Honors for the Synagogue's Lender
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Question
I established a synagogue that was rented, and after a few years, I received land from the municipality and built a building. The funds for the construction of the building came from personal capital, bank loans, and private loans. Among all the loans, I took loans over several years from one of the synagogue's congregants, and the amount accumulated to a million shekels. A repayment date was agreed upon when there would be donors. The loan was verbal. The question is: Is it permissible for the lender to receive honors, such as an aliyah every week, a place on the eastern side of the synagogue, etc., due to concerns of ribit (interest)? a. The lender received these honors before the loan. b. What is the law if a certain amount is deducted at the time of payment for the honors? c. According to the opinions of the Maharshal and Igrot Moshe, if there is no personal obligation, only an obligation of assets, there is no prohibition of ribit, and in this case, the loan repayment conditions are without asset obligation and personal obligation, only with the condition that there will be donors. d. Rabbinic interest for the sake of a mitzvah.
Answer
Hello
You are permitted to give him honors for the reasons mentioned in the question.
Source
According to the instructions of the Gaon, Rabbi Ovadia Fried, shlita