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Why does the Rambam (רמב"ם) say it's a mitzvah (מצוה)—not just permitted—to charge interest to a non-Jew? The shiur develops that lending without interest is only meaningful within the brotherhood framework of "lo ta'avit es achicha." Charging interest to a non-Jew preserves his self-respect as an equal business party and reinforces the boundary that defines Jewish family unity.
The shiur opens with a fundamental question on the mitzvah (מצוה) of ribis (interest): Rashi (רש"י) holds that charging interest to a non-Jew is permitted but not obligatory, while the Rambam (רמב"ם) in Sefer HaMitzvos rules it is an actual mitzvah to charge interest to a non-Jew. This needs explanation—why would there be a mitzvah to charge interest? Rabbi Zweig initially presents a reading of the Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim: since non-Jews lend money to each other with interest, we are permitted to do the same. This raises a philosophical question: should a person be judged by his own standard of morality or by another's? The world typically holds Jews to a higher standard—the Jewish standard—rather than the gentile standard. The Rambam seems to argue the opposite: we should only be judged by the standard of morality practiced by those we interact with. While this is a possible approach, it remains somewhat unsatisfying because one could argue that if you know better, you should act according to your higher standard regardless of what others do.
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Ki Seitzei (Devarim 23:20-21)
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How could Avrohom keep the entire Torah before it was given, including rabbinical laws? The key insight is that mitzvos represent eternal spiritual realities, not just historical commemorations, so Avrohom could access these truths through his genuine search. His entire 172-year journey—even his early idolatry—retroactively became service of God once he reached ultimate truth.
