In parshat Ki Tetze, we read a portion of Moses’ lengthy speech that fills much of the Book of Deuteronomy. In this section of the speech, Moses details many commandments that pertain to all aspects of life, both private and public. One of these commandments is the prohibition against lending money with interest. This prohibition also has relevance in our time, as our economy largely operates on credit. However, there are halachic solutions that allow an observant Jew to engage in modern economics. But first, let us read the prohibition and highlight one particular aspect that stands out:
“You shall not give interest to your brother, [whether it be] interest on money, interest on food, or interest on any [other] item for which interest is [normally] taken. You may [however,] give interest to a gentile, but to your brother, you shall not give interest!” (Deuteronomy 23, 20-21).
The prohibition against lending with interest is accompanied by a law that expresses differentiation between a Jew and a non-Jew. To “your brother” – to a fellow Jew – it is forbidden to lend with interest; while to “a gentile” who is not of the Jewish people, lending with interest is permissible.
This law has been used for many years as a basis for antisemitic claims and negative attitudes toward Jews. How can such differentiation be explained? There is no other way to explain this, many have argued, except that Judaism instills a negative and prejudiced attitude toward anyone who is not Jewish. From here, it is a short step to labeling Jews as an unwanted negative element, as “the other” whom they despise, mock, and ostracize.
Combine this with the historical fact that in various places Jews were forbidden from owning land and joining professional guilds and thus were forced to engage in usury, alongside the prohibition imposed by the Church on Christians against lending with interest, and we find ourselves facing the antisemitic stereotype of the Jew who sucks the blood of citizens, exploits them, and confiscates their property. This stereotype even penetrated cultural creations, such as the portrayal of the Jew in Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice.
Why does the Torah say Jews can charge non-Jews interest?
BUT HOW can we explain the differentiation that the Torah teaches us – “give interest to a gentile, but to your brother you shall not give interest”?
In fact, when we examine the prohibition against lending with interest, it is difficult to understand its rationale. Money is a commodity like any other, and just as there is no moral wrong in selling an item in exchange for profit, there is likewise no moral wrong in lending in exchange for interest. The lender provides the borrower with the means to use money, and in return the borrower pays interest. Where is the problem in this action?
The answer is that indeed there is no moral wrong in it; therefore, it is permissible to lend with interest to anyone who is not Jewish. On the other hand, concerning a fellow Jew, the Torah demands of us brotherhood, and brotherhood entails treating him more leniently; and despite the fact that morally we are allowed to lend to him with interest, because of the special relationship that we are required to have toward him, we refrain from lending to him with interest.
There is no discrimination here against those who are not Jewish. There is a positive and preferred attitude toward every Jew.
Judaism does not infringe upon the rights of those who are not Jewish; rather, it demands that we treat them with justice and morality. However, we are called upon to treat Jews better. Every Jew is a spiritual brother of every other Jew. Just as we would give preferential treatment to a biological sibling over a stranger, so every Jew should be more considerate to other Jews. The antisemitic stereotype is, therefore, wrong.
Jews do not hate people who are not Jewish, for our sages have already taught us, “Beloved is man, for he was created in the image [of God].” However, toward a fellow Jew, we are required to behave as siblings, and a sibling indeed receives special treatment, and rightfully so.■
The writer is rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites.