If one gives a loan to his neighbor, he (the lender) may not live in his (the borrower's) courtyard free, and he (the borrower) may not rent it to him for less (than its price), this being ribith. It is permitted to add to rent [for granting time to pay], but it is not permitted to add to the sale price [for granting time to pay]. How so? If he rented him his courtyard and said to him: "If you pay me now, you can have it for ten selaim a year; and if by month, it is a sela for a month," this is permitted. If he sold him his field and said to him: "If you pay me now, you can have it for a thousand zuz; and if by harvest time, it is twelve maneh (twelve hundred zuz)," this is forbidden. [The rationale: Rent is paid only at the end (of the month). Therefore, if he takes from him a sela a month, twelve selaim (a year), this is not payment for waiting, for he was not obliged to pay him rent until the end of the month. As to his telling him: "If you pay me now, you can have it for ten selaim a year," if he does pay him early, this constitutes the renter's waiving part of the rent and reducing it. But with selling, as soon as he (the buyer) pulls the object, he is obliged to pay for it; so that when the seller says to him: "If you pay me now, you can have it for a thousand zuz," this is its price, and if he adds to it for waiting until harvest time, this constitutes "payment for waiting." ("If he sold him his field":) The same applies with movables and all wares. To sell something at more than its worth because of waiting time is forbidden and is avak ribith ("the dust of ribith") by rabbinic ordinance. In all instances of avak ribith, if the money is given, it cannot be recovered by the court, as opposed to ribith ketzutzah ("determinate ribith"), which is recovered by the court.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
מרבים על השכר – the wages in money for waiting for the rental.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Introduction
Mishnayoth two and three continue to discuss things that are forbidden since they are forms of usury.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ואין מרבין על המכר – the wages in waiting for the sale. And the reason is that the rental is not completely paid off until the end; therefore, when he takes from a Sela per month which is twelve Selas [per year], this is not the wages in waiting for the monies, for he was not obligated to pay him the rent until the end of the month, and that which he said to him: “if you give it to me now, it is yours for ten Selas, if he would give it to him early, he would forgive him the cost of the rental and diminish it for him for less than its value. But regarding a sale, then you make use of the object and the law is to give the money, and when he (i.e., the seller) says to him (i.e., the buyer): “if from now you give me, it is yours for one-thousand zuz, which is its cost and if it has already been at the granary, it is the reward for waiting for the monies [and is forbidden, as interest].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
One who lends money to his fellow may not dwell in his courtyard for free or rent it from him at a reduced rate, since that counts as usury. A person who has received a loan from another may not give the other person anything in return for the loan (except of course returning the lent money itself). Usually interest is defined as extra money returned to the creditor in return for the loan. However, as our mishnah points out, interest can come in other forms of benefit as well, such as free or reduced rent. A borrower, therefore, may not allow his creditor to rent a house for free or for a reduced rate.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
מכר לו את השדה – And the same law applies for movables, and all business, if he sold it to him for more than its worth with the wages for waiting for the monies, it is forbidden, for it is the dust of interest according to the Rabbis And all dust of interest (i.e., indirect interest), if he gave it, it is not reclaimed through judges, whereas stipulated/direct usury from the Torah, is reclaimed through judges [i.,e in court] (see Talmud Bava Metzia 61b).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
One may increase rent-charge [not paid in advance] but not purchase price [not paid in advance]. How so? If his fellow rented him his courtyard, and said to him, “If you pay me now the cost is 10 selas per year, but if you pay me on a monthly basis, the rent is one sela per month”, this is permitted. However, if he sold him his field, and said to him, “If you pay me now it is yours for 1,000 zuz, but if you pay me at the time of threshing it will be 1,200 zuz”, it is forbidden. A renter may increase the rent-charge in return for not receiving the rent up front but a seller may not increase the price of a sale in return for a delayed payment. The mishnah now explains this principle. With regards to rent, the owner of the courtyard may say to the person renting the courtyard that he can either pay in advance 10 selas for the entire year or a monthly rate of one sela (12 selas per year) collected at the end of each month. This is not considered interest in return for delaying the payment. Since rent is reckoned on a monthly basis to be paid at the end of each month, each month of rental is considered individually, which is a permitted rental arrangement. When the owner said that he would rent it for 10 selas for the whole year he was only offering a discount which is permitted. However, a person cannot sell an item and state one price for paying immediately and a larger price for receiving the money later. This is considered interest. For instance if Reuven sells a field worth 1,000 and tells Shimon that if he pays later he must pay 1,200, it will turn out that Reuven has lent Shimon a field worth 1,000 in return for 1,200. This is usury.
