Our tradition understands that feeling deeply. It even has laws to protect against it. to a little corner of Jewish law, specifically dealing with the ethics of lending and borrowing. It's found in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy. And it brings up something really subtle, but profoundly important about the power dynamics in a lender-borrower relationship.
Rabbi Shimon asks a fascinating question: How far does the prohibition against charging interest go? Is it just about the money?
He reads the verse in Deuteronomy (23:20-21) prohibiting interest, and homes in on a single word: "devar," meaning "thing" or "matter." But devar is also closely related to "dibbur," which means "speech." So, Rabbi Shimon suggests, the prohibition against interest extends beyond just monetary gain.
It means the lender shouldn't even subtly exploit the borrower! The lender shouldn't ask the borrower to "Go and greet that man," or "Find out if that man has come from his place." Why? Because even seemingly innocent requests can create a sense of obligation, a feeling that the borrower "owes" the lender something beyond the money itself. It creates a power imbalance, a subtle form of pressure.
The borrower might feel compelled to do these favors, even if they're inconvenient or time-consuming, simply because they're indebted to the lender. That feeling of obligation, that subtle coercion, is itself a form of interest, a non-monetary return on the loan. And that's what Rabbi Shimon is getting at. The Torah is concerned not just with the financial transaction, but with the entire human relationship.
Isn't that amazing?
Then the text goes on to clarify the famous verse about lending to the stranger versus the brother. "To the stranger you may lend with interest, but to your brother you shall not." What's going on here? Is the Torah promoting a double standard?
The Sifrei Devarim explains: "To the stranger you shall give interest" – that's a mitzvah aseh, a positive commandment. "But to your brother you shall not give interest" – that's a mitzvah lo ta'aseh, a negative commandment.
In other words, lending to a non-Jew with interest is permissible, but lending to a fellow Jew with interest is strictly forbidden. This isn't necessarily about favoring one group over another, but about the unique responsibilities we have towards our own community. The idea is that within the Jewish community, we should be supporting each other, not profiting from each other's misfortunes. The ideal is one of mutual aid and support.
It's a challenging idea, for sure. And it raises lots of questions about how we apply these principles in our modern, globalized world. But at its heart, this passage from Sifrei Devarim reminds us that ethics aren't just about following rules. They're about being mindful of the power dynamics in our relationships, and striving to create a society based on fairness, compassion, and mutual respect.
So, the next time you're lending or borrowing money, remember Rabbi Shimon's words. Think about the subtle ways we can create pressure, and strive to build relationships based on genuine generosity and respect. What do you think? Are there "hidden interests" in your relationships that you might not even be aware of?