Poverty, Individuals, and Communities: Perspectives from Jewish Law and Thought
Economic inequality is not a new issue, but today the gap between “haves” and “have-nots” is growing, as is the immiseration of those who can be described as living in poverty. A life of poverty can grind people down emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Poverty can render people vulnerable to manipulation by employers; it can be a cause and effect of trafficking. In this three-part series we will examine how Hazal (our talmudic sages) and selected rishonim and aharonim (medieval, late medieval, and early modern scholars) view poverty and its effects. We will also probe Jewish legal ideas about mitigating the emergence of an “us” and “them” mentality vis-à-vis the poor.
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