The Poor Among You

Weekly Torah Lesson

Parasha: Mishpatim “Judgements”
Torah: Shemot 21:1 – 24:18

** This week’s Torah portion, a continuation of the receiving of the ten words in last week’s parasha, mentions the poor several times. Let’s look at what Avinu is teaching us:

*** “But the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie still; that the poor of your people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner you shall deal with your vineyard, and with your olive grove.” (Ex 23:11)

** Every seventh year the landowners were forbidden to cease from all of their agricultural work and leave their land unprepared to produce a harvest. Everyone, including the landowners were able to walk through the fields and take enough food for their families. The primary reason for this ceasing of planned agricultural production was, “… that the poor of the land may eat …” When everyone is forced to scavenge for food, most “class” differences are diminished. Now everyone knows what it is like to be “food insecure”.

*** “If you lend money to any of my people that is poor by you, you shall not be to him as an usurer, neither shall you lay on him usury.” (Ex 22:25)

** “Usury” in today’s language usually refers to “excessive interest”. In the Scriptures, usury means “no interest”. An interest free loan was used to get a “brother” back on his feet and was helpful to someone who was under a high interest debt load to work his way out of debt. Some sects of Judaism still provide interest free loans.

*** “You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute.” (Ex 23:3)

** It is forbidden for a judge to rule in favor of a poor man just because he is poor. The law must be fairly executed on someone regardless of their financial state.

*** “You shall not pervert the judgment of your poor in his dispute.” (Ex 23:6)

** It is forbidden to favor a rich man and deny justice to a poor man because the poor man isn’t able to resist the judgment.

** The Scriptures provide several ways to help the poor. When Yeshua said, “… the poor will always be with you …”, I believe that He was thinking about society’s unwillingness to observe the Scriptures that are designed to help the poor.