A reader from Gateshead notes that our issue of 6 Teves (Parshas
Vayigash) published a suggestion that could cause people, Rachmono
litzlan, to transgress the prohibition against ribis.
The article "How to Spend Less than you Earn," advised, among
other things, "Talk with your relatives, neighbors and co- workers
about swapping services - you do some odd jobs for them in exchange
for their doing things that you can't do."
Our correspondent notes that doing this can involve a serious problem
of ribis in many (but not all) circumstances.
The Guide to the Businessman by HaRav S. Wagschal (p. 103)
states: "An arrangement between two people, whereby the first
person works for the other without pay and at a later date
the other repays him by in turn working for the former person without
payment is considered as a loan. . . . A question of interest would
arise if the two jobs were not of an equal nature . . . The extra
effort or time expended would then count as interest."
Readers should consult that work for further elaboration including
examples, and/or a competent halachic authority for guidance in their
specific circumstances.
Yated wishes to express its thanks to the concerned reader
who wrote us about the problem.
