LEV1058 Not only do poor people find it very difficult, if not impossible, to secure interest-free loans, but lenders, knowing that the poor will not be able to secure loans elsewhere, often charge them higher than normal rates of interest. In contrast, the Jewish community--in response to this biblical law--has developed Gemilut Chesed societies, organizations that give interest-free loans to poor people. Today, hundreds of such organizations, providing loans for food, rent, education, and even start-up businesses, exist throughout Israel, the United States, and other Diaspora societies.