Shalom, Mitspacha!
Collateral, Compassion, and the Limits of Power
“When you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest. If you ever take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down.”
- Shemot (Exodus) 22:24 - 26
The Torah regulates the taking of collateral to protect the dignity and survival of the borrower. While collateral may be taken to secure a loan, it may not be seized with cruelty or retained in a way that causes harm. Essential items - such as a garment needed for warmth - must be returned, even when debt remains outstanding.
This mitzvah applies both to personal action and to court authority. Even when enforcement is lawful or decreed by judges, power is limited by compassion. Torah does not deny accountability, but it forbids exploitation. Debt may be secured, but a person’s basic life and dignity must never be stripped away.
This instruction confronts the human tendency to prioritize rights over righteousness. Torah reminds us that justice without mercy becomes oppression. Even when we are owed, we are not permitted to forget the humanity of the one who owes.
By restraining our power, YHVH teaches us to reflect His character. He is just, yet He does not crush the needy. When we honor these boundaries, we learn to wield authority with humility and to value people above possessions.
YHVH Eloheinu, teach us to act with righteousness when authority is placed in our hands. Guard us from hardness of heart, and help us to honor both justice and compassion in our dealings with others. Shape us to reflect Your mercy while walking faithfully in Your instructions.
Baruch YHVH.
Shalom until tomorrow.