About Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Rabbi Jack Abramowitz served as Director of Programs for NCSY before becoming Associate Director of the Pepa and Rabbi Joseph Karasick Department of Synagogue Services. Rabbi Abramowitz holds degrees in Jewish studies, communications and Higher Education Administration. Among his accomplishments, he authored NCSY's Torah on One Foot series of educational pamphlets and created negiah.org, the first abstinence web site for Jewish teens. Rabbi Abramowitz is the author of The Shnayim Mikra Companion on Torah, The Nach Yomi Companion volumes 1 and 2 on the books of the Prophets and the Writings, and The Tzniyus Book.

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Taryag: A Mitzvah a Day

Questions? Contact us at taryag@ou.org

PARSHAT DailyPARSHAT Ki Teitzei
MITZVAH COUNTER
Mitzvos to date: 573
Positives:230
Negatives:343
That can be performed today:246
Plus those that can be performed only in Israel:23

573. Verrrry Interesting… To obligation to conduct loans with non-Jews using interest


An outsider you shall charge interest… (Deuteronomy 23:21)

According to the Rambam, just as it is forbidden to lend to another Jew at interest, it is a positive mitzvah to charge interest when lending to non-Jews. This is a surprising requirement; what reason could there possibly be for it?

First of all, as we have discussed, the fact that Jews do not charge interest to one another is a form of reciprocity, like states recognizing one another's drivers licenses. Non-Jews are not obligated in this matter. Therefore, one may borrow from them at interest and charge them interest. To forgo the interest due from a non-Jewish borrower would make the transaction lopsided and, to put it bluntly, make the Jewish lender something of a sucker. Additionally, if the Jew lends to everybody without interest, the fact that he doesn't lend to other Jews at interest ceases to be special.

Of course, this isn't to say that there aren't circumstances in which the Jew could overlook interest from a non-Jewish borrower. One of these is if charging interest to Patrick when he didn't charge interest to Moishy is going to create resentment.

Ramban (Nachmanides) does not count this among the 613 mitzvos. He sees the statement merely in contradistinction to the prohibition against charging interest to other Jews, i.e., to these (non-Jews) you shall lend with interest as opposed to those (Jews).

This mitzvah applies in all times and places. It is discussed in the Talmud in tractate Baba Metzia on pages 71a-72a. It is codified in the Mishneh Torah in the fifth chapter of Hilchos Malveh v’Loveh. This mitzvah is #198 of the 248 positive mitzvos in the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos; it is not listed in the Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar of the Chofetz Chaim.



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