Usury and the poor

The biblical tradition that connected the usury prohibition to the poor was revived in a late genre of midrash known as Tanchuma Midrash. In works of this genre, the prohibition against usury and the care for the poor are brought together in a myriad of ways. Several exemplars of this genre exist, including works known as “Midrash Tanchuma” and others known by other names. ² These works center their discussion of the effects of usury on the poor and their plight, and associate the avoidance of usury with salvation for those who care for the poor. This is a significant shift in late rabbinic culture, away from the ethos found in “classical” rabbinic literature and towards an ethos of loving the poor, found in both pre-rabbinic Judaism and late ancient Christianity. ³