"If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest.I must admit, ever since I found out about Dave Ramsey, I have had particular interest in verses that speak about money or debt. I find it interesting how this verse changes the mindset of lending. It is no longer a business for Jews; it is a means of assisting one another. People are not to be banks to one another. If a Jew loans to another Jew, it should not be with the intent of profit.
Instead, this would appear to be a form of not-quite-charity. A means to assist a fellow Jew, without concern for coming out ahead in the end. I have been known to do things like this from time to time, though this verse was not in my mind at the time. When a brother is in a short-term jam, and needs a way out without hurting his pride or dignity, a loan without interest can work. However, there are risks to this approach, if the person cannot pay you back in a timely fashion. The relationship can be strained by failure to pay, so any loan should only be made under the most careful of conditions.
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