Day #302–Rambam DAILY Sefer HaMitzvos

it is day number 302 of our daily study of and in the three chapters today study track of M we're continuing in Mal the laws of loans chapters 22 23 and 24 we have just one mits for today a negative prohibition negative - 237 now two days ago we had negative - 235 prohibition against being the Creditor in an interest bearing loan deal and then yesterday we had negative 236 which was the Prohibition against being the debtor the guy who pays the interest in an interest bearing loan negative - 237 is a whole other level which is the prohibition against being involved in any way in the deal what does that mean being involved in the deal and not you're not the Creditor or the debtor Who Who Are You Well a guarantor a guarantor means a co-signer he makes the deal possible so he's involved that's a Prohibition who else Witnesses especially in toal law monetary deals are supposed to be observed by Witnesses so there's no confusion later on uh so being a witness to such a deal that's a Prohibition or the Scribe the guy who writes up the paperwork to facilitate such a deal that's a Prohibition all of this is biblically prohibited from being involved in the in the deal and and our sages learned this from the wording of the verse from Exodus 22 24 IM that's the verse that says lend money to your fellow when you lend money to your fellow which which is the positive commandment to lend money don't be like a creditor to him which we spoke about before means don't pressure him to pay when he doesn't have it and then the verse continues and concludes and says do not Place upon Him interest and our sages say what does it mean do not Place upon Him interest it's talking about these ancillary roles to the deal not the actual creditor who takes interest but the people who allow it to be placed upon the borrower and all of that is prohibited now I want to clarify something because I'm concerned somebody's watching these classes and they're like oh my goodness I'm going to call City Bank tomorrow and tell them I'm sorry I can pay the principle but I I cannot pay the interest on my credit card it's prohibited according to Torah law okay it is not I I'm sure you wish it were prohibited it's not prohibited you you you can and you will pay the interest okay um let me explain something to you all of these prohibitions against taking interest uh paying interest being part of a deal that incurs interest is when one Jew is loaning to another and that is because the Torah expects something Absolutely I'll say it I'll say it un reasonable from one Jew to another it is not reasonable it is not normal it is not the way the world works that people can just go to each other and expect an interest free loan an interest free loan is a big favor I mean that's what you do for your brother and that's the crazy thing Torah demands that one Jew should treat another Jew like a brother and and do that for him or her but that's not the normal way the world works in the regular world people charge interest it's understood now obviously they shouldn't take advantage in charge crazy rates and there are there are regulations about that but the point is that if you have a mortgage with all apologies to Dave Ramsey you know it's it's it's a normal thing to have a a mortgage it's a normal thing to have a car payment and as long as it's not one Jew to another Jew then it's a totally normal thing that's the way the world Works everybody borrows and pays with interest you try to get the best rate possible maybe sometime we'll have a financial class after we're finished with sa mitz but I just wanted everyone to understand the context of these prohibitions okay we will see you for more tomorrow God willing