[Avodah] Redemption

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Tue, Jun 13, 2017 at 09:33:00PM -0400, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote:
:> Ribis.  Lanochri tashich is a mitzvat asei.
: 
: True. I have always thought of ribis in a class of its own, for the
: simple reason that the entire world considers it to be a generally
: acceptable business practice...

According to the Rambam, it's a mitzvas asei. The SA (YD 159:1) holds
like the Tur, it's mutar de'oraisa, and usually prohibited derabbanan
"shema yilmod mima'asav". Bikhdei chayav, tzurba derabbanan and if
the profit is only defined derabbanan as ribbis are three exceptions.

(Charging ribis from a mumar shekafar be'iqar is also mutar, because we
are not obligated lehachayaso; but paying ribis to him is not.)

The Levush says "shema yilmod mima'asev" doesn't apply in the current
economy. Chazal assumed a primarily Jewish economy where we have a
few exceptional deals with non-Jews. So for us, ribis is always mutar
lemaaseh.

I wonder whether this heter of the Levush would apply to Jews in Israel
today.

In any case, halakhah pesukah (assuming the reader isn't Teimani)
doesn't mention any mitzvah asei.



In terms of the taam being because their own economy is based on
interest... Would you argue that it's wrong to lend a Muslim or an
Amish person money with interest? (Even in the Levush's opinion?)

Particularly in a Moslem country. where they have their own parallels to
heter isqa <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_banking_and_finance>,
and the person's whole culture (I presume) reviles interest.

So is it whether or not ribis is considered immoral by the person being
charged, or whether or not kelapei Shemaya galya ribis is moral? I
argued the latter, but your wording left me wanting to articulate the
chiluq.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             When memories exceed dreams,
micha at aishdas.org        The end is near.
http://www.aishdas.org                   - Rav Moshe Sherer
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