ABSTRACT
Can Jews lend money with interest to non-Jews? According to the Mishnah (Bava Metzia 5:6), a Jew may borrow money from non-Jews and one may lend money to them with interest. However, in its discussion of that passage, the Talmud (Bava Metzia 70b–71a) cites a teaching of Rav Nachman in the name of Rav Huna who interprets the verse from Proverbs (28:8) “Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor” as referring even to a Jew who took interest from a non-Jew, implying that the one who took it will not be successful. To resolve this contradiction, the Talmud suggests two solutions. The first, in the name of Rav Ḥiyya son of Rav Huna, limits the permissive view of Mishnah to that which is necessary to earn a livelihood of basic sustenance. Rav Huna, he would claim, prohibited the practice of making loans on interest a regular business practice only for the sake of accumulating wealth. Another distinction is that brought in the name of Ravina, who limits the permissive view of the Mishnah only to lenders who are Torah scholars. Rav Huna’s prohibition, in this interpretation, applied only to non-Torah scholars. The Talmud then explains Ravina’s distinction. The reason he felt that Rav Huna prohibited lending was his fear that the Jew would be influenced by the non-Jew’s actions. Continuous interactions with non-Jews for the sake of financial dealings could have a negative influence on a Jew. However, if the lender is a Torah scholar, there is less of chance of him being influenced.
