Halakha Imamat 19:13: Kitzur Shulchan Arukh, Sefer HaChinukh & Mishneh Torah, Negative Mitzvot

It is forbidden to rob or to steal even an article of trivial value from a Jew or from a non-Jew. It is recorded in Tanna Devei Eliyohu:¹Chapter 15. It happened that a man told me [Eliyah] that he had wronged a non-Jew in measuring dates that he sold to him. Thereafter, he bought oil with all that money and the jug broke and the oil spilled. I said, "Blessed is the Omnipotent that shows no favoritism." The Torah says, "Do not cheat your fellow, nor rob him,"²Leviticus 19:13. and robbery of a non-Jew also constitutes robbery.

It is forbidden to cheat your fellow even in the slightest degree, as it is said, "Do not cheat your neighbor."³Leviticus 19:13. What is cheating? If your neighbor's money comes into your possession with his consent; for example, if he lent you money, or you owe him wages (or rent), and you do not wish to pay him, or you put him off by saying, "Go," "and return [later]." Since the verse states: your [Jewish] neighbor, it is not forbidden to do so with a non-Jew. This is true only if this will not cause the Name of God to be desecrated; for example if you borrowed from a non-Jew and he died, it is permitted to deny the loan to his son, because he does not know for sure that you are lying. However, if the non-Jew knows you are lying, it is forbidden because of the desecration of God's Name. And even if the son is not sure, it is only permitted to deny a loan, or any other such debt you owed him. If you have in your possession an article you received from a non-Jew which is intact, you are forbidden to deny it, for this constitutes actual robbery. Moreover, even if you buy something from a non-Jew, you are forbidden to fool him in counting out the money, as it is said, "And he shall reckon with his buyer,"⁴Leviticus 25:50. which refers to a non-Jew. For he is only conveying the article to you in consideration of the sum agreed upon, and if you fool him in the payment, it is tantamount to stealing the article, and not merely denying a debt.⁵Which is permitted in a situation when it will not cause profanity of God’s name. (Ramah 348:2) Even deception not involving any loss of money is forbidden in business dealing, as was explained in Chapter 63. Nevertheless, if the non-Jew makes a mistake, it is permitted to benefit from it, provided there will be no desecration of God's Name, [for example] in such a case where he remains unaware of his mistake. It is best to say to him, "I am relying on your estimate or your bill."

It is a mitzvah to pay the wages of a hired workman on time, and if you delay such payment, you are transgressing a negative commandment, as it is said, "On the same day you shall give him his wages, and the sun shall not go down on it."¹Deuteronomy 24:15. It is also a mitzvah to pay for the hire of an animal or a utensil at the proper time, and if you delay such payment, you are transgressing a negative command, as it is said "You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy etc., in the same day you must give his wage."²Deuteronomy 24:14. What is the proper time? If he finished his work during the day, he should be paid before the end of that day. If the day has passed and you still did not pay him, you are transgressing the mitzvah of "In the same day you should give him his wage, and the sun shall not go down on it."¹Deuteronomy 24:15. If he finished his work during the evening, he should be paid during that night. If the night passed and you had not paid him, you are transgressing the negative command, "The wages of your worker shall not abide with you (all the night) until the morning."³Leviticus 19:13. Similarly, a workman who is hired by the week, or month, or year, if he has finished his work during the day, he should be paid during that day; if he finished during the night, he should be paid during that night and not later.