Parshas Behar is one of several places in Chumash where the Torah teaches the prohibition against taking interest (ribis): “Do not take from him interest and increase; and you shall fear your G-d – and let your brother live with you.” (Vayikra 25:36) There is a mitzvah to lend people money, however, the money must be lent without interest. Transgressing this prohibition results in serious punishment. “Rav Shimon (bar Yochai) says: Those who lend with interest lose more than they gain.” (Bava Metziah 75b).
What is Rav Shimon talking about? If he were talking about punishment or about loss of reward in the world to come, then the same comment can be made about any mitzvas lo saaseh: Don’t eat chazir! Ay – it is geshmak! It doesn’t matter – more than you enjoy it, you will suffer for that enjoyment in the World to Come. What then is so special about the ribis prohibition that prompts Rav Shimon to say “More than you profit, you will lose?”
There is a beautiful Kli Yakar in this week’s parsha that gives an interesting explanation as to why the Torah prohibits ribis. The Kli Yakar defines the reason for this mitzvah as causing man to lose faith in the Master of the Universe. How does taking interest diminish a person’s bitachon in the Ribono shel Olam?
The Kil Yakar explains that in virtually every business venture, a person can either make money or lose money. People who are in a business where they do not receive a set salary, rather they work on commission, see this all the time. Likewise, this is true of people who invest money. The investment can go through the roof and become a phenomenal success. However, sometimes a product is a hot item but then a competitor comes out with something that is a little hotter. Everyone runs to the competitor and the first person loses his pants. Every person in business realizes that they need siyata d’Shmaya (Divine help) to succeed. Inevitably, they need to turn to the Ribono shel Olam to pray for their success in business, and this increases their emunah and bitachon.
This is not true, says the Kli Yakar, of those who lend out money with interest. Given, of course, that the loan is secure, it is money in the bank. If the debtor cannot pay, the lender will collect from the guarantor of the loan or he will foreclose a mortgage or take collateral. He has a high degree of security that he is in a “Win-Win Operation.” Lending is a great business – like money in the bank! As a result of this surefire way to make profit, a person may lose his bitachon. “I have been doing this business for the last who knows how many years. What can go wrong?” A person becomes distanced from the whole concept that the Ribono shel Olam runs the world. He thinks that he is running the show and forgets that He is running the show. If a person loses bitachon and thinks that the Ribono shel Olam doesn’t run the world, when he hits a crisis, he has no peace of mind.
The Chovos haLevovos notes that one of the tremendous attributes of a person who is a true believer (as opposed to someone who just pays “lip service” to the concept of emunah) is that he has a psychological safety net when unpleasant things in life hit him. “I know the Ribono shel Olam is with me; I know that He has been watching over me; I may not know why He is doing this to me, but I know that the Ribono shel Olam is in charge and He knows what He is doing and I have full faith in Him.”
This has a tremendous calming effect on a person. There is a certain serenity that accompanies people who truly possess the attribute of emunah and bitachon. They lead serene lives knowing that the Master of the Universe is fully in charge. This is what Rav Shimon bar Yochai meant when he said, “More than they gain, they lose.” Yes, they are making a profit and yes, the profit is in the bank. But they become less baalei bitachon. As a result, they may live troubled, worried, anxiety-filled lives. It is not worth it.
I recently heard a story involving a Rav Dovid Bleicher, who had been the Rosh Yeshiva in the Novardok Yeshiva during the war. As was typical in the Yeshivas in Europe, finances were very tight. He raised money and finally obtained food for the talmidim. A bit later, Pesach was approaching and there was no matzah. Where would he get flour for matzah?
After much effort, he was somehow able to procure enough flour to supply the whole Yeshiva for the entire week of Pesach. He put that precious flour upstairs in the attic of the Yeshiva. That night there was a terrible wind storm and part of the roof blew off. It rained onto the flour and the flour became chametz. “The City of Shushan was bewildered.” (Esther 3:15) What is going to be?
Rav Dovid Bleicher brought in the entire Yeshiva and told them: I want to ask you four questions:
- Who commanded us to eat matzah on Pesach?
- Who helped me obtain the flour for the matzah?
- Who brought the storm that caused the rain to leak through the roof?
- Who caused the flour to leaven after it became wet from the rain water?
To each question the students answered unambiguously “The Ribbono shel Olam.” Rav Bleicher concluded, “So everything happened because of Him and He knows that we need flour for matzah on Pesach. Undoubtedly he will provide us with other flour.” In other words, if Hashem is running the world and He is calling the shots, then if He wants us to eat matzah on Pesach, He will get us more flour.
The night of Bedikas Chometz, the mail arrived with a tremendous check. The Rosh Yeshiva was able to buy more flour for Pesach and they all had matzah. This is the serenity of a person who is a baal bitachon.
Last Sunday, the Ner Israel Kollel had their Chinese Auction fundraiser. The day before yesterday, when I was walking out of the office, I saw a kollel yungerman carrying a box with five Playmobil sets. If you have children, you know that Playmobil is a very popular toy (like Tinker Toys or Lincoln Logs in our days).
I asked him “Did you win that at the Kollel auction?” He said, “Yes, and not only that, but I won a prize at Rabbi Berger’s shul’s auction for the past three or four years.” I inquired of him, “What is the trick?” He told me “It is because I have been working of my midas habitachon for the last four years and therefore when my wife left for the auction, I told her, “You are going to win tonight!”
Now, does that mean that someone who has midas habitachon will always win auctions? No. Does it mean that if someone has midas habitachon, everything in his life is going to turn out perfect? No. But, this person had a certain confidence and serenity because of his midas habitachon. It is an amazing phenomenon that this happened. Again, it does not follow that someone can say “Okay, I am going to work on my midas bitachon and then I am going to win the Power Ball.” It does not work like that.
However, this kollel yungerman made such a profound impression on me. “I worked on midas habitachon. I knew that I needed a Playmobil for my kids and I was confident that it would happen.” The upshot is not “Have bitachon and you will win the lottery.” The upshot is “Have bitachon and you will have a more calm and serene life.”
