Borrowed Sugar or Eggs? The Jewish Law You May Not Know

Neighbors, friends, and family members often borrow food and household products from one another. But this raises an important question in Jewish law: When is it permissible to return something slightly larger or more expensive than what was borrowed, and when might doing so violate the prohibition of ribbit (interest)?

The following halachot (Jewish laws) and practical examples are based on the book Ribbit KaHalacha by Rabbi Pinchas Vind.

Returning a Slightly Larger Amount

When someone borrows a product whose exact quantity is difficult to match, and people generally do not insist on precise measurements when returning it, there is no need to be exact. It is permissible to return something that appears roughly equivalent to what was borrowed, even if there is a small difference in size or quantity.

The reason is that people generally regard the two products as equal and are not particular about minor differences. Therefore, returning a slightly larger amount in such cases is not considered paying back more than was borrowed.

However, if the replacement is clearly considered more valuable than the original, returning it is prohibited. For example, if someone borrowed an opened package that had already been partially used, returning a new, sealed package would be considered giving back more than was received.

Practical Examples

A larger cucumber: A woman who borrows a cucumber from her neighbor may return another cucumber that appears similar in size, even if it is actually slightly larger.

Half a cup of sugar: If she borrows half a cup of sugar, she may estimate the same amount when returning it. She does not need to worry if the amount she measures is slightly more than what she originally borrowed.

A bottle of oil: If she borrows a sealed bottle of oil and returns another sealed bottle, she does not need to check whether the replacement contains a slightly larger quantity.

A larger egg: If she borrows a medium-sized egg, she may return a large egg, since people generally do not insist on exact sizes when exchanging individual eggs. However, if she borrows an entire carton of medium eggs, she may not return a carton of large eggs, because the difference is significant and people generally consider the two cartons to have different values.

A package of sugar: If she borrows an opened package of sugar that has already been partially used, she may not return a new, sealed package, since she would clearly be returning more than she borrowed.

What If You Don't Remember How Much You Borrowed?

If someone borrows something and later cannot remember the exact quantity, it is permissible to return enough to ensure that the full amount has been repaid, even if this means returning slightly more than was actually borrowed.

This does not violate the prohibition of ribbit, because the additional amount is not being given as interest on the loan. Rather, it is intended to make sure that the borrower has fulfilled the obligation to repay everything owed.

However, the borrower may not return more than the highest amount they reasonably believe they might have borrowed.

For example: If a woman borrows eggs from her neighbor and cannot remember whether she borrowed three or four, she may return four eggs. However, she may not return five, since she knows with certainty that she did not borrow that many.