Taking Interest

Parshat בהר speaks of the prohibition to take interest from another Jew. Aside from calling interest, ריבית, it is also referred to as נשך. The word נשך also means, “to bite.” When one charges interest, it takes a bite out of the person paying back his debt. The שערי תשובה of Rabbeinu Yona, points out just how grievous this sin really is. A Pasuk from יחזקאל says that one who takes interest, לא יחיה, shall not live. This is not to say that one receives the death penalty for taking interest. But what it does mean is that when one is in need of an angel in Heaven to defend an individual and his worthiness of deserving עולם הבא, and he has the sin of interest taking on his record, that angel will not be inclined to speak on his behalf. One needs to be very careful with this Mitzva and be certain he does not take interest on any level.