English logo

Friday

י"ט אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

Friday
י"ט אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

חיפוש בארכיון

31 – The Mitzvah of Lending / Chapter four

  1. One must be exceedingly careful that he not withhold giving a loan to another person simply because that other person did not do a favor for him previously, for by withholding the loan now he will transgress the prohibition of, Do not take revenge and do not bear a grudge. If the prohibition of revenge and bearing a grudge applies to much smaller matters, such as lending an object, then all the more so does it apply to something major like lending money, which often has life [and death] ramifications.

E. The prohibition against taking revenge applies not only when one openly tells the other person that the reason he does not want to do the favor now is because “you did not help me” in the past. Even if it is kept in the heart of [the one taking revenge] that this was his motive for not doing the favor, he will transgress this prohibition. Similarly, the prohibition against bearing a grudge is not limited to when one explicitly tells the other person “I am not like you,” but even if he merely thinks this in his heart. Therefore, one must erase the entire [earlier event] from one’s memory.

He has told you, O Man, what is good, and what Hashem asks of you; but to do justice, to love loving-kindness, and to walk discreetly with your G-d” (Micha 6:8)