In this week's parsha we read about the obligation to lend money to our fellow Jew without taking interest. When you think about this Mitzvah to lend and the prohibition to take interest it seems a bit counterintuitive. If we have money why should we give it to someone else to use without charging interest? We can easily make more money for ourselves if we charge interest so why should we be prohibited from doing it?

The Midrash tells us that Hashem made some people in the world wealthy and others poor. Hashem tests the wealthy people with their wealth if they will use it properly and tests poor people as well to see how they will act when they lack funds.

If we realize that everything we have is given to us is from Hashem and the wealthy are being tested to see if they use their wealth properly then it becomes clear that the money we may have is not "our" money. If we are given wealth it is in order to help and share with others. The Midrash says that just the same way G-d doesn't charge us rent for living on the earth he created or doesn't make us pay for the water He gives us (i.e. rain), so too we shouldn't charge our fellow interest for using money that we have.

Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov!

Heath