[Avodah] early bird specials and ribbis

[Zev Sero]

Micha Berger wrote:
> On Wed, Feb 14, 2007 at 11:11:47AM -0500, Zev Sero wrote:
> : Except that that's clearly not true.  Giving a discounted wage advance
> : to a future employee is only forbidden because it *looks* like a loan,
> : not because it is one...
> 
> Avaq LH is assur because it leads to LH.
> 
> Is avaq ribis prohibited as ribis, or prohibited as mar'is ayin?

But this isn't avak ribbis, it's only "nir'eh" like ribbis.  That is
the entire difference between a future employee and a current one; the
transaction itself is exactly the same in both cases, so why is one
assur and the other muttar?  Because when the recipient is a current
employee, "it's apparent (nikkar hadavar) that it's an advance on wages,
and it doesn't appear (ve'eino nir'eh) like a loan".  (SAHarav, Ribbis 14)

-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas