## Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy

###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:3:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:3:1)

**ממזר.**פי' הרמב"ן שהוא מוזר מיודעיו שאין יודעין מאין בא כי הנולד לאיש מאשת אביו הוא ירחיקנו לבושתו ולכלימתו מן המעשה הרע שעשה וגם אמו תשליכנו בלילה כענין האסופי:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ממזר, “bastard,” according to Nachmanides the term is derived from מוזר, something or somebody strange, not fitting into an accepted mould and therefore excluded, rejected. When a man fathers the child of his father’s wife, he is so ashamed that he will not acknowledge the child, will shun it, ostracise it; he will try to minimize his own shame by not being associated with the product of his unbridled lust. Similarly, the mother of such a child will try and rid herself of it in the dark of the night. The child will wind up being a “foundling.”


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:5:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:5:1)

**על דבר אשר לא קדמו אתכם וגו'.**חוזר על עמון:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
על דבר אשר לא קדמו אתכם, “on account of their not having greeted you, etc.;” the last few words refer to the nation Ammon.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:5:2
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:5:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:5:2)

**ואשר שכר עליך וגו'.**חוזר על מואב אבל מואב קדם אותם כדכתיב אוכל בכסף תשבירני וגו' כאשר עשו לי בני עשו והמואבים היושבים בער כדפרי' לעיל בסדר אלה הדברים:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ואשר שכר עליך וגו., “and because it hired against you, etc.” a reference to the people of Moav who hired Bileam to curse the Israelites. On the other hand, the Moabites, as distinct from their cousins the Ammonites, did offer food and drink to the Israelites as we know from Moses’ own testimony in Deut. 2,28 אכל בכסף תשבירני כאשר עשו בני עשו ..והמואבים, “sell me food against payment in cash, as the Edomites and the Moabites have done for me.” I have explained this whole scenario on Deut.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:7:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:7:1)

**לא תדרוש שלומם.**דורש בספרי מכלל שנא' כי תקרב אל עיר וקראת עליה לשלום יכול אף בני עמון ומואב ת"ל לא תדרוש שלומם. וכתב הרמב"ן ודאי הכתוב שהזהיר בעמון ומואב אל תתגרו בם מצוה לדורות היא שצוה הכתוב שלא ניקח מארצם וא"כ הפסוק שאומר לא תדרוש שלומם מיירי אם נלחם עליהם בעיר שכבשו הם מן העמים שלא נקרא להם לשלום וכן אם יבואו הם להלחם בארצנו מותר לנו לרדוף אחריהם ולכבוש מהם המדינות ולהכות יושבי הערים שעשו עמנו הרעה כמו שעשה יפתח וכן עשה דוד לכל ערי בני עמון בעבור שהם פרצו הגדר תחלה ואז לא נצטרך לקרוא בשלומם ונכה בנלחמים בנו כל עיר מתים והנשים והטף. ועל דרך הפשט טעם לא תדרוש שלומם וטובתם כאומר אע"פ שהם בני משפחתכם ואברהם אביכם אהב את אביהם לא תהיו להם כאחים דורשי שלום וטובה כי הם הפרו ברית האחוה ותהי' מוכרת להם לעולם. והנה השם שמר לבני לוט זכות אביהם שהלך עם אברהם בדרך אשר שלחו השם ולכך הנחילם מנחלת אברהם והעניש את בניו בחטאם שלא ידבקו בישראל. וכן המצרים הרחיקם ג' דורות מפני רשעם אשר עשו עמנו רעות רבות. אבל לא יתעב אותם לעולם בעבור שהיינו גרים בארצם ונמלטנו עמהם ברעב בכבוד שעשו לאבינו והמליכו עליהם ממנו קצין ומושל וכן עשה עם אדום שמר להם זכות אבות שהיו מזרע הקדש והרחיקם ג' דורות בעבור שיצאו לקראתינו בחרב ולא הכירו ברית אחים:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
לא תדרוש שלומם, “do not seek their peace, etc.” The choice of the word דורש in above verse, is understood by *Sifri* as based on Deut. 20,10 where prior to attacking a city the Israelite commander in chief makes peaceful overtures in order to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. On the face of it, I might have thought that what is written in our verse refers also to the nations of Ammon and Moav; the Torah therefore adds, that we must not actively promote those nations’ welfare though we are forbidden to provoke war with them or to harass them. What then is the message of our verse? If, per chance, Israel has occasion to go to war against a city that had been conquered by the Ammonites or Moabites, who themselves had no business to expand their borders, the presence of the Ammonites and Moabites does not need to deter us from invading such a town forthwith, without peaceful overtures beforehand. Not only that; if either of these nations conducts war against us by invading the land of Israel, we are at liberty not only to drive them out, but to pursue them and annihilate their armies on foreign soil. We may even conquer lands that they have occupied for long periods. Basically, this is what Yiftach did in Judges, chapter 11. It is permitted in such situations to kill also the women and children of the invading enemy even if it is Ammon or Moav.
 Looking at it from the plain meaning of the text when read without looking for deeper meanings, Moses stresses that although both the Moabites and the Ammonites, being descendants of Lot, Avraham’s nephew, are “family” in a manner of speaking, we are not to promote their welfare as they have forfeited any special claims upon us, not having acted as blood relations should. They have long ago severed the bond with Avraham’s heirs and have broken faith with Avraham who had been responsible for their survival more than once.
 In fact, *Hashem* had treated them with especial concern because they were related to Avraham, and the latter had even risked his life for Lot, rescuing him from the four mightiest kings on earth at that time. He did this in recognition that at one time, Lot, by joining Avraham in emigrating to a strange country, Canaan, had behaved properly and had even not revealed to Pharaoh that Sarah was in fact Avraham’s wife and not his sister. Nonetheless, they had long spent the reward that they had received for that. Similarly, there had been a time when the Egyptians had welcomed Yaakov and his family and had treated them very generously. Nonetheless, the merit they had acquired at that time, at no real cost to themselves seeing that Joseph had saved them from the famine, they had long ago frittered away when they turned on the Israelites with unmatched cruelty only because the Israelites had dared to have large families. This is why, if Egyptians wanted to convert to Judaism and join our nation, three generations had to pass before they could become fully equal members of the Jewish people. Similar restrictions apply to descendants from Esau/Edom. In spite of all our suffering at the hands of these people and their hatred for us, the Torah does not permit us to reject them and to treat them as an abomination. [After all, their descendants did not harm us, they were not even born at that time. Ed.]


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:10:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:10:1)

**ונשמרת מבל דבר רע.**פרש"י שהשטן מקטרג בשעת הסכנה. והרמב"ן כתב והנכון בעיני במצוה הזאת כי הכתוב מזהיר בעת ההיא בעבור שהחטא מצוי בו והידוע במנהגי המחנות היוצאות למלחמה שיאכלו כל תועבה ויגזלו ויחמסו ולא יתבוששו אפי' בניאוף וכל נבלה וטבע האדם מתלבש אכזריות וחמה בצאת מחנה על אויב ועל כן מזהיר ונשמרת מכל דבר רע אזהרה מכל הנאסר. ועל דרך הפשט מזהיר בבעל מקרה לצאת מכל המחנה מפני הטעם הנזכר שהשם מתהלך עמנו להושיענו ושיהיה לבנו מתכוין להקדוש ברוך הוא ונוחיל לישועתו ולא נסמוך בזרוע בשר וכן הטעם בכיסוי הצוא' כי המחנה בכלל קדוש וממנו נלמוד למקום התפלה שנרחק מן הצואה ארבע אמות ולכל מראה עינים. וטעם כיסוי הצואה שאין הצוא' כטומא' שתטמא מקומה ושתהיה בוקעת ועולה אבל אסור לראותה בעת התפלה ובהיות הלב דבק בעם הנכבד מפני שהדברים הנמאסים מולידים גנאי בנפש וישבשו כוונת הלב הטהור וכאשר נעלמו מן העין אין דבר רע: [כתוב למעלה שנרחק מן הצואה ד' אמות ולכל מראה עינים פי' לאחוריו ויניחנ' ד' אמות לפחות ולפניו עד שלא יראנה]:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ונשמרת מכל דבר רע, “you shall be on guard against anything evil.” *Rashi* understands this line as a warning that Satan works “overtime” whenever the Israelites find themselves in danger, so that even minor misdemeanours will be exploited by him as the perennial prosecutor of the Jews at the throne of *Hashem*.
 Nachmanides writes that in his eyes the true explanation of this line at this particular juncture is that when at war due to the difficult conditions, one tends to become less stringent in one’s ritual observances. Moses therefore warns the people that at that time more than at any other, because one’s life is in danger and one depends on *Hashem’s* special protection, one must be careful not to become lax in one’s Torah observance.
 From the vantage point of the plain meaning of the text, the פשט, Moses warns someone who experienced a seminal emission to leave the boundaries of the camp (the subject discussed in the verses following), the reason being that seeing G’d is present in the camp, it is not befitting that someone who is ritually contaminated share that domain with the presence of G’d until he has purified himself. Consciousness of His presence in order to ensure our success in war, will also make the soldier concerned reflect that in the last analysis it is not his prowess as a soldier that ensures success but the help we receive from above. Similar considerations also made our sages decree that a synagogue, or even a private place where prayers are offered must be at least 4 cubits (2.5 meters) removed from a toilet or other place where garbage is dumped. The reason why the Torah decrees that excrement must be covered, although it is not ritually contaminating, is that if visible to the person offering up prayers to his Creator, it will distract from his concentration. Seeing that prayer, unless offered when the heart is “in gear,” is not only ineffective but almost insulting to *Hashem,* we must take steps to remove from our vision anything that will detract from our concentration.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:16:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:16:1)

**לא תסגיר עבד אל אדוניו.**כתב הרמב"ן דבק לפרשה של מעלה שאם תצא במחנה וברח אליך עבד מעם אדוניו אל תסגירנו אליו בממון שיתן לך בו. ואמר:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
לא תסגיר עבד לאדוניו, “Do not turn over a slave (who has escaped from his master) to his owner.” According to Nachmanides the reason why this verse is appropriately written at this point, is that that during the confusion which reigns during a siege or battle, many slaves use the opportunity to escape from their masters. A soldier who leaves his own camp in order to relieve himself, is liable to encounter such fleeing slaves in the no-man’s land where he answers a call of a nature. The Torah, especially has in mind, that the soldier in question not turn over the escaping slave by collecting a fee for this from his master, and thereby engage in slave-trading.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:16:2
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:16:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:16:2)

**עמך ישב וגו' במקום אשר יבחר.**שהוא מצוה שיהיה בן חורין ולא נעבוד בו. והטעם במצוה הזאת כי עמנו יעבוד השם ואיננו נכון שנחזירנו לאדוניו לעבוד ע"ז ועוד שיתכן שילמד דרך מבוא העיר כי בענין כזה ילכדו מדינות רבות על ידי עבדים ושבויים שבורחין משם. ורבותי' שדורשין בעבד כנעני של ישראל שברח מחוצה לארץ לארץ גם זה הטעם שמוטב יעמוד בארץ ישראל ויקיים כל המצות הנוהגות בה מבחוצה לארץ:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
עמך ישב במקום אשר יבחר, “he shall dwell with you in a location of his choice;” it is a positive commandment that this slave live as a free human being. The reason why this law has been given, and especially has been mentioned at this point, is that the former slave is to be encouraged to join us Jews in serving *Hashem,* instead of our turning him over to his former master and thereby increasing the number of pagans serving idols. Furthermore, by turning him over to his former master, there is a chance that this slave has become privy to information that might help the enemy to invade our country or to infiltrate the encampment of the Israelite army. History is full of stories of such “slaves” having been used as spies by their masters.
 Our sages interpret this verse as applying primarily to a Canaanite slave who has fled his master seeking refuge within Israel. Even though, basically, the Torah decreed that we must kill these people, here where the initiative comes from the Canaanite who is aware that he will likely be treated far more humanely by Jews, the Torah encourages us to bring him closer to *Hashem* by allowing him to embrace Judaism.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:18:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:18:1)

**לא תהיה קדשה.**פרש"י מקודשת מזומנת לזנות:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
לא תהיה קדשה מבני ישראל, “There shall not be a promiscuous woman among the daughters of Israel.” *Rashi* interprets the reason for Moses choosing the word קדשה, related to קדוש, holy, for such a woman as being that among the Israelites there must not be people who dedicate, “sanctify” their lives by practicing promiscuity.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:18:2
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:18:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:18:2)

**ולא יהיה קדש.**מזומן למשכב זכור. וכתב הרמב"ן וא"כ שהלאו הזה אזהרה באשה הנשכבת שלא תהיה מזומנת לזנות לפי זה אשה פנויה הנבעלת במקרה ובהצנע אינה מחייבי לאוין וכן בקדש למה אמר בו מזומן שאפי' הנבעל בחדרי חדרים יש בו כרת ומיתת ב"ד ועוד שהיה ראוי שיאמר לא תהיה בכם קדשה ולא יהיה קדש בכם למה אמר בבני ישראל והנראה בעיני בלאו הזה שהוא אזהרה לב"ד שלא יניחו אחת מבנות ישראל להיות יושבת בפרשת דרכים על הדרך לזמה או שתתקן לה קובה של זנות כמנהג ארצות זרים שיושבות על פתח לזנות וכן יזהיר לב"ד על הקדש. ועל דרך הפשט אפילו שישכב עם הנשים בקובה אשר יעשה לו מזומנת לזמה או שישב בעינים על הדרך יזהיר לב"ד שימנעוהו:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ולא יהיה קדש, “neither shall their be a male dedicating his life to promiscuity, making sexuality his aim in life.” This is a warning against practicing homosexuality. Nachmanides writes that if that were so, i.e. forbidding public promiscuity as a negative commandment were meant to apply only to married women who had sinned by indulging in illicit sex, not to devote their lives to harlotry, one would conclude that an unmarried woman indulging in such activity in the privacy of her home had not transgressed the commandment legislated in verse 18. One would arrive at a similar conclusion concerning the males of whom the Torah speaks in verse 19. He cannot understand what made *Rashi* use the expression מזומן, dedicated to, oriented in that direction, seeing that even an occasional indulgence in homosexual relations is punishable by the harsh penalty *karet* or execution, as we know from Leviticus Furthermore, turning to the text itself, why does the Torah (Moses) not write: “there shall not be amongst you, etc.,” and writes instead בבנות ישראל, “among the daughters of Israel.”
 Nachmanides continues writing that in view of the points he raised he believes that the entire legislation in these two verses is addressed to the court dealing with such offenders. The courts must not allow any Jewish woman/girl to publicly offer her services as a prostitute, or for such a person to rent or own a dwelling devoted to the pursuit of such activities. The court is similarly warned to enforce parallel legislation making it difficult for males to do something similar.
 Looking at the plain meaning of the text, the Torah appears to prohibit even normal sexual relations between a man and a woman married to one another if such activity takes place in a house that is known to serve as a brothel. The court must see to it that women offering their services as sex objects are apprehended and prevented from doing so in public.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:19:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:19:1)

**לא תביא אתנן זונה.**כתב הרמב"ן הזונות יעשו בנדה שלהם מצוות חושבות לכפר על חטאתם לכך אסרה תורה אתנן לכל נדר כי עתה יוסיפו לחטוא בהן וכן ענין מחיר בעבור כי הצדים בכלבים ושומרי החומות מגדלים כלבים עזי נפש מזיקים הרבים וירצו במחיריהם להיות כופר לנפשם וכן מנהג עוד היום בפרשים אנשי הציד שיעמידו צורת כלביהם בשעוה לפני ע"ז שלהם כדי שיצליחו. ואמר:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
לא תביא אתנן זונה ...בית ה', “You must not bring to the Temple the proceeds from your activity as a harlot.” Nachmanides writes that these harlots would use some of the gifts they received from their customers to make donations and offer sacrifices in the Temple, to expiate for the wrongs they had done. The Torah legislates, while it cannot prevent such harlots to use some of their ill gotten gains to give charity with such money, that such proceeds from sinful activities cannot be accepted as something sacred. [In our parlance, this would be an early example of money laundering. Ed.] Instead of cleansing themselves from sin, they would sink deeper into the moral morass that they were already in.
 The Torah legislates something similar concerning the proceeds from selling a dog. The Torah singles out dogs seeing that people who hunt by using dogs, or people training dogs to attack potential intruders, contribute to many innocent people being harmed by such dogs. Nachmanides also quotes instances from his own experience in which people hang the images of dogs near the idols that they worship, so that a dog, in many cultures, is identified with something idolatrous. The proceeds from the sale of such dogs are equally unwelcome in the Temple.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:19:2
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:19:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:19:2)

**גם שניהם.**בעבור שהאחד תועבה גדולה והוא האתנן כי בו נעשתה תועבת הזמה אמר שגם שניהם יתעב השם. אי נמי בעבור שהזכיר פסולי הקרבן במומין ואמר לא תזבח לה' אלהיך שור ושה וגו' כי תועבת ה' אלהיך הוא הוסיף בכאן לומר כי גם באתנן והמחיר שהם תמימים בגופם גם הם תועבה כמותם:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
גם שניהם, “both of them.” Seeing that the first example, the price paid for a harlot’s services, or the animal paid is a greater abomination than the proceeds of the sale of the dog, Moses wants to make sure that we do not consider the latter as in a completely different class, i.e. as a far less offensive sin. Alternatively, seeing that up until now the Torah had disqualified potential use of certain animals as sacrificial offerings forbidden only if the animal had certain physical blemishes, here we hear for the first time that the animal may have a moral blemish due to the lifestyle of its owner. In the case of animals having a physical blemish the Torah had introduced the legislation with the words: לא תזבח לה' אלוקיך שור או שה..אשר יהיה בו מום וגו', “you shall not slaughter for the Lord your G’d an ox or lamb that has a blemish, etc.” (Deut 17,1) The reason given is that such a blemish is considered an abomination. Here too, the reason given for the legislation is that it would be considered an abomination to offer an animal to *Hashem* that was acquired in payment for committing a sin.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:20:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:20:1)

**לא תשיך.**הוסיף בכאן אזהרה ללוה מה שאין כן בשאר דיני ממונות שאם רצה הוא ליזוק בנכסיו רשאי אבל מפני רגילות החטא ברבית מזהיר גם בלוה. ואמר:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
לא תשיך, ”do not let the lender, your brother, take interest.” We have been taught already (Leviticus 25,36-37) that we must not lend money at interest to fellow Jews, but here Moses warns the borrower not to allow his brother, the Jew to become guilty by accepting such interest from him. This is a dimension not found in other aspects dealing with laws involving money, etc. The Torah, ordinarily, does not use preventive legislation to stop people from causing themselves financial harm. Seeing, however, that the incidence of paying and accepting interest on loans is so widespread, the Torah made an exception in this instance. It went further in the definition of what is interest, writing:


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:20:2
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:20:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:20:2)

**נשך כסף נשך אוכל.**לבאר שאם ילוה סאה חטים בסאה וחצי יהיה נשך גמור אפי' לא ישוה סאה וחצי בשעת הפרעון כדמי סאה שהלוהו. ואמר עוד:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
נשך כסף, נשך אוכל, וגו', “regardless of whether such interest consists of actual money, or its equivalent such as food, etc.” The Torah is at pains to warn us that the concept of “interest” is not limited to the payment of cash, but includes any consideration that normally would not have been shown by the borrower to the lender had he not been in a position of owing money to the lender. Charging interest is not by itself something reprehensible, as one receives a compensation for services rendered. However, charging interest to a fellow Jew is denying that he is family, is one’s brother, and that is why the Torah keeps stressing the element אחיך, “who is your brother.” The Torah stresses that charging or paying interest when dealing with a gentile is in order, to tell us that this is a normal commercial transaction. It is not even remotely related to stealing or robbing, as it is freely given.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:20:3
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:20:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:20:3)

**כל דבר אשר ישך.**לרבות כלים ושאר כל דבר שלא תאמר אין נשך אלא בכסף שכל הדברים נקנין בו ובאוכל שהוא חיי האדם אבל שאר דברים נלך אחר שוה כסף כעת ההלואה והפרעון קמ"ל כל דבר. וביאר כאן שרבית הנכרי מותר ולא אמר כן בגזל ואבידה כמו שאמרו גזל הגוי אסור מפני שהרבית הוא נותן מדעתו לא נאסר אלא מצד האחוה והחסד כמו שנאמר ואהבת לרעך כמוך. ועל כן אמר:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
כל דבר אשר ישך, “anything that he may take as interest.” This includes any kinds of vessels, and other items that most people would never consider as representing interest when someone gives it to them. The Torah added these words to make sure we would not think that unless paid in hard cash it does not fall under the heading of “interest.” Cash, after all, is only a means to acquiring items that we need or want to possess. Hence it is not the actual cash that is the interest, but what this cash enables you to do with it.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:21:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:21:1)

**למען יברכך ה' אלהיך.**כי יעשה חסד עם אחיו כאשר ילונו בלא רבית ויחשב לו לצדקה וכן השמיטה חסד באחים ולכך אמר את הנכרי תגוש וקבע לו ברכה כי הכתוב לא הזכיר ברכה רק בצדקות וחסדים לא בגזל וגניבה ואונאה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
למען יברכך ה' אלוקיך, “in order that the Lord your G’d will bless you;” by doing a deed of loving kindness with one’s brother, such as helping him with an interest-free loan, one acquires the merit that qualifies one to receive a special blessing by *Hashem.* It is considered צדקה, i.e. the same as if one had actually handed over money as alms, as a contribution to a charitable institution. Foregoing repayment of overdue loans at the end of the last year of the *sh’mittah* cycle is also an act of charity a requirement that only applies to one’s fellow Jew, because he is to be treated as one’s brother. This is why Moses follows this legislation up with the specific permission, or even commandment, according to many authorities, to charge interest on loans to gentiles, and, of course, permission to pay interest if we need to get a loan from gentiles. It is interesting that the Torah promises special blessings from *Hashem* only in connection with abstaining from charging interest, not when refraining from stealing, robbing, or overcharging unwary customers.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:23:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 23:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/23:23:1)

**וכי תחדל לנדור וגו'.**שלא תאמר כיון שהנדר זירוז במצוה אדור כדי שאזדרז במצוה ואף אם לא אוכל להשלימו אחר כך כיון שהיה רצוני להשלימו בשעת הנדר יהיה לי צדקה לכך אומר וכי תחדל לנדור לא יהיה בך חטא אבל אם תדור ולא תשלם או אם תאחר לשלמו יהיה בך חטא על כן טוב אשר לא תדור:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
וכי תחדל לנדור, “And when you refrain from making gifts in the form of a vow,” you would, in the first place, only phrase a gift you want to make (mostly to the Temple treasury) in the form of a vow, as the vow reminds you not to tarry with discharging the duties you imposed upon yourself. Seeing that your intention in making such a vow was honourable, laudatory, if you are prevented by circumstances beyond your control to keep to the terms of your vow, the Torah tells you that this will not be held against you. 
 However, if you simply refrain from honouring a vow made, without the excuse that circumstances beyond your control had prevented you from honouring it, or honouring it on time, then you have violated the law that whatever you undertake, be it in the form of a vow or a simple statement, you are obligated by the Torah to keep such undertakings. The Torah views such commitments as not only undertakings to your fellow, but as undertakings toward *Hashem.* In light of all that has been said, the Torah counsels that you would be better off if you were not to make a vow at all.