The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parshios this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
The vort this evening related to the prohibition against charging interest. The Gemara in Bava Metzia states that a person who lends on interest loses more money than he gains.
R' Frand asked - why is it that the person who lends money on interest receives such a punishment? R' Frand gave a hypothetical - if the bank is lending money at 5% and the person buying a house needs cash and the lender offer to lend at 3%, why would this be a problem? The borrower is paying less in interest and is happy to do so?
R' Frand answered by quoting the Klei Yakar who explains that the main problem with lending on interest is that it causes a deficiency in the emunah of the person lending the money. In a traditional business setting a storeowner faces the possibility of loss. Maybe the product wont sell. Maybe there will be a problem with the product. But a person who makes money by lending on interest sleeps well, knowing that he will always have the interest coming in. Whereas the storeowner is relying on Hashem, the lender does not need such reliance and he forgets about Hashem.
R' Frand quoted the Malbim who explains that this is why a loan to an Akum is permitted. Since they don't believe in Hashem anyway there is no loss of emunah.
R' Frand then cited to the mitzva of redeeming an ancestral field. The Torah describes how a person may not have money and no family to help him and then he has to sell the field. But then at some point in the future he is able to redeem the field. How does this happen? The Netziv explains that since the person has no resources and he has no family to assist him, he must have come before Hashem and asked Him for help in redeeming the field.
R' Frand similarly quoted R' Bechaye who discusses the mitzva in Parshas Mishpatim of not distressing a widow or orphan. The Torah states in Shemos 22:22 - כִּ֣י אִם־צָעֹ֤ק יִצְעַק֙ אֵלַ֔י שָׁמֹ֥עַ אֶשְׁמַ֖ע צַֽעֲקָתֽוֹ - you should not do so because if they cry out to Hashem, He will surely hear them. Again, a person who relies on Hashem will be answered.
R' Frand closed by telling what he termed a potentially apocryphal story about the Kotsker Rebbi. One day his sister came to him and begged him to daven for her. He told her that he could not do so. She went out the door and wept and said aloud - Hashem, even my brother won't help me, I have only you to rely on. The Kotsker opened the door and embraced his sister and said - that was what I was waiting for.
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