The Torah's prohibition against charging interest is one of the most distinctive features of biblical economic law. The Mekhilta examines the verse "Do not impose interest upon him" and asks a sharp question: what exactly is the scope of this commandment, and whom does it address?
The straightforward reading of (Leviticus 25:37) — "Your money you shall not give him on interest" — is clearly an exhortation directed at the lender. The person who has money and lends it is forbidden from attaching interest to the loan. This much is plain from the text.
But the sages pressed further. What about the borrower? Is the person who receives the loan also prohibited from agreeing to pay interest? After all, it takes two parties to create an interest-bearing transaction. If only the lender is forbidden but the borrower is free to offer interest willingly, the entire prohibition could be circumvented.
The Mekhilta finds the answer in the same passage of Leviticus. Verse 36 states: "You shall not take from him interest." This verse, addressed from the perspective of the transaction's other side, prohibits the borrower from participating in an interest arrangement as well. The borrower may not offer, agree to, or pay interest any more than the lender may demand it.
Both parties share equal responsibility. The Torah's vision of a just economy requires that neither lender nor borrower exploit or enable the exploitation of financial need. Interest-free lending is not merely a generous suggestion — it is a binding obligation on everyone involved.