Greenwoods Community Church

I read an interesting observation about the Torah in a book by Rabbi David Krusner. It went something like this: The Torah provided laws that insured there would be no permanent poor class. Yes, he observed, there would always be poor due to disaster, drought or just plain bad management, but the Torah put in place laws that mitigated those situations. It anticipated that people would get in trouble, but the Law provided a way out for those trapped in poverty. These thoughts got me searching more on the subject, and this is what I have discovered from reading the Torah:

1. If a man was wealthy, he was instructed to share his wealth with his struggling neighbor. He was obligated by the Law to come to his neighbor’s aid by giving or lending money interest free. Goods and animals must also be provided to help the neighbor reestablish himself back into the economy community. And the rich man was to be generous.

2. A king was not to accumulate great wealth, lest it subvert his judgment.

3. Every seven years all debts were to be forgiven and slaves were to be freed. It provided a fresh start for the slave or debtor. When a slave was freed, he didn’t go away empty-handed. His master was to give him grain, live stock, etc., so that the slave could establish himself as a productive part of the village or town. Again his master was to be generous so as to assure the slave’s success.

4. Then there was the Year of Jubilee. Every 49 years, all land that had been sold or otherwise lost to the original family of ownership was to be returned to the family. Slaves were freed as in the seventh year obligation and all debts forgiven. The land was to lay fallow for the year. It was a time of renewal — a time for starting over.

5. Another provision was the kinsman redeemer. If a person had fallen on hard times or had become a slave or had forfeited property, he could be redeemed by a near relative who was wealthy. It was the relative’s duty to act on behalf of the poor relative. He was to redeem the person out of poverty and restore their place in society. The Book of Ruth tells the story of Naomi who is redeemed by Boas. It is a beautiful love story and an important link in the genealogy of David and Jesus.

6. The Torah at different times and in different ways leveled the playing field so that the poor and the oppressed could start over with new opportunities and energy. The impetus was provided by God through the Torah to create a just and fair society. Such was God’s design for the Kingdom of Israel. God desired to create a generous and caring society based on just laws. As always, God was ready to redeem sinners. He legislated a society based on neighborly love. We are asked to love as He loves, not just in word but in deed also.

World poverty today is grinding and is both permanent and virtually inescapable. Wealth is plentiful but compassion is not. God set down just laws to deal with poverty as an example for us, so that we could be our brother’s keepers.

Bibliography:
Sharing of wealth with the poor Deut. 15: 7-10
Release of slaves Deut. 15:10-17
2. Kings wealth Deut. 17:16-17
3. Sabbatical year Deut. 15:1-3
Lev. 25:2-7
4. Year of Jubilee Lev. 25:8-17
see also Year of Jubilee on the web
5. Kinsman redeemer Lev. 25:23-25
Ruth 3:12-13
see also Our Kinsman redeemer on the web
6. Main thesis Deut. 15:4-8