Another matter, “you shall not be as a creditor to him,” that is what is written: “It is good for a man to be gracious and to lend, conducting his affairs with justice” (Psalms 112:5). Come and see all the creations of the Holy One blessed be He borrow from one another. The day borrows from the night, and the night borrows from the day,32In the summer the day is longer than the night, and is thought of as having borrowed time from the night; in the winter, the opposite is the case. but they do not litigate with each other like people, as it is stated: “Day to day gives utterance; [night to night renders understanding]” (Psalms 19:3).33The following verse states: “There is no talk, nor are there words; their voice is not heard.”
The moon borrows from the stars and the stars borrow from the moon,34When the moon is full the light of the stars is somewhat obscured; when the moon is very small or not visible, the light of the stars seems brighter. and when the Holy One blessed be He wishes, they do not emerge, as it is stated: “Who says to the sun and it does not shine, and seals the stars” (Job 9:7). The light borrows from the sun and the sun borrows from the light,35The midrash considers there to be a light that brightens the world that is not from the sun.
At times it shines for longer before the sun rises and at times it shines for less time before the sun rises (see Yefe Toar). as it is stated: “The sun, the moon stand in their abode, [by the light of Your arrows they will go, at the shining of Your glittering spear]” (Habakkuk 3:11). Wisdom borrows from understanding and understanding borrows from wisdom,36Wisdom refers to knowledge, and understanding refers to the ability to use logic to arrive at new conclusions.
Knowledge is not sufficient by itself, and logical reasoning must be based upon knowledge; thus, wisdom and understanding need each other, and are therefore referred to as borrowing from one another. as it is stated: “Say to wisdom: You are my sister, [and call understanding an acquaintance]” (Proverbs 7:4). The heavens borrow from the earth and the earth borrows from the heavens,37Condensation on earth rises to the heavens, where it forms into clouds and then falls back to earth as rain (Etz Yosef). as it is stated: “The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens” (Deuteronomy 28:12).
Kindness borrows from charity and charity borrows from kindness,38Depending on the situation, giving charity to the poor may take precedence over performing kindness for another person, or vice versa (see Etz Yosef). as it is stated: “He who pursues righteousness and kindness” (Proverbs 21:21). Torah borrows from mitzvot and mitzvot borrow from Torah, as it is stated: “Observe my mitzvot and live, [and my Torah as the apple of your eye]” (Proverbs 7:2).
The creations of the Holy One blessed be He borrow from one another and make peace with each other without words. Yet one man borrows from another and [the creditor] seeks to swallow him with interest and robbery. Those who take interest say to the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Why do You not exact payment from Your world, payment for the fact that the creatures are in it, payment for the fact that You water it, payment for the plants that You cause to grow, payment for the lights that You illuminate, payment for the soul that You breathed [into people], payment for the body that You protect?’
The Holy One blessed be He says to them: ‘See how much I have lent, but I do not take interest, and what the earth has lent but does not take interest. Rather, I take the principal that I lent and it takes its own,’39God takes back the soul and the earth takes back the body. The Torah states that the human body was created from the earth (see Genesis 2:7). as it is stated: “The dust will return to the earth as it was; and the spirit will return to God who provided it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
Woe is he who takes interest. What is stated in his regard? “He gave with usury and took interest, shall he live? He shall not live” (Ezekiel 18:13).
This is analogous to a king who opened his storehouse for someone. [The man] began tormenting the poor with it, killing widows with it, demeaning the indigent, stripping people and causing them to be naked. He performed villainy and robbery with it, he filled it with deceit, and caused the loss of the king’s storehouse. So too, the Holy One blessed be He opens storehouses and gives His creations from His silver and His gold, as they are His, as it is stated: “Mine is the silver and Mine is the gold” (Haggai 2:8).
The poor man begins borrowing from the wealthy man; he takes interest from him. He kills widows with it; if a widow borrows from him, he pressures her and takes interest from her. He demeans the indigent; if they ask him for charity, he is very exacting with them. God says: “One who mocks the poor reviles his Maker” (Proverbs 17:5).
He strips the naked with it; if he owes him a maneh or more, he takes his garment from him and he sits there naked and is humiliated. He performs villainy and robbery with it; they hand him their collateral and he consumes them. The Holy One blessed be He says: “Woe is to you who pillages and you were not pillaged” (Isaiah 33:1). The Holy One blessed be He gave him money of truth, and he renders it deceit, as it is stated: “You plowed wickedness, you reaped iniquity” (Hosea 10:13).
Therefore, you will pass from the world, as it is stated: “When the storm passes, there are no wicked” (Proverbs 10:25). Therefore the Holy One blessed be He cautions in the Torah: “If you lend money to My people.” If he does not repay you, let it suffice for you that I call him wicked, as it is stated: “The wicked one borrows and does not repay; the righteous one is gracious and gives” (Psalms 37:21).
This is the Holy One blessed be He, who cautions Israel and says to them: “If you take your neighbor’s garment as collateral,” return it to him so he does not cry out before Me, as it is stated: “It will be when he cries to Me, [I will hear, as I am gracious]” (Exodus 22:26). Likewise, David says: “Happy is one who attends to the indigent; [the Lord will deliver him in times of trouble]” (Psalms 41:2).
Likewise, Solomon says: “Do not rob the impoverished, as he is impoverished” (Proverbs 22:22). Why? “For the Lord will fight their battle and will deprive those who deprive them of life” (Proverbs 22:23).