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Thursday

י"ח אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

Thursday
י"ח אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

חיפוש בארכיון

93 – Bestowing Kindness / Part II, Chapter Eleven (b)

Even if it does happen that a person has a difficult time collecting loans, he should not refrain from giving out loans. This, too, can be learned from the world of business. A shopkeeper often has to pursue customers to pay for merchandise they took on credit. But it would never occur to the merchant that he stop doing business; he knows that this is his source of livelihood. It is also well-known that in every business there is a certain percentage of losses, yet this does not prevent shop-keepers or merchants from doing business. It is only more so when it comes to the “merchandise” of life in the World to Come — one should not refrain from its “business” even if at times he suffers some loss.

Moreover, the merchant who is busy collecting money that customers owe him does not earn anything more for his efforts than the sum that was owed, whereas one who lent money but was forced to put in effort to collect the loan receives more reward since his efforts came about as a result of the mitzvah he performed. Hashem will surely reward him for this extra effort as well.

There are, in truth, many excuses suggested by the Yetzer Ha-ra to prevent a person from keeping this important mitzvah. The general attitude to bear in mind is that one should at least treat it like other affairs of this World, which the person would not be lazy about. Let the person fulfill the verse: If you seek it as if it were] silver, if you search for it as if it were] hidden treasures — then you will understand the fear of Hashem, and discover the knowledge of God (Mishlei 2:4-5).

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)