Paying It Forward (And Back)

Reuven waits anxiously, hoping that his friend will part with his beloved ring. Shimon comes through and offers his ring for Reuven’s release. After attaining his freedom, Reuven hugs Shimon and thanks him profusely for saving his life.

The next week, Reuven knocks on Shimon’s door. Shimon is delighted to see his friend. Shimon asks him, “Reuven, have you gotten over the whole ordeal?” Reuven responds, “Yes, baruch Hashem. I’m back in the office and everything is back to normal. That actually brings me to the reason I’m here. I was going through my ledger and I found a listing for an unpaid loan. You owe me 100 dinarim.”

Shimon is incredulous. “Are you kidding me? Tell me you are joking. The ring I gave up to save your life was worth ten times that amount! I owe you nothing. If anything, you should pay me 900 dinarim! Is this how you show your gratitude?”

Shimon storms off to speak to the Ben Ish Chai (1835–1909). “Rebbe, obviously I don’t owe him any money, correct?”

The Ben Ish Chai responds, “Not so fast. Let’s first review a blatt Gemara in Kesubos.” The Gemara in Kesubos (91b) talks of a father who passed away owing 100 zuz. He left his children a tract of land that was worth 50 zuz.

The creditor goes to beis din to collect the debt from the departed’s estate, and beis din rules that the orphans have to give the creditor the tract of land as partial payment for the debt. The orphans sadly give the creditor the title to the land.

The orphans then decide that they will come up with the 50 zuz sum and buy the land from the creditor. They gather their funds and, wordlessly, present the creditor with 50 zuz.

The next day, the orphans got to the land, but the creditor is acting as if it is still his. The orphans ask, “What are you doing here?”

The creditor says, “What do you mean? It’s my land I collected it as partial payment of your father’s debt.”

The orphans reply, “But we paid you 50 zuz to get the land back!”

“Really?” exclaims the creditor. “I thought the 50 zuz was because you wanted to do the right thing and pay off the remaining balance of your father’s debt.”

The orphans say, “Very funny! You know we paid 50 zuz to get the family’s land back.”

So they went to Abaye and explained their grievance. Abaye said, “The creditor is correct. Since you did not specify at the time you paid the 50 zuz what the money was for, the creditor had every right to assume that it was to fulfill the mitzvah of paying off your father’s debt. You have now fulfilled that mitzvah. The land worth 50 zuz plus the 50 zuz in cash pays off your father’s total debt. You should be happy that you merited to fulfill this mitzvah!”

So the Ben Ish Chai tells Shimon, “When you gave your ring as ransom, you didn’t say that it was to be considered payment for your loan. Everyone just assumed you wanted to fulfill the tremendous mitzvah of pidyon shevuyim. Reuven does not have to reimburse you for the money you spent on that mitzvah. In terms of the loan, perhaps Reuven should show more gratitude, but he is not obligated to do so. The fact that you spent money on him for a mitzvah has no bearing on the loan. You owe him the 100 dinar!” ™