Q. I work as an insurance agent, can I sell on chol hamoed Pesach insurance to businesses that deal with chometz as I'm benefiting and getting commission?
A. Sheorim Hametzuyonim Behalocho (114: 29) maintains that this is similar to owing shares of a company that trades and has chometz in their possession. The fact that the insurer does not have any say and control over the insured property, clearly makes this a case similar to someone accepting responsibility over the chometz of a Gentile that is located on the property of the Gentile and is therefore permitted. (Mishna Berurah 440: 7)
Nevertheless, it is already customary for insurers to include also their business assets and policies on the sale document of chometz. The reason being that some customers may be Jewish and did not themselves sell their chometz. As an act of arvus (mutual responsibility to a fellow Isroel) the insurer includes (whatever ownership he has on them) in his selling of chometz. (Piskey Teshuvos 440: 2: 13)
Chashukei Chemed (Pesochim 5b) debates whether this applies only before Pesach but not during Pesach itself since the insurer is interested in the survival and existence of the chometz and he is now acting on it.
Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit'a pointed out that the insurance agent is not taking any responsibility himself at all, he is just representing a Gentile owned insurance company, therefore he has no direct benefit from the chometz and as long as he does not contravene the halochos of working on Chol Hamoed, he is permitted to sell the insurance.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit"a
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