Responsibility of a Religious Tenant in a Building Renovation Project for Water Pumps with Sabbath Control in a Mixed City
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Question
Hello, I live in Pardes Hanna, a city mixed with religious and secular people, like my building. The building is undergoing a renovation project, and all the tenants signed the project except me, as I claimed that there is a contractor who offers all tenants an additional 25 square meters more than what was signed, but in the legal process I entered, the judge ruled to make a compromise. Now my question is: 1. Regarding the water pumps, how obligated am I to insist that they have Sabbath control, since the company opposes this, claiming not all tenants are religious and the costs are high. 2. Regarding the lower commercial floor, I requested that they commit not to open on the Sabbath, but they are not willing to write this explicitly, only willing to state that it will be according to municipal bylaws (which are unfortunately not strictly enforced in the city). In summary, we submitted a request to the court on this matter, and it said we should negotiate for a week. My doubt is that if I insist on these things, the compromise agreement might fall apart, and perhaps I could bring another contractor who would agree to these conditions and offer more meters (which my lawyer advises has about a 20 percent chance), and perhaps the judge will be angry and fine me heavily since all 28 tenants signed except me. What is my responsibility in this matter as someone who owns an apartment in the building and is not sure if I will live in it? Also, my father is pressing hard for me to insist on these two things because he is fighting another issue in the city about a pool open on the Sabbath. How obligated am I to listen to him in terms of honoring parents?
Answer
Hello
The answer of our teacher, the Gaon, Rabbi Avraham Fried, shlita:
Do what is within your ability, and if you do not succeed, it is not your responsibility.
Source
Instruction of our teacher, the Gaon, Rabbi Avraham Fried, shlita
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