Dvar Torah Behar – Bechukotai 2006 – 5766 דבר תורה בהר בחוקותי

The Torah forbids lending money with interest to a fellow Jew. The expression used is ET KASPECHA LO TITEN LO BENESHECH, “do not give him your money for interest.”(Lev. 25,37) The strange thing in this passage is that the next verse that follows immediately states the fact that Hashem took the Jews out of Egypt. What is the connection between taking interest and the Exodus?

A Rabbi once offered an explanation. The Egyptians did not force the Children of Israel to come to Egypt. They came on their own volition because of the famine in Canaan and because Yosef was there. Even after they left in the Exodus they still wanted to return to Egypt for the wonderful food they had there. How many times werer they tempted to appoint a leader and to return, even though they knew they would be returning to bondage.

In spite of all this Hashem punished the Egyptians. Why? The answer is that although the Israelites were willing to be enslaved and enjoy the food and other comforts they had in Egypt, this did not give the right to the Egyptians to enslave them. Similarly, when someone takes a loan because of necessity he is happy to pay interest so that he could get the financial help. This does not give the lender the right to benefit from the situation and charge interest. He must help but not take advantage.

We must also be prepared to help our fellow men but not because it brings a benefit to us.