Positive Mitzvah 200;
Negative Mitzvah 238

When you baby-sit or mow the lawn for someone, you appreciate getting paid for your time and effort. Even if you do not receive your payment upon completing the job, you feel confident that you will get paid at some later time. Nonetheless, you're much happier when you are paid immediately after you finish the work.

The Torah warns us to be careful when paying people who work for us. We are commanded to pay them on time and not withhold their wages.

Manny's father works in a firm and gets a monthly salary.

Ricky's mother is a teacher and receives her check every two weeks.

Bassi's father is a self-employed painter and charges by the hour.

No one would think of paying him a month later for his day's work.

The Torah cautions us not to delay payment that is owed to a hired worker.

If he worked during the day, we must pay him by the next morning. If he is employed on a night job, he must be paid by the end of the next day.