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Mishpatim, Shekalim: More Give than Take

Some people are good people but only to their  good friends.  They
possess tremendous capacity to share, to give, but only to those who
give to them. Other people always give, even if the giving is not
reciprocated. This point is also brought out through the prohibition
against usury in our parasha. Why can't a person charge interest? After
all, if I do a favor for you and lend you money, certainly a token of
your appreciation is in order!

Rabbi Haim Shmuelovitz answered that since kindness, chesed is a pillar
of the world, and lending is one of the  highest form of kindness, we
mustn't charge interest. Charging interest would be as if to say, "Oh,
yes, I will be kind to you, as long as you are equally kind to me." The
Torah, in attempting to establish a world of kindness, needed to state
unequivocally, "If you lend money, if you are performing kindness, don't
charge interest. Don't make it quid pro quo. Kindness is a basic. It is
not conditional."  Similarly, in a marriage, which is a chesed or
kindness community, it is important for couples  not undermine the
kindness foundation of the marriage by asking for a quid pro quo for
every kindness.

Parashat Shekalim speaks of giving a half Shekel to the tabernacle. It
creates a community of giving. I don't give more than you give, and you
don't give more than I. Knowing that we live in a community of giving
fosters the notion that I needn't worry that others will repay the
kindness. I should give as much as I can today and tomorrow. One day, I
too will be the beneficiary of kindness because I trust that everyone in
this community of kindness is ultimately a giver of kindness.