Unnecessary Photocopies on the School Machine
Question
I am a teacher, and in the course of my work I used the school photocopier several times to copy more pages than were needed: sometimes by mistake, sometimes the printing did not come out well and I had to print again, and sometimes I did not notice that the setting was double-sided printing and I made copies according to the number of girls. These were small mistakes, but altogether many pages came out. At a certain point I understood that the administration permits only the secretary to make copies, but because of her lack of precision, based on previous experience, I could not rely on her. What should I do now? Do I need to return packages of paper, pay for the ink, or do something else? I do not remember how many pages were printed, and I do not want to transgress the prohibition of ribbit.
Answer
Shalom u’verachah
Regarding what you copied before you knew the rule that only the secretary may make photocopies, you do not need to pay.
Regarding what you copied after knowing the rule, you should ask the administration for forgiveness, or pay according to an estimate.
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