Behar

PARASHAT BEHAR 5784

The Magnitude of Ribbit

In this week's parasha we find the prohibition of lending money with ribbit (interest). Chazal teach us (Shemot Rabbah Perek 31) that a person who lends money with interest will not merit techiyat hameitim (resurrection of the dead).

Techiyat Hameitim

Regarding techiyat hameitim, the Gemara in Ketubot (111a) tells us that techiyat hameitim will occur specifically in Eretz Yisrael. The Gemara asks, will the righteous who lived in chutz la'aretz not merit techiyat hameitim? And the Gemara answers that their bodies will move to Eretz Yisrael via tunnels in the ground, and in Eretz Yisrael they will indeed merit resurrection. 

We would like to discuss, of all the sinners in the Torah, why does somebody who lends money with ribbit not merit techiyat hameitim, and why do the righteous in chutz la'aretz have to suffer the indignity of having to move to Eretz Yisrael before they merit techiyat hameitim? Why can techiyat hameitim not occur in chutz la'aretz?

We would like to precede the answer with an interesting incident that occurred during the times of Rav Akiva Eiger, where a wealthy man was niftar and this individual, despite his wealth, had never given tzedakah and had also lent money with interest. When the family approached the chevra kadisha to purchase a burial plot, they were shocked that the price they were charged to purchase the plot was far higher than the regular price. The family contacted the local authorities to resolve this "unfair treatment", and Rav Akiva Eiger, as Rav of the town, was summoned to explain the situation. Rav Akiva Eiger explained that according to Jewish tradition, everyone merits techiyat hameitim except for those who lend money with ribbit. Therefore, explained Rav Akiva Eiger, the regular fee of a burial plot is a "rental" price, because indeed it is merely a short-term usage. However, those who lend money with interest are charged the purchase price of the plot, because they will not merit techiyat hameitim and therefore their usage of the plot is long term. 

Working Hard for a Living

The Gemara in Sanhedrin (59b) relates that before Adam Harishon sinned, he would recline in Gan Eden, and the malachim would serve him meat and wine. After Adam Harishon sinned by eating from the Eitz Hada'at, one of the consequences of his actions was that from that moment on he would have to work hard to obtain food. 

One of the reasons given to explain the connection between the sin of eating from the Eitz Hada'at and the consequence of having to work hard to obtain food, is that through sin, man was distanced from his Creator, and having to work hard to obtain food is a way of reinforcing the connection between man and his Creator. Often a person's vital need for parnassa and the resulting realisation of complete dependency on Hashem is an important component of a person's spiritual disposition.

This is evident in the real world, where many are involved in business and in order to make just a modest living are required to expend constant effort and much hard work in all aspects of the business, on a daily basis. And after all the efforts and hard work, it is often unclear whether or not the business venture will be successful and profitable. A religious Jew has one address for all his worries and concerns – and that is his Creator. Inevitably, when things are tough and the success of his business is uncertain, his tefillot will become more intense and more sincere.

Ribbit, Emunah and Techiyat Hameitim

Returning to our parasha, one who lends money with ribbit generally feels financially secure, because if the money that he lent is not returned on time, the lender will claim interest in addition to the loan, and this will cause his "business venture" to be more profitable. These feelings of financial independence can be severely detrimental to a person's emuna and bitachon. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that the Torah prohibits and emphasizes the severity of ribbit, even when the borrower agrees to pay ribbit, because not only is it highly damaging for the lender, but it is also highly detrimental for the borrower's spirituality. 

And it is possibly for a similar reason that one who lends money with ribbit will not merit techiyat hameitim: Our belief in techiyat hameitim is an expression of our emunah in Hashem and that He will do the seemingly impossible and unnatural and resurrect the dead, sometimes after thousands of years since their demise. One who lends with ribbit who often lives with little or no emunah, is denied the privilege of techiyat hameitim which is an expression of emunah.

And the same idea can be used to explain the aforementioned Gemara in Ketubot, which tells us that techiyat hameitim will only occur in Eretz Yisrael. Eretz Yisrael was chosen by Hashem as His palace, and whoever merits to live in Eretz Yisrael will naturally live with more emunah, because Hashem's presence is felt more in His palace. 

We are currently in the middle  of the sefirah and a few weeks before Shavuot. One of the ways that we can prepare ourselves for Shavuot is to refresh for ourselves the idea of emunah in Hashem and His Torah, and this will prepare us for matan Torah on Shavuot. 

May we all merit using these last precious weeks of the sefirah correctly, that they should serve as a time of spiritual growth and development and bring us to Shavuot with a higher level of emunah in Hashem and in His Torah.

Shabbat Shalom! 

Rabbi Gad Bouskila