Is It Permitted to Pay a Musician in Advance of a Simcha?

Rav Yosef Kushner

Question: I am making a simcha and want to hire a specific musician. He asked for payment upfront and offered me a discount if I prepay. Is this permitted or is it a problem of pesika?

Answer: The Gemara says that an employee cannot offer a discounted rate if he is paid in advance of the job. If the employee would say that he can either be paid $100 in advance of the job, or $120 on the day of the job, that would be a transgression of pesika.

This is very relevant for camps that offer an early bird special. If in order to qualify for a discounted price they ask for payment several weeks before the start of camp that is more than just a deposit, that would be problematic. As we explained previously, if the money would be locked up and the camps wouldn’t have access to use it before the beginning of camp, that would not be a problem.

In the case of the musician, it would also be prohibited to pay him a discounted amount in advance of the simcha.