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Jewish Life Moves
In The Fast Lane.

Each Must Help
A Brother In Need

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Shabbat Mishpatim: Exodus 21:1-24:18;
Numbers 28:9-15; Jeremiah 34:8-22.

RABBI ELIEZER COHEN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

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n this week's Torah portion, vor for a fellow in need and is at-
we have the prohibition of tak- tempting to recoup the profit he

ing interest on a loan to a fel- would have made. Why then does
low Jew. the Torah in three different
Actually, the verse regarding places put such culpability on
interest is only one of three dif- everyone involved?
In one, it takes a close look at
ferent places in the Torah that
discuss the prohibition of taking the verses in the Torah that pro-
interest on a loan. In fact, each of hibit borrowing, lending and fa-
the three mentions in the Torah cilitating an interest-bearing
loan, a consistent theme
is interpreted and applied
is apparent. Here in
to those in different roles
Mishpatim it states (Ex-
and counted by Mai-
odus22:24), "If you lend
monides as three sepa-
money to one of My peo-
rate prohibitions out of
ple — the poor man with
the proverbial 6 13
you ... you must not lay
mitzvot.
upon him interest." At the
The one lending the
end ofLeviticus, (25:35) it
money (or anything else
says, "And when your
for that matter) in a way
brother becomes poor and
RABBI
to require repayment of
more than lent has trans- ELIEZER COHEN [his hand] falls with you,
gressed the prohibition. SPECIAL TO THE strengthen him ... and en-
JEWISH NEWS able him to live-with you."
The borrower who bor-
Deuteronomy
In
rows on condition to re-
(23:20,21)
it
states,
"You should
what
was
pay more than
borrowed has transgressed a sep- not pay interest to your brother
arate commandment prohibiting — interest of money or interest
agreement to pay or the payment of food, interest of anything ... to
of interest. Still another prohibi- the non-Jew you may pay inter-
tion applies to the witnesses, the est but for your brother you may
guarantor, the scribe — in short, not pay interest in order that God
anyone who facilitates an inter- will bless you in all that you set
your hand on the land that you
est - bearing loan between Jews.
The Torah, thus, makes it ab- are coming to possess."
The Torah in each case em-
solutely clear that the payment
of interest on a loan between phasizes that the needy man is
Jews is forbidden and such a se- "My people" or "with you" or
rious crime that all involved are "your brother." The reason for the
considered to have transgressed. prohibition of interest is simply
Such an emphasis seems that the needy one is the "broth-
somewhat extreme and rather er" of his benefactor. Each Jew is
strange. Those who facilitate the responsible for his brother —
loan are doing nothing more than every Jew must help his brother.
accommodating the two princi- This mutual concern and obliga-
ples to effect a perfectly normal tion then makes it incumbent
and responsible business trans- upon all Jews to alleviate the
action. Even if the rate or amount needs of all other Jews.
Lending money is not simply
of the interest is minimal and
even if both the lender and bor- a "business deal"; it is an oppor-
rower are happy with the agree- tunity to extend a kind of chari-
ment, it still remains prohibited ty where the recipient is able to
and all involved have trans- maintain his honor and dignity
— where he is trusted to pay
gressed.
The borrower has transgressed back what he received but not ‘–'
even if this is the only way he can simply "business as usual."
We are bidden to extend our-
gain access to the funds he needs
and even if the interest is some- selves (and even to "lose" the po-
thing he is perfectly willing to tential profit) to demonstrate the
mutual concern, responsibility
pay.
The lender has behaved im- and love that all Jews must have
properly even if he is simply con- for all other Jews. We may "do
ducting a normal business business" with the non-Jew, but
transaction — for certainly if he our brother Jew in need is a need
had invested the money or put it we must fulfill Thus anyone in-
in the bank he would have made volved in an interest-bearing loan
some profit. Instead, he did a fa- between Jews is negating that C„
bond of love that must tie all
Jews together.
Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of
To deserve God's blessing, the
Congregation Or Chadash.

