ABSTRACT

Judaism and the Economy is an edited collection of sixty-nine Jewish texts relating to economic issues such as wealth, poverty, inequality, charity, and the charging of interest. The passages cover the period from antiquity to the present, and represent many different genres. Primarily fresh translations, from their original languages, many appear here in English for the first time. Each is prefaced by an introduction and the volume as a whole is introduced by a synthetic essay.

These texts, read together and in different combinations, provide a new lens for thinking about the economy and make the case that religion and religious values have a place in our own economic thinking. Judaism and the Economy is a useful new resource for educators, students, and clergy alike.

chapter |12 pages

Introduction

part A|67 pages

Ancient sources

chapter A|3 pages

Introduction to the ancient sources

chapter A1|1 pages

Responsibilities of the bailee

exodus 22:6–7 1

chapter A2|2 pages

Lending to the poor

exodus 22:24–26 1

chapter A3|3 pages

Sabbatical and Jubilee years

leviticus 25 1

chapter A4|3 pages

Tithes

numbers 18:21–32; Deuteronomy 14:22–29; Deuteronomy 26:12–15 1

chapter A5|2 pages

Sabbatical year

deuteronomy 15:1–11 1

chapter A6|1 pages

Righteousness and redemption

proverbs 10:2, 19:17 1

chapter A7|2 pages

Debt and egalitarianism

nehemiah 5 1 (fifth century bce)

chapter A8|2 pages

Advice on dealing with money

ben sira 29 1 (c. 180 bce)

chapter A9|1 pages

Do not steal

philo, on the decalogue , 135–137 1 (c. 20 ce)

chapter A10|1 pages

A treasury in heaven

matthew 6:19–33 1 (c. 80 ce)

chapter A11|1 pages

The problem with wealth

matthew 19:23–26 1 (c. 80 ce)

chapter A12|1 pages

Taxes and religion

matthew 22:15–22 1 (c. 80 ce)

chapter A13|2 pages

God and the poor

matthew 25:31–46 1 (c. 80 ce)

chapter A14|2 pages

Collecting for the poor

2 corinthians 9 1 (c. 50 ce)

chapter A15|2 pages

Laws of forgotten sheaves

mishnah peah 6:5–7 1 (c. 200 ce)

chapter A16|2 pages

Who is poor?

mishnah peah 8:8–9 1 (c. 200 ce)

chapter A17|2 pages

Economic speculation and the sacred

mishnah sukkah 3:4 (c. 200 ce) and babylonian talmud sukkah 34b 1 (c. 600 ce)

chapter A18|1 pages

Market prices

mishnah baba metzia 4:12 1 (c. 200 ce)

chapter A19|1 pages

Avoiding the cancellation of loans

mishnah shevi’it 10:3–4 1 (c. 200 ce)

chapter A20|2 pages

Usury

mishnah baba metzia 5:1 1 (c. 200 ce)

chapter A21|1 pages

Risk and liability

mishnah baba metzia 7:8 1 (c. 200 ce)

chapter A22|2 pages

Market intervention and the common good

mishnah keritot 1:7 1 (c. 200 ce)

chapter A23|2 pages

Laws of inheritance

mishnah baba batra 8:5–7 1 (c. 200 ce)

chapter A24|2 pages

The economic relationship between spouses

mishnah ketubot 5:9 1 (c. 200 ce)

chapter A25|2 pages

Receiving charity

tosefta peah 4:10 1 (c. 250 ce)

chapter A26|2 pages

Usury

tosefta baba metzia 6:17 1 (c. 250 ce)

chapter A27|1 pages

Usury and poverty

mekhilta de-rabbi shimon bar yohai, on exodus 22:24 1 (c. 250 ce)

chapter A28|2 pages

Causes of poverty

sifre zuta deuteronomy 15:11 1 (c. 250 ce)

chapter A29|1 pages

Wealth and worthiness

jerusalem talmud berakhot 9:1, 13b 1 (360–400 ce)

chapter A30|1 pages

Torah study and poverty

jerusalem talmud peah 8:8, 21a–b 1 (360–400 ce)

chapter A31|1 pages

Wealth and the divine

jerusalem talmud peah 4:3, 18b (% baba metzia 1:4, 7d; gittin 8:3, 49c) 1 (360–400 ce)

chapter A32|2 pages

Market intervention and the common good

babylonian talmud pesachim 30a 1 (c. 600 ce)

chapter A33|2 pages

The requirement to give charity

babylonian talmud baba batra 9a–b 1 (c. 600 ce)

chapter A34|2 pages

Poverty and punishment

babylonian talmud baba batra 10a 1 (c. 600 ce)

chapter A35|1 pages

Wealth and divine favor

babylonian talmud nedarim 38a 1 (c. 600 ce)

chapter A36|4 pages

Usury and the poor

exodus rabbah 31 1 (600–800 ce)

part B|46 pages

Medieval sources

chapter B|2 pages

Introduction to the medieval sources

chapter B1|8 pages

Limitations on property ownership

selections from rashi’s commentary on leviticus 25 1 (c. 1075)

chapter B2|3 pages

Lending to non-Jews with interest

sefer or zarua part iii bava metzia § 208 1 (c. 1250)

chapter B3|2 pages

Risk and reward, profit and liability

maimonides, mishneh torah, laws of agents and partners 2:2, 4; 5:1–2 1 (c. 1180)

chapter B4|1 pages

Wealth and prophecy

maimonides, guide to the perplexed ii:32 1 (c. 1180)

chapter B5|3 pages

Charity and the divine world

moses de león, unnamed composition 1 (c. 1275)

chapter B6|7 pages

Almsgiving and the Kabbalah

moses de león, selection from sefer ha-rimmon 1 (1287)

chapter B7|2 pages

In praise of poverty

zohar iii:223a, parashat pinḥas (ra’aya meheimna) 1 (c. 1300)

chapter B8|2 pages

Obligations to the poor and the Shekhinah

zohar iii:273, parashat eqev (ra’aya meheimna) 1 (c. 1300)

chapter B9|1 pages

The problem of wealth

the hebrew writings of the author of tiqqunei zohar and ra’aya mehemna 1 (c. 1300)

chapter B10|1 pages

Poverty and prayer

the hebrew writings of the author of tiqqunei zohar and ra’aya mehemna 1 (c. 1300)

chapter B11|4 pages

Principles of almsgiving

sefer ha-hinnukh § 449 1 (1350–1400)

chapter B12|6 pages

Private property in the synagogue

r. isaac bar sheshet perfet, responsum 253 1 (1385–1391)

chapter B13|2 pages

Almsgiving and the public order

r. joseph karo 1 (1554)

part C|75 pages

Modern sources

chapter C|2 pages

Introduction to the modern sources

chapter C1|5 pages

The inevitability of poverty

shlomo ephraim luntschitz (k’li yakar) on exodus 22:24–26 1 (1550–1619)

chapter C2|2 pages

“Workfare”

shlomo ephraim luntschitz (k’li yakar) on exodus 23:5 1 (1550–1619)

chapter C3|3 pages

A plea for Jewish toleration

simone luzzatto, discourse on the jews of venice 1 (1638)

chapter C4|2 pages

A plea for Jews’ economic integration into Britain

john toland, reasons for naturalizing the jews in great britain and ireland on the same foot with all other nations 1 (1714)

chapter C5|2 pages

A limit on charity contributions?

jacob emden, responsa i 3 1 (1739–1759)

chapter C6|4 pages

An obsession with wealth

rabbi nachman of breslov, “the tale of the master of prayer” 1 (1810)

chapter C7|2 pages

Richness and Torah

rabbi nachman of breslov, likutey moharan 60 1 (1810)

chapter C8|4 pages

Charity, community, and salvation

hayim david hazan, sermon in izmir 1 (1853)

chapter C9|4 pages

Anti-mammonism in Antebellum America

isaac mayer wise, “the age and its corruption” and “the age and its corruption ii: mammon and science” 1 (1857)

chapter C10|3 pages

Scholars and the communal tax

eliyahu bechor hazan, responsum 1 (1866)

chapter C11|9 pages

Slavery

harriet beecher stowe and isaac meir dik, di shklaveray 1 (1868)

chapter C12|3 pages

Priority for the distribution of charity

yechiel michael epstein, arukh ha-shulkhan 1 (1884–1908)

chapter C13|3 pages

Poverty and laziness

mendele mokher sefarim (s.j. abramowitz), sefer hakabzanim 1 (1909)

chapter C14|2 pages

Poverty and the religious life

rav zadok ha-kohen of lublin, machashavot charutz 72 1 (1912)

chapter C15|8 pages

The poor person and the self

hermann cohen, selection from der begriff der religion im system der philosophie 1 (1915)

chapter C16|3 pages

Democracy and dues

“president’s message,” congregation adath israel, louisville, ky 1 (1919)

chapter C17|3 pages

The working class

michael gold, “the east side i knew” 1 (1954)

chapter C18|2 pages

Middle class in America

rabbi edgar siskin, “do you live according to your means?” 1 (1956)

chapter C19|3 pages

Is wealth compatible with spirituality?

lucy dawidowicz, “middle class judaism: a case study” 1 (1960)

chapter C20|4 pages

A bill to allow banking

heter isqa 1 (2017)