained that this obligation applies to all hired workers, whether Jewish or non-Jewish,;) and that it is a positive commandment to pay on time.
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> Footnotes
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> Deut. 24:15.
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> See N238 below.
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> 110b.
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> I.e., a ger toshav, who has officially accepted upon himself to fulfill the Seven Noachide Commandments. See Kapach, 5731, note 28.
Negative Commandment 238 (Digest)
Postponing Payment for a Hired Worker
"The wages of a hired worker shall not be left with you overnight until the morning"—Leviticus 19:13.
It is forbidden to delay the timely payment of a hired worker. A day worker must be given his wages on the night that follows, and a night worker on the day that follows.
This prohibition applies only to a Jewish worker (as opposed to the positive commandment to pay in a timely fashion, which applies to both Jewish and non-Jewish workers).
Unabridged English Text of this Mitzvah »
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> The 238th prohibition is that we are forbidden from withholding and delaying payment of a hired worker's wages.
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> The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement;) (exalted be He), "Do not let a worker's wages remain with you overnight until morning."
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> When does this verse apply? If he is a day worker he collects his wages the following night, as the verse says, "until morning." If he is a night worker he collects his wages during that night or the following day. He must receive his wages by the time the sun sets, as it is written,;) "You must give him his wage on the day it is due, and not let the sun set with him waiting for it."
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> In the words of the Mishneh:;) "A day worker can collect his wages the following night and that a night worker can collect his wages the following day."
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> They;) do not count as two mitzvos, but are rather two prohibitive statements that complete one mitzvah, i.e., from these two prohibitive statements we know when he must be paid.
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> The details of this mitzvah are explained in the 9th chapter of tractate Bava Metzia. There it is explained that this prohibition applies only to a hired worker who is Jewish — that if one delays paying him, he transgresses the prohibition. However, if the worker is not Jewish,;) one violates only the positive commandment;) "You must give him his wage on the day it is due."
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> Footnotes
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> Lev. 19:13.
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> Deut. 24:15.
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> Bava Metzia 9:11.
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> I.e., Lev. 19:13 and Deut. 24:15.
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> I.e., a ger toshav. See note to P200 above.
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> P200.