7
votes
Accepted
Why are the halachot of Ribit (interest) in Yoreh Deah
See here for an interesting point on this. However, the facts remain:
the laws of ribbit are found in Yoreh Deah (which deals with what is permitted and what is forbidden), whereas ona’ah is ...
- 20.9k
7
votes
Is it forbidden to give a bribe? If not, why?
Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat 9:1
וכשם שהלוקחו עובר בלא תעשה כך הנותנו עובר בלפני עור לא תתן מכשול ולא שוחד ממון בלבד אלא אפי' שוחד דברים
Just as the one who receives it transgresses a negative ...
- 10.6k
6
votes
Accepted
Why "אִם" used by lending money?
The Malbim explains simply that אם means it's a possiblity and might not happen. Maybe you won't have any money to lend or nobody will need a loan.
- 9,116
6
votes
Why are the halachot of Ribit (interest) in Yoreh Deah
Yoreh Deah siman 159 is the halacha that it is permitted to loan to a non-Jew with interest. This is there, because it is following on the heels of other halachos related to how we treat non-Jews. In ...
- 58.3k
5
votes
If one borrowed 4 eggs from a neighbor, and found a bloodspot in one of them: Must/may he return 4 eggs or 3 eggs?
The first answer seems correct, but might need to be qualified. It seems Rav Elyashiv ZT"L would have said it is Ribbis in the case that you borrowed from a neighbor.
Let's say you only borrowed one ...
- 6,123
5
votes
Receiving interest from a convert
Rabbi Yisroel Reisman writes in The Laws of Ribbis:
If a Jews lends money to a non-Jew, and the non-Jewish borrower then converts to Judaism, the lender may not collect interest which accrues after ...
- 73.7k
5
votes
May I name my child after someone who lent me money, if I did not repay the loan yet?
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (65:9-10) seems to say pretty clearly that anything that is an honor to the lender (that you wouldn't have done if not for the loan) is in violation of Ribbis (quoting the ...
- 6,753
4
votes
Paying more for an item -- Ribis?
There is a disagreement among the poskim, when there is a debt resulting from a purchase (chov machmas mekach) whether one may add extra payment at the time of the payment of the debt (if no condition ...
- 6,919
4
votes
Corporations, Jewish Shareholders and Interest
CYLOR, especially as this is a relatively modern question that I don't think is agreed upon by all of the contemporary poskim.
I believe that most poskim are of the opinion that a limited liability ...
- 21.8k
4
votes
Why "אִם" used by lending money?
The Maharal in Gur Aryeh explains that the use of אם which connotes רשות as explained in Rashi quoted above by the OP, is meant to signify how one is meant to do charity. Meaning that although it is ...
- 15.4k
3
votes
Repaying a loan and processing fees
Your question was asked here.
The question was
As a Company we accept payments from customers made via their credit
cards. We are charge by the bank for each transaction a fee of 0.67%
of the ...
- 47.2k
3
votes
Ribbis (interest) in Judaism
To answer your first question, the Torah is very clear that interest may not be charged to Jews, but may be charged to non-Jews:
Deuteronomy 23:21
לַנָּכְרִי תַשּׁיךְ, וּלְאָחִיךָ לֹא תַשּׁיךְ--...
- 24.7k
3
votes
How do you pay a debt (not a loan) in a different currency?
You can avoid this whole problem simply. Shimon can purchase the item on his own, with the understanding that Reuvein will then buy it from Shimon. A resale, unlike a reimbursement, steers clear of ...
- 5,310
3
votes
Why "אִם" used by lending money?
R. Alshikh (Exod. 22:24) answers the following:
הנה אם זה קיימו וקבלו רבותינו ז"ל שהוא ודאי. ואפשר דאפקי בלשון אם בשום לב אל מלת את שבאומרו את העני שהיא מיותרת, לומר אל תיחל מלהלוות עד תהיה בעל זהב,...
- 35.4k
3
votes
Why does the Torah forbid interest only on loans to Jews?
It seems to me that halakhah accommodates the reality that there is a time value of money (opportunity cost and whatnot). Therefore there is no moral problem with charging interest in-and-of-itself. ...
- 9,388
3
votes
Is lending cryptocurrency ribbis?
A complete answer is well beyond me, but let me just state one of the basic rules:
Even if Bitcoin is considered a currency, at this point in time it would only be considered a foreign currency, since ...
- 3,463
3
votes
Accepted
Is it forbidden to give a bribe? If not, why?
My question is explicitly asked by the Chavos Yair (as I've found based on your great reading suggestions):
לכאורה יש לתמוה למה לא הזהירה תורה גם לא תתן שוחד כמו דהזהירה גבי
ריבית
Seemingly it is ...
- 916
2
votes
Why does the Torah forbid interest only on loans to Jews?
Perhaps there is a time value of money when dealing with non-Jews but not when dealing with Jews. Time value of money assumes a certain unchanging nature of money; when dealing with non-Jews who live ...
- 6,392
2
votes
Why does the Torah forbid interest only on loans to Jews?
Sefer Hachinuch Mitzva 68 says that paying interest causes one to become extremely poor without realizing it until it is too late.
In Mitzva 573 he says that it is inappropriate to do Chesed with ...
- 139k
2
votes
Would an Islamic Bank Account be preferable to a Jew?
If by "A regular bank" you mean another non-Jewish bank, then according to some poskim it is preferable to charge interest when lending money to a non-Jew, rather than to give him an interest-free ...
- 6,919
2
votes
How is a heter iska made to work with a non-business loan?
In some versions of the heter iska contracts, [specifically in the "Heter Iska Bris Pinchas" - see link below] there is a stipulation which states that if the monies received were not directly ...
- 6,919
2
votes
Ribbis and Ona'ah in Monopoly
It seems IMHO, (based on the OP) that there are three possible aspects; or questions here regarding the validity of game transactions in Halachah:
Q1. May a child be allowed to perform such ...
- 10.7k
2
votes
If one borrowed 4 eggs from a neighbor, and found a bloodspot in one of them: Must/may he return 4 eggs or 3 eggs?
I received the following answer from "sabbahillel" as a comment, with the added note "Since I do not have a source for this, I am leaving it as a comment"
Since there would be no way of being sure ...
- 6,919
2
votes
If one borrowed 4 eggs from a neighbor, and found a bloodspot in one of them: Must/may he return 4 eggs or 3 eggs?
In Rabbi Reissman's seffer on Hilchos Ribbis, he says it is allowed to return the full amount of eggs. The following is a quote from page 34, footnote 10:
If someone borrowed a dozen eggs and found ...
- 33.4k
2
votes
Does Ribbis apply to services?
Mishna B"M 5, 10:
"אוֹמֵר אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, נַכֵּשׁ עִמִּי וַאֲנַכֵּשׁ עִמָּךְ, עֲדֹר עִמִּי וְאֶעְדֹּר עִמָּךְ,
וְלֹא יֹאמַר לוֹ נַכֵּשׁ עִמִּי וְאֶעְדֹּר עִמָּךְ, עֲדֹר עִמִּי וַאֲנַכֵּשׁ ...
- 25.7k
2
votes
Why are some sins counted twice?
Sefer HaChinuch 343 says:
So why did the verse divide them?" [That is] meaning to say, why did
it divide them and not write, "Give neither your money nor your food
with interest." "To cause the ...
- 47.2k
2
votes
What is Ramban's reasoning regarding charging interest to a non-Jew?
Read on: Ramban says that if someone charges interest of a Jew, they have not just violated the "don't-do" of don't charge a Jew interest, they have also violated the "yes-do" of ...
- 131k
2
votes
Accepted
What role did the Jews play in the Medieval money system (pre-banking, merchants, etc.)?
The Jews prospered in the Middle Ages largely due to their acumen in banking and trade which is why they were valued amongst European Monarchs as they represented a major player in the economic ...
- 30.2k
2
votes
Accepted
Is writing off part of a loan considered ribit?
It seems like it is permitted. See יורה דעה קע"ג and see the דרכי משה who notes that while buying out the lender directly is permitted, selling the debt to a third party at a discount is ...
- 1,312
1
vote
Is there a ריבית problem with inviting a friend for a meal by saying "I owe you a meal invitation, so please come over to eat by me today"?
The Mishna Berura (170:31) says that it's not actual ribbis but it's similar to ribbis, because he did not have that in mind when feeding him.
משום רבית - כלומר דמחזי כריבית אבל מדינא לאו ריבית הוא ...
- 3,849
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