It’s all about how we interact, how we support each other, and what happens when that balance is disrupted.
Consider this: the Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of Rabbinic commentary on the Book of Exodus, delves into the verse "You shall not be as a creditor to him" (Exodus 22:24). It kicks off with a quote from Psalms: "It is good for a man to be gracious and to lend, conducting his affairs with justice" (Psalms 112:5). But what does that really mean?
The midrash, the interpretive tradition, takes us on a whirlwind tour of the cosmos. Come and see, it says, how everything borrows from everything else! The day borrows from the night, and the night from the day. As it says in Psalms, "Day to day gives utterance; [night to night renders understanding]" (Psalms 19:3). The moon borrows from the stars, and the stars from the moon. The light borrows from the sun, and the sun borrows from the light. Isn't that amazing? Even wisdom and understanding need each other, borrowing from one another to function, as Proverbs puts it: “Say to wisdom: You are my sister, [and call understanding an acquaintance]” (Proverbs 7:4). And even the heavens and the earth are in on this cosmic exchange.
It paints a picture of perfect harmony. Everything in creation is interconnected, in a constant state of reciprocal exchange. And here's the kicker: all of this happens silently, peacefully. No lawsuits, no arguments, just a natural flow. Yet, we humans? We borrow from each other, and too often, the lender seeks to "swallow" the borrower with interest and greed.
The midrash then imagines those who exploit others through lending with interest, daring to question God: "Why do You not exact payment from Your world...?" It’s a bold, almost blasphemous claim! God's response is powerful: "See how much I have lent, but I do not take interest." God gives life, sustains the world, but asks for no financial return. Instead, "I take the principal that I lent and it takes its own," a reference to the eventual return of the soul and body to their source, as Ecclesiastes reminds us: “The dust will return to the earth as it was; and the spirit will return to God who provided it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
The text pulls no punches: "Woe is he who takes interest." Ezekiel is even more direct: “He gave with usury and took interest, shall he live? He shall not live” (Ezekiel 18:13).
To illustrate this point, the midrash tells a parable of a king who opens his storehouse to someone. Instead of using this gift wisely, the man torments the poor, mistreats widows, and fills the storehouse with deceit. Sounds familiar. The Holy One, blessed be He, gives us resources—our talents, our wealth—but when we use them to exploit others, we are betraying the divine gift.
The text continues, driving home the point with vivid imagery. The lender who takes advantage of the poor mocks God. He strips the naked, performs villainy, and turns truth into deceit. God's warning echoes through the ages: “Woe is to you who pillages and you were not pillaged” (Isaiah 33:1).
So, what's the takeaway? The Torah cautions us: "If you lend money to My people..." (Exodus 22:24). If they can't repay, so be it. Let it suffice that God calls them wicked. Be like God, who lends without interest. Be gracious, be kind, be just. Remember, “The wicked one borrows and does not repay; the righteous one is gracious and gives” (Psalms 37:21).
And it ends with a powerful reminder: If you take your neighbor's garment as collateral, return it before sunset. Why? "It will be when he cries to Me, [I will hear, as I am gracious]" (Exodus 22:26). God hears the cries of the oppressed. God sees the suffering. And God will fight for those who are treated unjustly, as Proverbs says: “For the Lord will fight their battle and will deprive those who deprive them of life” (Proverbs 22:23).
This ancient text challenges us to examine our relationships, our financial dealings, and our very understanding of how the world works. Are we contributing to the cosmic harmony, or are we disrupting it with greed and exploitation? It’s a question worth pondering, isn't it?
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).
