1)

CASES THAT APPEAR LIKE RIBIS (Yerushalmi Halachah 1 Daf 19a)

המלוה את חבירו. חד בר נש אשאל לחבריה דינרין אשרוניה גו ביתיה. א''ל הב לי אגר ביתי. א''ל הב לי דינריי.

(a)

The Mishnah taught: If Reuven lent Shimon money... A person once lent dinars to his friend. The borrower then allowed the lender to stay in his house and at the end he demanded payment for this. The lender said, "If so, (first) give me the money that you owe me - (I did not know that you would charge me for staying here)''.

אתא עובד' קומי רבי בא בר מינא. א''ל וקים ליה מה דהוה חמי מישרי.

(b)

The case came before R. Ba bar Mina and he said, "Was it even clear to the lender that it was permitted to stay there for free?'' (The lender must now reduce the amount of the loan repayment to cover the rental charge that he did not pay.)

תני יש דברים שהן רבית ומותרין.

(c)

Beraisa: There are some things that appear to be ribis but are permitted.

כיצד לוקח אדם שטרות חברו בפחות ומלוותו של חבירי בפחות ואינו חושש משום רבית

1.

Examples: A person may buy documents at a reduced price (before the time of the payment, in order to be able to later claim the full payment from the other party) or he may do a similar thing with a loan document..

ויש דברים שאינן רבית ואסורין משום הערמית רבית.

(d)

There are some things that are not actually ribis but they are prohibited because they are ha'aramas ribis (circumventions of the prohibition).

[דף יט עמוד ב] גמרא כיצד קיבל (הימינו שדה בעשרה כור חיטין ו)אמר לו תן לי סלע

(e)

How is this? (A borrower asked a lender) - Give me a selah (which is 25 dinars).

אחד אמר לו אין לי אלא כור אחד חיטין טול לך

1.

The lender replied: I only have a kur of wheat. Take it.

וחזר ולקח ממנו בעשרים וארבע

2.

(The borrower took it) and the lender then came and bought it back from him for 24 dinars.

אין זה רבית אבל אסור משום הערמית רבית

3.

This is not ribis (as the borrower is not paying extra to make the lender wait longer) but it is nevertheless prohibited as it is ha'aramas ribis.

א''ל לית את צריך והב אגר כלים או אגר הכתפין אקולי וסב דינרך.

4.

(It is prohibited, even though) the lender might say - (Because I am buying it back) you do not need to hire containers to fill or hire haulers to carry it, so take the 24 dinars (as I have saved you money).

ר' לא אמר בנותן לו שכר רגלו.

(f)

R. Ila: (In connection with the next Mishnah, that he if he pays him the rental money per month, he pays 12 selah, as opposed to 10 selah if he pays for the whole year in advance) Why is it not ribis? Because (it is as if) the renter is paying (extra to the owner) for requiring him to come (every month for the rent money).

ור' זירא אמר נעשה כמשכיר לו דירה ביוקר:

(g)

Reason #2 (R. Zeira): It is as if he is renting him the property at a higher price.