Credit and Usury in Jewish Society in the Mishnah and Talmud

Ben-Zion Rosenfeld, Ph.D. (1982), Bar Ilan University, is Prof. (Em.) of Jewish History. He has published many monographs and articles on Social and Economic History of Rabbinic Literature of Roman Palestine, including research on Greco Roman culture and Early Christianity.

Contents


Preface


Abbreviations





1 Introduction


 1.1 Aims and Structure


 1.2 Credit: A Definition


 1.3 Sources and Methods


 1.4 Previous Research, Manuscripts, and Editions


 1.5 The Structure of the Book





2 Credit in Rome and Persia


 2.1 Credit in the Roman World


 2.2 Credit in the Parthian and Sasanian Empires





3 Credit and Usury in Jewish Society in Palestine and Babylon


 3.1 Socio-Historical Background


 3.2 Lenders and Borrowers in Jewish Roman Palestine


 3.3 The Economy of the Jewish Community of Babylon


 3.4 Types of Credit in Palestine and Babylon


 3.5 The Rabbis’ Considerations: Social Justice


 3.6 Credit in Jewish Society: The Problem of Interest


 3.7 Expanding the Scope of Usury


 3.8 Jews and Non-Jews





4 “Money for Money”


 4.1 Introduction


 4.2 Lending “Money for Money”


 4.3 Usury in Loans of “Money for Money”


 4.4 Business Partnership (Iska)





5 “Money for Fruit”


 5.1 Introduction


 5.2 “Money for Fruit”: Future Sales (Pesika)


 5.3 Linking a Loan to the Price of a Commodity


 5.4 Down Payments


 5.5 Future Sales That Are Not Pesika


 5.6 Loans against Deduction of Future Tithes from the Field


 5.7 Summary





6 “Fruit for Money”


 6.1 Introduction


 6.2 Sale on Credit


 6.3 Delayed Payment


 6.4 A Cash Loan Presented as a Two-Sided Sale Transaction


 6.5 Tarsha: A Talmudic Version of Delayed Payment


 6.6 “Fruit for Money” in a Partnership


 6.7 “Iron Flocks”: An Agreement to Ensure the Investor’s Capital


 6.8 Transport of Merchandise Guaranteeing the “High Price”


 6.9 Conclusion





7 “Fruit for Fruit”


 7.1 Introduction: In the Roman World


 7.2 “Fruit for Fruit” in Rabbinic Literature


 7.3 “Fruit for Fruit” for the Purchase of Seeds


 7.4 Additional Cases of Usury in Sharecropping


 7.5 Paying Back a Prohibited Loan of “Fruit for Fruit”


 7.6 Exchange of Services


 7.7 Loan of “Denars for Denars”


 7.8 Conclusion





8 The Sages’ Attitude toward Those Involved in Usury


 8.1 Introduction


 8.2 Expanding the Prohibition


 8.3 Combating Usury


 8.4 Repentance from Usury


 8.5 Permission to Lend for Interest in Special Cases





9 Conclusion


 9.1 Contributions to Scholarship


 9.2 Epilogue


Bibliography


Index