Lending, Borrowing, and Areas of Interest

(24) If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, do not act toward them as a creditor; exact no interest from them. (25) If you take your neighbor’s garment in pledge, you must return it before the sun sets; (26) it is the only available clothing—it is what covers the skin. In what else shall [your neighbor] sleep? Therefore, if that person cries out to Me, I will pay heed, for I am compassionate.

That we not give a hand between the borrower and the creditor with interest: To not be involved in an interest loan between the borrower and the creditor — meaning to say that we do not act as a guarantor for them and that we do not write a deed for them that has a mention of interest...because the good God desired the settlement of His people which He chose. And therefore He commanded to remove the obstacle from their path, that one should not swallow up the wealth of his friend without his [even] feeling it, until he finds his house empty of all good. As this is the way of interest, and the matter is well-known, and that is why it is called, “bite (neshekh).” And in the avoidance of this matter by the guarantor, the scribe and the witnesses, [other] people will [also] avoid it...

(35) If your kin, being in straits, come under your authority, and are held by you as though resident aliens, let them live by your side: (36) do not exact advance or accrued interest, but fear your God. Let your kin live by your side as such. (37) Do not lend your money at advance interest, nor give your food at accrued interest. (38) I ה' am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, to be your God.

(1) To not lend with interest to an Israelite: To not lend with interest to an Israelite, as it is written (Leviticus 25:37), “You shall not give your money with interest, nor should you give your sustenance with increase.” And these are not two prohibitions — as increase is interest, and interest is increase...So why did the verse divide them?...(T)o give multiple warnings about it...(for) the Torah will occasionally repeat warnings about that which it wanted to distance us from greatly...And even though it is fitting that a person should be most careful about the word of God — even if he heard the word through the slightest hint — this is all from His great kindnesses upon His creatures, that in a few places He repeated warnings for them many times — like a parent disciplines his child. And we should therefore thank Him for all the goodness that He, blessed be He, bestowed upon us...

(20) You shall not deduct interest from loans to your fellow Israelites, whether in money or food or anything else that can be deducted as interest; (21) but you may deduct interest from loans to foreigners. Do not deduct interest from loans to your fellow Israelites, so that your God ה' may bless you in all your undertakings in the land that you are about to enter and possess.

(1) That the borrower not give interest to an Israelite: That we have been prevented from giving interest to an Israelite and, so too, from taking it. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 23:20), “You shall not take interest from your brother, interest of money, interest of food, interest of any thing, etc.”...And had this preventing of this not come explicitly, I would have reasoned that it is the lender that is forbidden from taking it, but [that] if the borrower wants to forgive and is willing to be oppressed, that it would be permitted — in the manner of [other] oppression, where it is the oppressor that is transgressing, not the oppressed...

To lend to the gentile with interest: That we were commanded to request interest from the [other] peoples when we lend to them and that we not lend to them without interest. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 23:21), “Take interest from the foreigner.” And likewise is it permitted to borrow from them with interest. And they said in Sifrei, “‘Take interest from the foreigner’ — that is a positive commandment; ‘and from your brother, do not take interest’ — that is a negative commandment.”

It is from the roots of the commandment that it is fitting for us to do acts of loving-kindness only to the nation that knows God and serves in front of Him. And by refraining from kindness with other people and doing it with these, it becomes clear that the main love and pity on them is [coming] from the angle of their following the Torah of God, may He be blessed. And behold, with this intention, there will be reward for us in our refraining from kindness to them, [just] like [there will be] in our doing it to the children of our nation.

(1) A psalm of David.LORD, who may sojourn in Your tent, who may dwell on Your holy mountain? (2) He who lives without blame, who does what is right, and in his heart acknowledges the truth; (3) whose tongue is not given to evil; who has never done harm to his fellow, or borne reproach for [his acts toward] his neighbor; (4) for whom a contemptible man is abhorrent, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who stands by his oath even to his hurt; (5) who has never lent money at interest, or accepted a bribe against the innocent. The man who acts thus shall never be shaken.

“He neither gives his money with interest”; meaning he does not lend money with interest even to a gentile, which is permitted by Torah law.

(1) He hath not given his money upon usury: – ...Now as regards this matter, just because men are accustomed to it and do not denounce it as spoliation as they do robbery or stealing, therefore the Law is severe upon it and often warns against it. The Prophets also class it among the flagrant offences. And he who is accustomed to have recourse to it loses his money in a short time. But David and Ezekiel only forbid what the Law forbids, and the Law only forbids it in the case of Israel, but allows it in the case of the foreigner, as it is said (Deut. 23:21): "Unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon usury." But it is not so said of robbery and stealing and loss and fraud, for even in the case of the stranger to oppress or rob him or steal his money is forbidden; but usury which is received from him with his knowledge and consent is permitted. An Israelite is bound to shew kindness to his fellow-Israelite, and the loan without interest is kindness and goodness; at times a greater kindness even than a gift, for men often will hesitate to accept a gift, but not a loan. Such, however, is not the case between the Israelite and the Gentile, for the former is under no obligation to shew him kindness or to lend him money gratuitously, for generally these hate Israel. But assuredly if the Gentile shews kindness and goodness to an Israelite, he, for his part, is bound to return his kindness and to do him good. Now I have enlarged on this matter so that you can answer the Christians who say that David did not distinguish between Jew and Gentile, and that all interest is forbidden. This, however, will not hold, for David does not forbid what Moses our teacher permitted at the command of God. Notice that the Torah says (Deut. xiii. i): "Thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish there-from."

(Devarim 23:21) "To the stranger shall you give interest, but to your brother shall you not give interest": "to the stranger shall you give interest" — a positive commandment; "but to your brother shall you not give interest — a negative commandment...