Is the Torah socialist or capitalist?
Peace and blessings,
In light of the recent parashits of the week and the Baal Tet, in which the Torah teaches us about social obligations such as charity, forgetting, giving, lekket, and the Shmita, etc. – does the Torah practice a socialist approach, in which statuses in society must be equalized and therefore a person is commanded to give from what he has earned independently? Or is this just a moral obligation, but the market is truly free? And does this have a halachic implication regarding the nature of the state according to the Torah, or do things change according to the practice in the world?
All the best!
In principle, as far as I understand, there is no socialism in the Torah, meaning the distribution of property. Perhaps with the exception of the laws of Shmita and Jubilee, and even those are highly questionable (Academ once published an interesting article on Jabotinsky’s teaching regarding the Jubilee). There are obligations to give charity and gifts to the poor, but this is on the margins and not really the distribution of property according to needs. It is true that it is not entirely voluntary, after all, mitzvot must be kept. And yet I still think that the Torah is fundamentally capitalist.
I will add one more point. I think the search for a socio-economic subtext of the Torah is pointless and stems from the false premise that every idea or value must appear in the Torah (that there are no non-halakhic values). In general, in my understanding, the Torah expects us to be honest and just and to act in the right way. Now everyone has to decide what the right way is in their eyes and act accordingly. Someone who is a communist will probably think one way and should act that way, and someone who is a capitalist will act differently.
As an indication, it is important whether you can imagine someone who is inclined towards capitalism but who, after studying the Torah, changed his mind and position, or vice versa. I don’t think there is such a person. And what this means is that everyone plants their positions in the Halacha and the Torah. Therefore, it is better to be honest and not to rape the Halacha. The Halacha must be observed, and beyond that, the question of the socio-economic system is open to everyone’s understanding.
I see that the Torah is capitalist. But, in its commandments it provides a social safety net for the poor. And encourages the rich to donate their money to the poor. And also from the crops of the field. In the name of the commandment of charity it is said to give a tenth of one's money to charity, and the compilers practiced it in the Five Books.
And also, in the Torah we see a complete negation of “pig capitalism” without social services. And that is why Sodom was destroyed (and not because of the “acts of Sodom” as is customary today.
Another thing, the Torah advocates that material work and the creation of a raw product for the soul is not everything. And it is absolutely ready for the existence of those who engage in Torah, the priests and the Levites with all the gifts given to them in the Temple and in the borders
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