Judaism, Law & The Free Market: An Analysis

Judaism and Jewish religious, legal, and moral principles are often regarded as translating into support for broadly social democratic economic positions. In Judaism, Law, and the Free Market, Joseph Isaac Lifshitz suggests that this claim is difficult to sustain once the traditional sources of Jewish wisdom are subject to careful analysis. From the standpoint of Judaism, Lifshitz states, there is no such thing as the perfect economic system. Looking, however, at the Jewish treatment of themes such as property rights, social welfare, charity, generosity, competition, and concepts of order, Lifshitz demonstrates that Judaism’s view of the market is more complicated—and favorable—than most people suppose.