The Mishnah taught: If Reuven lent Shimon money... A person once lent dinars to his friend. The borrower then allowed the lender to stay in his house and at the end he demanded payment for this. The lender said, "If so, (first) give me the money that you owe me - (I did not know that you would charge me for staying here)''.

The case came before R. Ba bar Mina and he said, "Was it even clear to the lender that it was permitted to stay there for free?'' (The lender must now reduce the amount of the loan repayment to cover the rental charge that he did not pay.)

Beraisa: There are some things that appear to be ribis but are permitted.

Examples: A person may buy documents at a reduced price (before the time of the payment, in order to be able to later claim the full payment from the other party) or he may do a similar thing with a loan document..

There are some things that are not actually ribis but they are prohibited because they are ha'aramas ribis (circumventions of the prohibition).

How is this? (A borrower asked a lender) - Give me a selah (which is 25 dinars).

The lender replied: I only have a kur of wheat. Take it.

(The borrower took it) and the lender then came and bought it back from him for 24 dinars.

This is not ribis (as the borrower is not paying extra to make the lender wait longer) but it is nevertheless prohibited as it is ha'aramas ribis.

(It is prohibited, even though) the lender might say - (Because I am buying it back) you do not need to hire containers to fill or hire haulers to carry it, so take the 24 dinars (as I have saved you money).

R. Ila: (In connection with the next Mishnah, that he if he pays him the rental money per month, he pays 12 selah, as opposed to 10 selah if he pays for the whole year in advance) Why is it not ribis? Because (it is as if) the renter is paying (extra to the owner) for requiring him to come (every month for the rent money).

Reason #2 (R. Zeira): It is as if he is renting him the property at a higher price.