Daily Mitzvah (Rambam)

The 235th prohibition is that we are forbidden from lending money with interest.

The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement1 (exalted be He), "Your money do not make him pay interest (neshech) for, and do not make him pay interest (marbis) for your food."

These two prohibitive statements come together for added emphasis; that one who lends with interest is doubly guilty. They are not two separate ideas, since neshech is the same as marbis and marbis is the same as neshech.

Our Sages said in tractate Bava Metzia:2 "You will never find neshech without marbis or marbis without neshech. Why did the verse distinguish between them? To cause the transgressor to be doubly guilty." They also said: "By Torah law, neshech and marbis are identical." They also said: "The verse, 'Your money do not make him pay interest (neshech) for, and do not make him pay interest (marbis) for your food,' should be read, 'Your money do not make him pay neshech and marbis for,' and 'do not make him pay neshech and marbis for your food.' "3 Therefore, anyone who lends money or food with interest is doubly guilty, in addition to the other prohibitions which add to the seriousness of the lender's act. The same prohibition is repeated in other words:4 "Do not take neshech or marbis from him." It is explained in tractate Bava Metzia that this prohibition also applies to the lender. However, all these prohibitions are "extra,"5 as we explained in the Ninth Introductory Principle, since they all forbid the same act — prohibiting the lender from lending with interest.

The details of this mitzvah are explained in the 5th chapter of tractate Bava Metzia.

Footnotes

1.

Lev. 25:37.

2.

60b.

3.

In the first half of the verse, the word for interest (neshech) is written at the end; in the second half of the verse, the word for interest (marbis) is written at the beginning. The Gemara learns that the proximity of the two words enables them to be read together.

4.

Lev. 25:36.

5.

I.e., they do not count as separate mitzvos in the count of 613. The Rambam needs to say this because the literal translation of the phrase over al shnei lavin (translated here as "doubly guilty") is, "transgresses two prohibitions," which could be misinterpreted as meaning two prohibitions among the 613.