אִם כֶּסֶף תַּלְוֶה אֶת עַמִּי. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: כַּסְפּוֹ לֹא נָתַן בְּנֶשֶׁךְ. (תהלים טו, ה). בֹּא וּרְאֵה, כָּל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ עֹשֶׁר וְנוֹתֵן צְדָקָה לַעֲנִיִּים וְאֵינוֹ מַלְוֶה בְּרִבִּית, מַעֲלִין עָלָיו כְּאִלּוּ קִיֵּם אֶת כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: עֹשֵׂה אֵלֶּה לֹא יִמּוֹט לְעוֹלָם (תהלים טו, ה). וּמִי הָיָה זֶה? זֶה עוֹבַדְיָה שֶׁהָיָה עָשִׁיר אֶפִּטְרוֹפּוֹס שֶׁל אַחְאָב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּקְרָא אַחְאָב אֶל עֹבַדְיָהוּ אֲשֶׁר עַל הַבָּיִת וְעֹבַדְיָהוּ הָיָה יָרֵא אֶת ה' (מלכים א יח, ג). וְהָיָה מְפַרְנֵס אֶת הַנְּבִיאִים מִנְּכָסָיו כָּל אוֹתוֹ הָרָעָב, וְלָוָה בְּרִבִּית מִיהוֹרָם בֶּן אַחְאָב. עֹבַדְיָהוּ קִיֵּם, כַּסְפּוֹ לֹא נָתַן בְּנֶשֶׁךְ. וִיהוֹרָם שֶׁנָּתַן בְּרִבִּית, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, עַד עַכְשָׁיו הוּא חַי, יָבוֹא יֵהוּא וְיַהַרְגֶנּוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בַּנֶּשֶׁךְ נָתַן וְתַרְבִּית לָקַח וָחָי לֹא יִחְיֶה (יחזקאל יח, יג). וּכְתִיב: וְיֵהוּא מִלֵּא יָדוֹ בַקֶּשֶׁת וַיַּךְ אֶת יְהוֹרָם בֵּין זְרֹעָיו וַיֵּצֵא הַחֵצִי מִלִּבּוֹ וַיִּכְרַע בְּרִכְבּוֹ (מלכים ב ט, כד), עַל שֶׁהִקְשָׁה בּוֹ וּפָשַׁט אֶת זְרוֹעָיו לִטֹּל אֶת הָרִבִּית, לְקַיֵּם מַה שֶּׁאָמַר יְחֶזְקֵאל, בַּנֶּשֶׁךְ נָתַן וְתַרְבִּית לָקַח וָחָי לֹא יִחְיֶה. If thou lend money to any of my people (Exod. 22:24). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: He that putteth not out his money on interest (Ps. 15:5). Come and observe that every wealthy man who gives charity to the needy and does not lend out his money on interest is considered to have fulfilled all the commandments, as it is said: He that doeth these things shall never be moved (ibid.). Who was one such person? Obadiah, the wealthy overseer of Ahab’s household, as it is said: And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly (I Kings 18:3). He fed the prophets out of his own resources during that famine (which Elijah produced) and even borrowed money on interest from Joram the son of Ahab to do so. Obadiah fulfilled the verse He that putteth not out his money on interest, but concerning Joram who loaned money on interest, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Until now he has survived, but Jehu will come and slay him, as it is written: He hath given forth upon interest, and hath taken increase; shall he then live? (Exod. 18:13). It is also written: And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and smote Joram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot (II Kings 9:24). This occurred because he had become hard of heart and sought interest. Thus the prophesy of Ezekiel was fulfilled: He hath given forth upon interest and hath taken increase; shall he then live? (Ezek. 18:13).
וְאַף בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם הָיוּ בָּהּ אֲנָשִׁים מַלְוִין בְּרִבִּית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כַּסְפֵּךְ הָיָה לְסִיגִים (ישעיה א, כב). וּמַה נַּעֲשֶׂה לָהֶם? כֶּסֶף נִמְאָס קָרְאוּ לָהֶם כִּי מָאַס ה' בָּהֶם (ירמיה ו, ל), לְפִיכָךְ כַּסְפֵּךְ הָיָה לְסִיגִים. וּכְתִיב: כַּסְפָּם וּזְהָבָם בַּחוּצוֹת יַשְׁלִיכוּ (יחזקאל ז, יט). לָמָּה, עַל שֶׁעָבְרוּ עַל הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֶת כַּסְפְּךָ לֹא תִּתֵּן לוֹ בְּנֶשֶׁךְ. (ויקרא כה, לז). There were men in Jerusalem, also, who loaned money on interest, as it is said: Thy silver is become dross (Isa. 1:22). What was their fate? Refuse silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them (Jer. 6:30). Therefore Scripture states: Thy silver is become dross, It is also written: They shall cast their silver and their gold into the streets (Ezek. 7:19). Why? Because they had transgressed the law, as it is said: Thou shalt not give him thy money upon interest (Lev. 25:37).
כְּשֶׁבָּנָה שְׁלֹמֹה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, עָמַד בִּתְפִלָּה וְאָמַר: רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָם, אִם יִתְפַּלֵּל אָדָם עַל הַמָּמוֹן בַּבַּיִת הַזֶּה, וְאַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁמַּשְׁחִית בְּמָמוֹנוֹ, אַל תִּתֵּן לוֹ. וְאִם תִּרְאֶה שֶׁהָעֹשֶׁר טוֹב לוֹ, תֵּן לוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְנָתַתָּה לָאִישׁ כְּכָל דְּרָכָיו אֲשֶׁר תֵּדַע אֶת לְבָבוֹ כִּי אַתָה לְבַדְּךָ יָדַעְתָּ אֶת לְבַב בְּנֵי הָאָדָם. (דה״ב ו, ל). לְפִי שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, הָרְשָׁעִים עֲשִׂירִים וְהֵם נְתוּנִים בְּשַׁלְוָה, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְשַׁלֵּם לָהֶם מְשַׁלֵּם לָהֶם מִעוּט מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים שֶׁבְּיָדָם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּמְשַׁלֵּם לְשׂנְאָיו אֶל פָּנָיו (דברים ז, י). וּכְתִיב: בִּפְרֹחַ רְשָׁעִים כְּמוֹ עֵשֶׂב (תהלים צב, ח). אֲבָל לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא פּוֹתֵחַ אוֹצְרוֹתָיו לַצַּדִּיקִים עֲבָדָיו בְּגַן עֵדֶן. וְהָרְשָׁעִים שֶׁאָכְלוּ אֶת הָרִבִּית, נוֹשְׁכִין בְּשִׁנֵּיהֶם אֶת בְּשָׂרָם וְתוֹהִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הַכְּסִיל חֹבֵק אֶת יָדָיו וְאֹכֵל אֶת בְּשָׂרוֹ (קהלת ד, ה). וְאוֹמֵר הַלְוַאי הָיִינוּ פּוֹעֲלִין וְטוֹעֲנִין עַל כְּתֵפֵנוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: טוֹב מְלֹא כַף נָחַת מִמְּלֹא חָפְנַיִם עָמָל (קהלת ד, ו). When Solomon erected the Temple he prayed: Lord of the Universe, if a man should pray unto You in this Temple for money, and You know that the money will be harmful to him, do not give it to him, but if You should foresee that the money will be beneficial to him, fulfill his plea, as it is said: And render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest—for Thou, even Thou only, knowest the hearts of the children of men (II Chron. 6:30). Because the wicked in this world are wealthy and dwell in tranquility, the Holy One, blessed be He, will reward them only a little for the good deeds they perform in this world, as it is said: And repayeth them that hate Him to their face (Deut. 7:10). But it is also written: When the wicked spring up as the grass, when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they may be destroyed for ever (Ps. 92:8). However, in the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will open his treasure house to his righteous servants in the Garden of Eden, while the wicked, who have eaten the fruits of interest here, will consume their own flesh with their teeth and will be confounded, as it is said: The fool foldeth his hands together and eateth his own flesh (Eccles. 4:5). They will then cry out: Would that we had been workmen and carried burdens on our shoulders, as it is said: Better is a handful of quietness, than both the hands full of labor and striving after the wind (ibid., 6).
וְהָעֲנִיִּים, עַמּוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי נִחַם ה' עַמּוֹ וַעֲנִיָּיו יְרַחֵם (ישעיה מט, יג). מִדַּת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֹא כְּמִדַּת בָּשָׂר וָדָם. מִדַּת בָּשָׂר וָדָם, עָשִׁיר שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ עֲנִיִּים קְרוֹבִים, שׂוֹנְאָן וְאֵינוֹ מוֹדֶה בָּהֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כָּל אֲחֵי רָשׁ שְׂנֵאֻהוּ אַף כִּי מְרֵעֵהוּ רָחֲקוּ מִמֶּנּוּ (משלי יט, ז). וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כָּל הָעֹשֶׁר וְהַכָּבוֹד שֶׁלּוֹ, מְחוֹפֵף וּמְרַחֵם עַל הָעֲנִיִּים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי ה' יִסַּד צִיּוֹן וּבָהּ יֶחֱסוּ עֲנִיֵּי עַמּוֹ (ישעיה יד, לב). The poor are the people of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said: For the Lord hath comforted His people, and hath compassion upon His afflicted (Isa. 49:13). The ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, are not like those of man. The rich man despises his poor relations and is not concerned about them, as it is said: All the brethren of the poor do hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him (Prov. 19:7). However, the Holy One, blessed be He, who owns the source of all wealth and honor, provides for and is merciful to the poor, as it is said: That the Lord hath founded Zion, and in her shall the poor of His people take refuge (Isa. 14:32).
תַּלְוֶה אֶת עַמִּי, אָמַר דָּוִד לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָם, יֵשֵׁב עוֹלָם לִפְנֵי אֱלֹהִים (תהלים סא, ח). תְּיַשֵּׁב עוֹלָמְךָ בְּשָׁוֶה, הָעֲשִׁירִים וְהָעֲנִיִּים. אָמַר לוֹ: אִם כֵּן, חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת מַן יִנְצְרֻהוּ (תהלים סא, ח). אִם יִהְיוּ כֻּלָּם עֲשִׁירִים אוֹ עֲנִיִּים, מִי יוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת חָסֶד. If thou lend money to any of My people (Exod. 22:24). David said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Lord of the Universe, May the world be (made equal) before God (Ps. 61:8), that is, make Thy world either rich or poor.21Ex. R. Sect. 31 “Make thy world evenly divided (as to property).” But He answered: If I do so, Why need I appoint mercy and truth, that they may preserve him? (ibid.). For if all men are either rich or poor, who will perform acts of mercy?
לֹא תִהְיֶה לוֹ כְּנשֶׁה. אִם הִשְׁאַלְתָּ אוֹתוֹ, לֹא תִדְחָקֶנּוּ. לֹא תִרְאֶה לוֹ שָׂדֶה וְכֶרֶם אוֹ בַיִת וְתֹאמַר לוֹ טֹל מִמֶּנִּי עֲשֶׂרֶת רִבּוֹא וְתַעֲשֶׂה פְּרַקְמַטְיָא וּכְתֹב לִי שָׂדְךָ וְעַל כַּרְמְךָ וְעַל בֵּיתְךָ, וּלְמָחָר הוּא מַפְסִיד וְתִטֹּל אֶת כַּרְמוֹ. מִכָּאן אַתְּ לָמֵד, שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁמַּלְוֶה בְּרִבִית, אֵינוֹ יָרֵא מִן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אַל תִּקַּח מֵאִתּוֹ נֶשֶׁךְ, (ויקרא כה, לו). לֹא תָשִׂים עָלָיו נֶשֶׁךְ. Thou shalt not be to him as a creditor (Exod. 22:24). If you have lent him money, do not press him (for payment). Do not examine his field or vineyard or house, do not press him and say to him: “Borrow ten thousand denarii for your business and give me only the mortgage on your field, or vineyard, or house.” He may eventually suffer a loss in business, and then you will be depriving him of his vineyard. From this you learn that anyone who takes interest is not God-fearing, as it is said: Take not thou interest of him or increase; but fear thy God (Lev. 25:36).
שָׁנוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ: אֵלּוּ עוֹבְרִין בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, הַמַּלְוֶה וְהַלֹּוֶה וְהֶעָרֵב וְהָעֵדִים וְהַסּוֹפֵר. לְפִיכָךְ כֻּלָּן לוֹקִין. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁהַלֹּוֶה לוֹקֶה. דִּכְתִיב: לֹא תַשִּׁיךְ לְאָחִיךָ (דברים כג, כ). לְמָה רִבִּית דּוֹמָה? לְמִי שֶׁנְּשָׁכוֹ נָחָשׁ, לֹא הִרְגִּישׁ לוֹמַר מִי נְשָׁכוֹ וְלֹא יָדַע עַד שֶׁנִּתְבַּטְבֵּט עָלָיו. כָּךְ הָרִבִּית, אֵינוֹ מַרְגִּישׁ עַד שֶׁהִיא מִתְבַּטְבֶּטֶת עָלָיו. אִם חָבֹל תַּחְבֹּל (שמות כב, כו). אוֹמֵר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: אִם הוּא חַיָּב לְךָ, אַף אַתָּה חַיָּב לִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי יֶחֶטְאוּ לָךְ כִּי אֵין אָדָם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יֶחֱטָא (מלכים א ח, מו). Our rabbis teach us that the borrower, the guarantor, the witnesses, and the scribes are all considered culpable, (for without them the moneylender would not have loaned his money on interest). Therefore, all of them shall be punished. Whence do we learn that the borrower is punished? It is written: Thou shalt not cause thy brother to lend upon interest (Deut. 23:20). To what can interest be likened? To a person who does not feel or notice the bite of a snake until the swelling appears. Similarly, interest is not felt until it has increased for the debtor. If thou at all take thy neighbor’s garment to pledge (Exod. 22:25). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: If he is in debt to you, you are also in debt to Me, as it is said: If they sin against Thee—for there is no man that sinneth not (I Kings 8:46).