Judaism and the Economy: A Sourcebook [Hardcover]

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.

List of Contributors; Introduction, Michael Satlow; Section A: Ancient Sources; Introduction to the Ancient Sources; 1. Responsibilities of the Bailee (Exodus 22:6-7); 2. Lending to the Poor (Exodus 22:24-26); 3. Sabbatical and Jubilee Years (Leviticus 25); 4. Tithes (Deuteronomy 14:22-29); 5. Sabbatical Year (Deuteronomy 15:1-11); 6. Righteousness and Redemption (Proverbs 10:2, 19:7); 7. Debt and Egalitarianism (Nehemiah 5); 8. Advice on Dealing with Money (Ben Sira 29); 9. Do Not Steal (Philo, On the Decalogue, 135-137); 10. A Treasury in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-33); 11. The Problem with Wealth (Matthew 19:23-26); 12. Taxes and Religion (Matthew 22:15-22); 13. God and the Poor (Matthew 25:31-46); 14. Collecting for the Poor (2 Corinthians 9); 15. Laws of Forgotten Sheaths (Mishnah Peah 6:5-7); 16. Who is Poor? (Mishah Peah 8:8-9); 17. Economic Speculation and the Sacred (Mishnah Sukkah 3:4; Babylonian Talmud Sukkah 34b); 18. Regulating the Market (Mishnah Baba Metzia 4:12); 19. Avoiding thlC+