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Why does the Torah (תורה) discuss lending money, then collection practices, and only afterward the prohibition of interest? The order seems backward since interest is established at the loan's inception. The shiur reveals that the Torah's sequence teaches that ribbis is fundamentally about the unbearable collection pressure placed on a borrower, not about unjust enrichment to the lender.
Rabbi Zweig analyzes an unusual sequence in the Torah (תורה)'s formulation of the mitzvos concerning lending money. The Torah states: lend money to the poor, don't aggressively pursue collection, and don't charge interest. The order appears logically flawed because biblically-prohibited interest (ribbis ketzutzah) must be established at the moment of the loan, not at collection time. The Torah should therefore discuss interest before discussing collection practices, yet it does the opposite. The shiur explains that according to Torah law, ribbis d'Oraisa arises only when interest is stipulated at the inception of the loan. If someone lends money without interest and later decides to charge interest, or charges interest for an extension, that does not constitute biblical ribbis. Only interest established at the time of the loan itself is ribbis ketzutzah from the Torah. Given this halachic reality, the Torah's sequence—loan, collection, interest—appears backwards.
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Parshas Ki Sisa (laws of lending and interest)
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