On Sunday we hosted the annual Super Bowl Party for Bozeman’s homeless population and it’s always eye opening. Shaking hands, hearing the stories, seeing the struggle; it pains the soul, invokes a desire to help and gives me an appreciation for all that I have. The next morning, Monday, I went to our local bank to initiate a loan wire for a Jew who needed a boost for six weeks. While talking to the young banker, I mentioned to her that Jews don’t charge each other interest on loans, we just do it to help and wouldn’t want to create a financial burden for the person who is already struggling. She was pleasantly surprised; she’d never heard of someone getting/giving a loan without interest.

In this week’s Torah portion, Mishpatim, we read about the commandment to help our fellow Jews with interest free loans. The Torah teaches that if we’re going to take collateral from the borrower against the loan, it can’t be something that they need for their life-functionality. So, if we take an article of clothing, something that they need to leave their home and go about their life, we need to return the collateral to them each morning. It’s basic dignity. We are to give loans with empathy, care and love; it’s an act of humanity, not a way to choke the person even further as they seek to crawl out of their financial challenges. I know too many people who fell into hard times, and it was the accruing interest on their debt that forced them deeper into the hole.

My Zayde and Bubbe, Reb Shimon Goldman & Esther Goldman of blessed memory, operated an interest-free loan organization from 1969 until around 2012. They’d give out millions in loans each year, and though they occasionally got burned by those who didn’t repay, most borrowers repaid properly, and thanks to my grandparents, they were able to retain their human dignity all along. Tzedakah, charity, is designated for poor people, but a loan is both for the rich and the poor, as sometimes the rich need cash flow to carry them through a tough time. It’s an incredible Mitzvah and is something that is reflective of Jewish values 101. In a world plagued by a need to always make another buck, let’s refrain from doing it through hurting those who are hurt already.

Ribis and Neshech ain’t a joke!

May G-d guard our brethren in Israel and the world over from harm and send us Mashiach speedily. May G-d protect the armed forces of Israel and the United States wherever they may be!

On Wednesday, while picking up Chana Laya from school, my phone rang and it was Rabbi Zvi Gluck, a prominent Jewish activist and CEO of Amudim. “A Jewish man just punctured his lung while skiing in Big Sky and was en-route via helicopter to Bozeman Health” he said. I dropped the kids at home and arrived at the hospital just as the chopper landed. As David, my fellow Yid, was wheeled into the hospital, I greeted him, ensuring he knows that he’s not alone, and though he was slightly sedated, he smiled when he saw my face. I spent the next two hours with him until his wife and dad could make the drive down to be at his side.

In this week’s Torah portion, Yisro, we read about the giving of the Torah. Just before that monumental event, G-d tells us, “You will be unto Me a kingdom of nobles and a holy nation”. The one thing the antisemites get right is that we don’t operate like the rest of the world, we are a family that shows up in ways that others don’t. we aren’t just another band of people who unite under a chosen flag; we are a “kingdom of nobles”, we are connected at our core. The nurse attending to David was surprised that I didn’t know him from before and that I would just drop everything to be there with him and that me being there would bring him comfort. They don’t understand it. They can’t understand it. At Sinai G-d instilled within us an Arvus, guarantorship for each other, and despite our flaws, we do live up to that standard big time.

While at the hospital, Chaya texted me to ask for the man’s Hebrew name so that she could Daven for him and the next morning she baked homemade cookies for his wife and parents to enjoy while at his side. I am not writing seeking accolades for showing up, that’s what Jews do, but to share with you how much our community cares. Before the chopper even lifted off from Big Sky, David’s dad called his brother, who called Zvi, who called me and we were moving at the speed of light. While David dozed off, I faced east and prayed the afternoon Mincha prayer, before I finished, he opened his eyes and said, “thank you for praying in my room”.

We stood at Sinai as one; we remain one through thick and thin!

May G-d guard our brethren in Israel and the world over from harm and send us Mashiach speedily. May G-d protect the armed forces of Israel and the United States wherever they may be!