Q&A: Money as a Metaphysical Reality
Money as a Metaphysical Reality.
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Usually, both in Jewish law and in the general legal world, it is customary to relate to the connection between objects and a person as things that belong to him and are tied to him, and in certain cases his connection to the object “expires,” and this has many practical ramifications in Jewish law. My question is whether there is a real metaphysical bond between an object and a person. After all, the laws of ownership and the value of money are things we invented, especially given that Jewish law says “the law of the kingdom is the law,” which implies that these laws create a metaphysical bond. That is not so clear to me. Do you agree with my analysis of these matters, and what is your opinion on the issue?
Answer
I tend to think that the view of Jewish law is that there is a metaphysical connection. Just as some act can create it, so too perhaps “the law of the kingdom is the law” can do so. And perhaps “the law of the kingdom is the law” is a parallel track (like commercial custom), in which there is acquisition without any metaphysical connection.
I also do not think that we invented ownership and money, but rather uncovered them.
I wrote about this in several places. See, for example, these two:
https://mikyab.net/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%93%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%99-%D7%94%D7%A7%D7%A0%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%91%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%9B%D7%94-%D7%95%D7%91%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%A4%D7%98/