Parameters of monetary obligation in a kollel
Question
I attended a kollel where the rosh kollel undertook to pay me money, but in the end he did not pay me. He has money, because there are avrechim to whom he does pay. The question is: can I obligate him to pay me what he committed to?
And now, at the beginning of the new term, he decided to institute “shemirat sederim” (enforcement of the learning schedule), paying according to that. My question is as follows: if I had known that he would institute “shemirat sederim”, I would have moved to another kollel.
Answer
Shalom u’vracha.
The rosh kollel has no monetary obligation to pay. However, if he requires that they learn specifically certain subjects, he is obligated to pay.
Reasonable, normal demands are permitted for a rosh kollel to make, and he may pay in accordance with those demands.
