Shalom, Mitspacha!
Mitzvot of Collateral – Righteous Boundaries in Lending and Borrowing
“If you take your neighbour’s garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun sets. For that is his only covering; it is his garment for his skin. And it shall be that when he cries out to Me, I shall hear, for I am compassionate.”
— Shemot (Exodus) 22:26–27
“You shall not enter his house to take his pledge. You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you lend shall bring the pledge out to you.”
— Devarim (Deuteronomy) 24:10–11
The Torah permits collateral, yet places firm moral boundaries around its use. A lender may protect a loan, but must never strip a borrower of dignity, safety, or survival. Collateral is not a weapon of control; it is a limited safeguard governed by compassion.
These mitzvot teach that:
Collateral becomes unlawful the moment it ignores mercy. The Torah does not abolish responsibility — it regulates it with righteousness.
Asiri opens by confronting how power is handled when one person has more than another. Lending reveals character, not generosity alone. The question is not whether one may take a pledge, but how one treats a neighbour while doing so.
These mitzvot remind us that obedience is measured not by legal correctness alone, but by restraint. Torah faithfulness is proven when one could press an advantage — and chooses not to. A society anchored in YHVH does not humiliate the needy, nor profit from desperation.
The beginning of a new month is a fitting time to examine how we handle authority, resources, and influence. Do our actions reflect trust in YHVH’s provision, or fear that drives harshness? The Torah answers clearly: compassion is not weakness — it is covenant loyalty.
Avinu Malkeinu, You are righteous in all Your judgments and compassionate in all Your ways. Teach us to handle responsibility without cruelty and authority without pride. Guard our hearts from exploiting weakness, and train our hands to act justly, that our obedience may reflect Your character in all dealings.
As we enter the month of Asiri, set our steps in clarity and faithfulness. Let this new month be marked by integrity, restraint, and wisdom. Align our choices with Your Torah, renew our discipline, and establish our work according to Your will, so that Your Name is honored through us in every day ahead.
Baruch YHVH.
Shalom until tomorrow.