Julian Ungar-Sargon

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Daf Ditty

A wide-ranging commentary on the daily page of Talmud.

Usury is a great evil, 1645 - Jacob Jordaens

Bava Metzia 70: לַנׇּכְרִי תַשִּׁיךְ

jyungar May 8, 2024

For the source text click/tap here: Bava Metzia 70

To download, click/tap here: PDF

A new Mishna teaches us that a Jew may not care for the sheep of another as a guaranteed investment. This particular investment offers partial profit but full responsibility for the care of the animal - far too close to interest. This practice is permitted with non-Jews, for interest is not an issue.

One is not allowed to put money into a business venture where he shares in profits but not in losses or even where his proportionate share of profits is greater than that of his losses. The guaranteed part of the investment is then a loan, and its profit is a form of interest prohibited by the Sages.

We continue our exploration of the talmudic attitude to gentiles and usury in antiquity.

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Julian Ungar-Sargon

This is Julian Ungar-Sargon's personal website. It contains poems, essays, and podcasts for the spiritual seeker and interdisciplinary aficionado.​