The Well - Dollars and Sense Discussion and Skill Share

Today we'll explore practical questions related to money - so please think of any money-related questions or tips you would like to share. Since our views on money are shaped by our upbringing, communities, and community values, we'll first consider the influences on our views on money and delve into some texts to explore Jewish views on money.

To get us started: Name one word about what money means to you.

We make many decisions about money, which in turn affect our lives, the lives of others, and the world in many ways. We can think about personal finance trade-offs as:

Income = Taxes + Consumption + Investment + Savings + Giving

What is the goal? Economics says: Maximize your (lifetime) utility subject to your budget constraint

Today we'll discuss how we make money-related decisions and what Judaism might offer us about how to think about these decisions:

How we acquire it: work (how much to work, what kind of work, how much we're paid for it), debt
How we spend it: consumption, savings, investment, tzedakah

How were you taught about money? How have Jewish experiences influenced your view of acquiring and spending money?

Let's consider a few Jewish texts that offer guidance on these aspects of our economic lives.

What can we learn about work?

בראשית ב׳:ט״ו

וַיִּקַּ֛ח ה' אֱלֹקִ֖ים אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּנִּחֵ֣הוּ בְגַן־עֵ֔דֶן לְעָבְדָ֖הּ וּלְשָׁמְרָֽהּ׃

Genesis 2:15

The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden, to till it and tend it.

שמות כ׳:ט׳-י׳

שֵׁ֤֣שֶׁת יָמִ֣ים֙ תַּֽעֲבֹ֔ד֮ וְעָשִׂ֖֣יתָ כָּל־מְלַאכְתֶּֽךָ֒ וְי֙וֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔֜י שַׁבָּ֖֣ת ׀ לַה' אֱלֹקֶ֑֗יךָ לֹֽ֣א־תַעֲשֶׂ֣֨ה כָל־מְלָאכָ֡֜ה

Exodus 20:9-10

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God: you shall not do any work

משנה אבות ג׳:י״ז

רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם אֵין תּוֹרָה, אֵין דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ. אִם אֵין דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, אֵין תּוֹרָה... אִם אֵין קֶמַח, אֵין תּוֹרָה. אִם אֵין תּוֹרָה, אֵין קֶמַח.

Pirkei Avot 3:17

Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah says: If there is no Torah, there is no worldly occupation; if there is no worldly occupation, there is no Torah... If there is no flour, there is no Torah; if there is no Torah, there is no flour.

What can we learn about spending?

דברים י״ד:כ״ב

עַשֵּׂ֣ר תְּעַשֵּׂ֔ר אֵ֖ת כָּל־תְּבוּאַ֣ת זַרְעֶ֑ךָ הַיֹּצֵ֥א הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה שָׁנָ֥ה שָׁנָֽה׃

Deuteronomy 14:22

You shall set aside every year a tenth part of all the yield of your sowing that is brought from the field.

מלאכי ג׳:י׳

הָבִ֨יאוּ אֶת־כָּל־הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֜ר אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הָאוֹצָ֗ר וִיהִ֥י טֶ֙רֶף֙ בְּבֵיתִ֔י וּבְחָנ֤וּנִי נָא֙ בָּזֹ֔את אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת אִם־לֹ֧א אֶפְתַּ֣ח לָכֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת אֲרֻבּ֣וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַהֲרִיקֹתִ֥י לָכֶ֛ם בְּרָכָ֖ה עַד־בְּלִי־דָֽי׃

Malachi 3:10

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, and let there be food in My House, and thus put Me to the test—said the LORD of Hosts. I will surely open the floodgates of the sky for you and pour down blessings on you;

משנה תורה, הלכות מתנות עניים י׳:ז׳

(ז) שמנה מעלות יש בצדקה זו למעלה מזו מעלה גדולה שאין למעלה ממנה זה המחזיק ביד ישראל שמך ונותן לו מתנה או הלואה או עושה עמו שותפות או ממציא לו מלאכה כדי לחזק את ידו עד שלא יצטרך לבריות לשאול.

Mishneh Torah, Gifts to the Poor 10:7

(7) There are eight levels of charity, one above the other. The greatest level that has nothing above it is to strengthen the hand of a Jew who has become poor and give him a gift or loan or create a partnership with him or make up some work for him, so as strengthen his hand until he does not [any longer] need to ask others [for help].

Joelle Abramowitz