A Matter of Interest

Prepared for print by Faigy Peritzman

I’d like to invest in a prominent brokerage firm, but I have no way of knowing if it’s owned by a Jew. Am I obligated to find this out?

There is a fundamental distinction between investments and loans: Investments, which are not subject to the halachos of ribbis, are defined as money invested with another Jew with the understanding that the investor is taking a calculated risk, and if the investment goes bad, he might lose his principal and/or profits.

Loans, which are subject to the halachos of ribbis, are defined as money lent to another Jew risk-free, which means that regardless of what the borrower does with the money, he must pay back in full. Since you are looking to invest in a brokerage firm, it makes no difference if you’re investing with a Jew or a non-Jew, since the halachos of ribbis aren’t applicable.

I borrowed several eggs from my neighbor and returned them the next day. But she wouldn’t take them back, claiming she’d given me large eggs, while I returned extra-large. Isn’t returning the same number of eggs sufficient?

If the difference in price between large and extra-large eggs is “insignificant” (an amount most people don’t pay attention to), then you may return the extra-large eggs. But nowadays, when eggs have become expensive, it’s possible that the price difference would be considered significant enough to make the halachos of ribbis applicable.

In my office, we frequently borrow money from each other. While I try to write down exactly how much I owe people, occasionally I forget. If I’m not sure how much to pay back, is it better to pay back less than I think or more than I think?

If you’re unsure of the precise amount you borrowed, you should return an amount great enough to enure that the loan is paid up. Even if it turns out that you overpaid, it wouldn’t be considered a violation of ribbis, since you’re not paying extra in appreciation of the loan, but are just making sure you paid in full.