Shemitah as a Model for Debt Relief

From the American Jewish World Service Education Module on, "Addressing Global Poverty: International Aid, Debt Relief, and Trade Justice"

Debt Relief:

In 2004, the world's poorest nations paid more than $2 billion in debt services to international creditors. Even as they struggle to combat the AIDS pandemic and provide education for every child, many countries are forced to spend considerably more on debt services as they do on health care and education combined. Debt-relief initiatives have proven successful and are effective way to provide poor countries with a practical solution to meet the health and education needs of their people.

Isaiah 58:7-11

(ז)הֲלוֹא פָרֹס לָרָעֵב לַחְמֶךָ וַעֲנִיִּים מְרוּדִים תָּבִיא בָיִת כִּי תִרְאֶה עָרֹם וְכִסִּיתוֹ וּמִבְּשָׂרְךָ לֹא תִתְעַלָּם: ח) אָז יִבָּקַע כַּשַּׁחַר אוֹרֶךָ וַאֲרֻכָתְךָ מְהֵרָה תִצְמָח וְהָלַךְ לְפָנֶיךָ צִדְקֶךָ כְּבוֹד יְקֹוָק יַאַסְפֶךָ: (ט)אָז תִּקְרָא וַיקֹוָק יַעֲנֶה תְּשַׁוַּע וְיֹאמַר הִנֵּנִי אִם תָּסִיר מִתּוֹכְךָ מוֹטָה שְׁלַח אֶצְבַּע וְדַבֶּר אָוֶן: (י)וְתָפֵק לָרָעֵב נַפְשֶׁךָ וְנֶפֶשׁ נַעֲנָה תַּשְׂבִּיעַ וְזָרַח בַּחֹשֶׁךְ אוֹרֶךָ וַאֲפֵלָתְךָ כַּצָּהֳרָיִם: (יא)וְנָחֲךָ יְקֹוָק תָּמִיד וְהִשְׂבִּיעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת נַפְשֶׁךָ וְעַצְמֹתֶיךָ יַחֲלִיץ וְהָיִיתָ כְּגַן רָוֶה וּכְמוֹצָא מַיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְכַזְּבוּ מֵימָיו:

Isaiah.58.7-11

It is to share your bread with the hungry, and to take the wretched poor into your home; When you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to ignore your own kin. Then shall your light burst through like the dawn and your healing spring up quickly; Your vindicator shall march before you, the presence of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then, when you call, the Lord will answer; When you cry, the Lord will say: Here I am. If you banish your yoke from your midst, The menacing hand and evil speech, and you offer your compassion to the hungry and satisfy the famished creature- then shall your light shine in darkness, and your gloom shall be like noonday. The Lord will guide you always; the Lord will slake your thirst in parched places and give strength to your bones. You shall be like a watered garden, like a spring whose waters do not fail. [[JPS translation] Edited for gender neutrality]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Are these commandments unique to Judaism or are they universal?
2. What does "own kin," refer to? Are we, as Jews, required to care for only other Jews or for all of humanity?
3. Is God's love and support conditional; will God only be there for us if we tend to others? What are the repercussions of this?

Isaiah 1:17

לִמְדוּ הֵיטֵב דִּרְשׁוּ מִשְׁפָּט אַשְּׁרוּ חָמוֹץ שִׁפְטוּ יָתוֹם רִיבוּ אַלְמָנָה:

Isaiah.1.17

Learn to do good. Devote yourselves to justice; aid the wronged. Uphold the rights of the orphan; defend the cause of the widow. [JPS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. What does it mean to "do good"?
2. How can we devote ourselves to justice?

Hosea 2:21

וְאֵרַשְׂתִּיךְ לִי לְעוֹלָם וְאֵרַשְׂתִּיךְ לִי בְּצֶדֶק וּבְמִשְׁפָּט וּבְחֶסֶד וּבְרַחֲמִים:

Hosea.2.21

And I will espouse you forever: I will espouse you with righteousness and justice, and with goodness and mercy. [JPS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Why does God add these 4 attributes to God's commitment to the Jewish people?
2. Is this a commitment that we can make to other individuals? Communities? Which would you choose?

Deuteronomy 15: 7-11

כִּי יִהְיֶה בְךָ אֶבְיוֹן מֵאַחַד אַחֶיךָ בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ בְּאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ לֹא תְאַמֵּץ אֶת לְבָבְךָ וְלֹא תִקְפֹּץ אֶת יָדְךָ מֵאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן: כִּי פָתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת יָדְךָ לוֹ וְהַעֲבֵט תַּעֲבִיטֶנּוּ דֵּי מַחְסֹרוֹ אֲשֶׁר יֶחְסַר לוֹ: הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן יִהְיֶה דָבָר עִם לְבָבְךָ בְלִיַּעַל לֵאמֹר קָרְבָה שְׁנַת הַשֶּׁבַע שְׁנַת הַשְּׁמִטָּה וְרָעָה עֵינְךָ בְּאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן וְלֹא תִתֵּן לוֹ וְקָרָא עָלֶיךָ אֶל יְקֹוָק וְהָיָה בְךָ חֵטְא: נָתוֹן תִּתֵּן לוֹ וְלֹא יֵרַע לְבָבְךָ בְּתִתְּךָ לוֹ כִּי בִּגְלַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה יְבָרֶכְךָ יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל מַעֲשֶׂךָ וּבְכֹל מִשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ: (יא) כִּי לֹא יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן מִקֶּרֶב הָאָרֶץ עַל כֵּן אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ לֵאמֹר פָּתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת יָדְךָ לְאָחִיךָ לַעֲנִיֶּךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ בְּאַרְצֶךָ: ס

Deuteronomy.15.7-11

If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kinsmen in any of your settlements in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsman. Rather, you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he needs. Beware lest you harbor the base thought, "The seventh year, the year of remission, is approaching," so that you are mean to your needy kinsman and give him nothing. He will cry out ot the Lord against you, and you will incur no guilt. Give to him readily and have no regrets when you do so, for in return the Lord your God will bless you in all your efforts and in all your undertakings. [JPS]

How does this serve as a model for debt relief? Was this effective? Should this be re-introduced into our contemporary system of debt? Are there similar contemporary models?

Jeremiah 20:12-13

וַה' צְבָאוֹת בֹּחֵן צַדִּיק רֹאֶה כְלָיוֹת וָלֵב אֶרְאֶה נִקְמָתְךָ מֵהֶם כִּי אֵלֶיךָ גִּלִּיתִי אֶת רִיבִי: שִׁירוּ לַה' הַלְלוּ אֶת ה' כִּי הִצִּיל אֶת נֶפֶשׁ אֶבְיוֹן מִיַּד מְרֵעִים:

Jeremiah.20.12-13

O LORD of Hosts, You who test the righteous, who examine the heart and the mind, let me see Your retribution upon them [Jeremiah's prosecutors], for I lay my case before You. Sing unto the LORD, praise the LORD, for God has rescued the needy from the hands of evildoers! [JPS translation. Edited for gender neutrality]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Why does God test the righteous? Why does God then save the needy from the hands of evildoers?
2. At times of serious desperation, why does Jeremiah praise God? Is there a connection between prayer and redemption?

Solving the Problem of Shemitah Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 36a

Translation	Original
Hillel instituted the Prozbul. We have learnt elsewhere: A prozbul prevents the remission of debts [in the Sabbatical year]. This is one of the regulations made by Hillel the Elder. For he saw that people were unwilling to lend money to one another and disregarded the precept laid down in the Torah, Beware that there be not a base thought in your heart saying, etc. He therefore decided to institute the prosbul. The text of the prozbul is as follows: “I hand over to you, So-and-so, the judges in such-and-such a place, [my bonds], so that I may be able to recover any money owing to me from So-and-so at any time I shall desire”; and the prosbul was to be signed by the judges or witnesses. [AJWS translation]	הלל התקין פרוסבול וכו'. תנן התם: פרוסבול אינו משמט, זה אחד מן הדברים שהתקין הלל הזקן, שראה את העם שנמנעו מלהלוות זה את זה ועברו על מה שכתוב בתורה (דברים ט"ו) השמר לך פן יהיה דבר עם לבבך בליעל וגו', עמד והתקין פרוסבול. וזה הוא גופו של פרוסבול: מוסרני לכם פלוני דיינין שבמקום פלוני, שכל חוב שיש לי אצל פלוני שאגבנו כל זמן שארצה, והדיינים חותמים למטה או העדים.

Translation

Original

Hillel instituted the Prozbul. We have learnt elsewhere: A prozbul prevents the remission of debts [in the Sabbatical year]. This is one of the regulations made by Hillel the Elder. For he saw that people were unwilling to lend money to one another and disregarded the precept laid down in the Torah, Beware that there be not a base thought in your heart saying, etc. He therefore decided to institute the prosbul. The text of the prozbul is as follows: “I hand over to you, So-and-so, the judges in such-and-such a place, [my bonds], so that I may be able to recover any money owing to me from So-and-so at any time I shall desire”; and the prosbul was to be signed by the judges or witnesses. [AJWS translation]

הלל התקין פרוסבול וכו'. תנן התם: פרוסבול אינו משמט, זה אחד מן הדברים שהתקין הלל הזקן, שראה את העם שנמנעו מלהלוות זה את זה ועברו על מה שכתוב בתורה (דברים ט"ו) השמר לך פן יהיה דבר עם לבבך בליעל וגו', עמד והתקין פרוסבול. וזה הוא גופו של פרוסבול: מוסרני לכם פלוני דיינין שבמקום פלוני, שכל חוב שיש לי אצל פלוני שאגבנו כל זמן שארצה, והדיינים חותמים למטה או העדים.

In what way does the prozbul help make a society more just? In what ways does it create challenges?

Job 29:12-17

כִּי אֲמַלֵּט עָנִי מְשַׁוֵּעַ וְיָתוֹם וְלֹא עֹזֵר לוֹ: בִּרְכַּת אֹבֵד עָלַי תָּבֹא וְלֵב אַלְמָנָה אַרְנִן: צֶדֶק לָבַשְׁתִּי וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁנִי כִּמְעִיל וְצָנִיף מִשְׁפָּטִי: עֵינַיִם הָיִיתִי לַעִוֵּר וְרַגְלַיִם לַפִּסֵּחַ אָנִי: אָב אָנֹכִי לָאֶבְיוֹנִים וְרִב לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אֶחְקְרֵהוּ: וָאֲשַׁבְּרָה מְתַלְּעוֹת עַוָּל וּמִשִּׁנָּיו אַשְׁלִיךְ טָרֶף:

Job.29.12-17

For I saved the poor who cried out, the orphan who had none to help. I received the blessing of the lost; I gladdened the heart of the widow. I clothed myself in righteousness and it robed me; justice was my cloak and turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a parent to the needy, and I looked into the case of the stranger. I broke the jaws of the wrongdoer, and I wrested prey from the wrongdoer's teeth. [JPS translation. Edited for gender neutrality]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. How did Job clothe himself in righteousness and justice?
2. How does this text define justice? Do you agree?

Amos 5:15

שִׂנְאוּ רָע וְאֶהֱבוּ טוֹב וְהַצִּיגוּ בַשַּׁעַר מִשְׁפָּט אוּלַי יֶחֱנַן יְיָ אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת שְׁאֵרִית יוֹסֵף

Amos.5.15

Hate evil and love good and establish justice in the gate; Perhaps Adonai, the God of Hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. [JPS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Whose job is it to establish justice?
2. How is justice established?
3. What are the obstacles to establishing a just society?

Isaiah 55:1-3

א הוֹי כָּל-צָמֵא לְכוּ לַמַּיִם, וַאֲשֶׁר אֵין-לוֹ כָּסֶף; לְכוּ שִׁבְרוּ, וֶאֱכֹלוּ, וּלְכוּ שִׁבְרוּ בְּלוֹא-כֶסֶף וּבְלוֹא מְחִיר, יַיִן וְחָלָב. ב לָמָּה תִשְׁקְלוּ-כֶסֶף בְּלוֹא-לֶחֶם, וִיגִיעֲכֶם בְּלוֹא לְשָׂבְעָה; שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ אֵלַי וְאִכְלוּ-טוֹב, וְתִתְעַנַּג בַּדֶּשֶׁן נַפְשְׁכֶם. ג הַטּוּ אָזְנְכֶם וּלְכוּ אֵלַי, שִׁמְעוּ וּתְחִי נַפְשְׁכֶם; וְאֶכְרְתָה לָכֶם בְּרִית עוֹלָם, חַסְדֵי דָוִד הַנֶּאֱמָנִים.

Isaiah.55.1-3

1 Every one who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money; come, buy, and eat; come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure loving promises of David. [translation by Hazon]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. In your own words, what is the meaning of this text? How can you "buy food without money"? What is the criticism of this text?
2. In your life, how do you spend money on things that do not satisfy? How can we reform our spending practices to focus on things that are most important?
3.What is the connection between food, fulfillment and purpose in this text?