Abstract
Some individuals and businesses have become increasingly dependent upon multiple financing sources for economic survival. Certain currently used lending policies, such as interest-only loans and revolving credit lines, may encourage borrower dependency on the lender. The paper reviews religious teachings, specifically religious safeguards on lending identified in primary Jewish sources including the Tanach and rabbinic teachings, and finds that the safeguards in place centuries ago may still be relevant for lending practices today to both protect the borrower while still providing a profitable means to help borrowers.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Breitowitz, Y.: 1998, ‘Bankruptcy: A Halakhic Perspective’, in Jewish Law: Examining Halacha, Jewish Issues, and Secular Law: Retrieved on December 20, 2005: http://jlaw.com/Articles/bank.html
Gamoran H. (1981) The Talmudic Law of Mortgages in View of the Prohibition Against Lending on Interest. Hebrew Union College Annual 52: 153–162
Joselit J. W. (1992) Lending Dignity: The First Hundred Years of the Hebrew Free Loan Society of New York. Hebrew Free Loan Society of New York, New York
Kahr, A.: 2004, October 10. ‘Interview with Andrew Kahr’, Retrieved October 20th, 2005: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/credit/interviews/kahr.html
Levine A. (1980) Free Enterprise and Jewish Law’, Aspects of Jewish Business Ethics. Ktav Publishing House, Inc., Yeshiva University Press, New York
Lewison M. (1999) Conflicts of Interest? The Ethics of Usury. Journal of Business Ethics 22 (4): 327–340
Neufeld E. (2004) The Prohibitions against Loans in Ancient Hebrew Laws. Hebrew Union College Annual 26.01: 355–370
Novak, D.: 1990, ‘Economics and Justice: A Jewish example’, in Peter L. Berger (ed.), Capitalist Spirit:Towards a Religious Ethic of Wealth Creation (ICS Pr., San Francisco), pp. 31–50
Schein A. (2003) Of Biblical Interest, Brotherhood, and Clarity. International Journal of Social Economics, Bradford 30(7/8): 788–798
Soloveitchik, H.: 1970, ‘Pawnbroking; A Study in Ribbit and of the Halakah in Exile’, Proceedings of the American Academy for Jewish Research, 38–39, 203–268
Talmud Bavli Metzia, The Schottenstein Edition.: 1997, (Mesorah Publications, Ltd., Brooklyn, NY) Chapter 5
The Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures.: 1985, (The Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia)
Acknowledgement
The author thanks Rabbis Michael Paley and David Rosenberg and the participants at the 12th Annual International Conference Promoting Business Ethics, and in particular Joshua Fogel, for their useful comments.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Ellen J. Lippman is an Associate Professor of Accounting at the Robert B. Pamplin School of Business Administration, University of Portland. She is a past fellowship recipient, awarded by the Wexner Heritage Foundation. She has published in Transportation Law Journal, The Logistics and Transportation Review, AICPA Professor-Practitioner Cases, and the Journal of Accounting & Business Research. Her recent accounting research considers accountant culpability during the Holocaust.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lippman, E.J. Biblical Safeguards and Traditions as Potential Guidance for the Lending of Monies. J Bus Ethics 78, 109–120 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-006-9325-9
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-006-9325-9