Questions tagged [lending-interest-ribbis]

The prohibition on lending or borrowing at interest. Also known as usury.

The Torah prohibition on lending or borrowing money and the like at interest.

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An actual Heter Iska Agreement

Can anyone provide a copy of an actual heter iska agreement used for example by a bank in Israel for purposes of business loans or mortgages? I don't mean a haskama that such and such bank operates according to heter iska, but an actual heter iska…
Robert S. Barnes
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Metrobank and Ribbis

Now that Metrobank (a bank in the UK) has been purchased by Gilinski, a Jew and no Heter Iska has been arranged - has there been any discussions about what those with mortgages/savings etc. should do? To clarify - I am not asking for myself as I…
Moz
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Ribbis offsetting a default

Suppose a Jew charges and receives interest from a Jew, only finding out that the other party is Jewish after. He should refuse the interest. BUT he knows that the debtor has defaulted on a debt to someone else. May he give the interest collected to…
Clint Eastwood
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replacing a used borrowed item which broke with a new item which is more valuable

If a person borrowed an item from a neighbor (such as a plastic chair) and the item broke due to negligence by the borrower. Can the borrower purchase a new identical item and give that back to the lender or since the item is more valuable than the…
ray
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Is it forbidden to give a bribe? If not, why?

The Torah clearly prohibits taking a bribe. What about giving it? Why is the prohibition specific about taking? To put it stronger: regarding interest, it is made very clear that both the action of giving and taking are equally prohibited. Why would…
Binyomin
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If magazine subscriptions are ribbis, are bus tokens, postage stamps, and other pay-in-advance items also ribbis?

This answer to another ribbis question indicates that deals of the form "subscribe and save X% over news-stand prices" are ribbis and thus forbidden. Does this principle apply to other items you pay in advance for, such as (1) books of bus tickets…
Monica Cellio
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Is sharing a biweekly salary with a coworker in return for the same considered ribbis?

The Remah in Yoreh Deah 160:9 (יורה דעה סימן קס סעיף ט) writes: וְאִם אֶחָד מַלְוֶה מָעוֹת לַחֲבֵרוֹ עַל זְמַן מָה כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּחֲזֹר וְיַלְוֵהוּ פַּעַם אַחֶרֶת כַּזְּמַן הָרִאשׁוֹן, יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאָסוּר (מָרְדְּכַי ס''פ א''נ וּתְשׁוּבַת…
RibbisRabbiAndMore
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What defines a loan and interest?

What specifically is it that defines a loan ( as opposed to an investment / partnership ) and interest ( as opposed to profit ) under Jewish law? This is what I've come up with: Regarding an interest bearing loan, it would seem that there are two…
Robert S. Barnes
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Why isn't purchasing a raffle or lottery ticket considered "PSIKA" (as per Hilchos Ribbis)

The prohibition of "PSIKA" forbids paying for a purchase in advance of receiving the item purchased if the seller will not charge the buyer more in the case of a price increase at the time of receipt of the product purchased. The actual pre-payment…
RibbisRabbiAndMore
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Inflation vs not lending at interest

I asked a question about the possible contradiction between not being allowed to charge interest on a loan and the reality of inflation. I am not sure I fully understand the answers and comments, so let me ask this specific question: A friend asks…
Maurice Mizrahi
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Ribbis (interest) in Judaism

I'm writing something about usury and want to mention Judaism's point of view on it. I've got two questions: Giving out loans with interest only to non-Jews has been so from the beginning, or is this a historical development? Do modern day Jews…
Banago
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Are there Ribbis implications in this transaction and what are they?

Reuven wants to lend Shimmon money backed by a piece of real estate that belongs to Shimmon. Instead of lending money, they make a deal that Reuven will purchase the real estate for the amount of money and as part of the deal Shimmon has an option…
Yishai
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May a Jewish bus company Pre- sell tickets for a trip to Meron at a discounted price?

May a Jewish bus company offer to sell tickets for a trip to Meron on Lag Baomer before Lag Baomer at a cheaper price than they sell the tickets for on Lag Baomer itself? Is this a problem of ribbis because the pre-payment is considered a loan (from…
RibbisRabbiAndMore
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