Halakha and the Free Market
Economic questions lie at the heart of some of our most intense political debates and divisions. These clashing worldviews are often based on very different understandings of the economic reality on the ground, the assessment of that reality, and the values that ought to shape a just society. By examining several case studies, we will explore the Torah’s perspective on the nature of economic life. We will compare halachic treatments of these key issues with modern theories of how market economies work. Topics will include Yovel, labor unions, competition, pricing theory, and the charging of interest.
Rabbi Jonathan Ziring
Rabbi Jonathan Ziring is a Ram and the Educational Coordinator at Yeshivat Migdal HaTorah. Rabbi Ziring received semichah from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary at Yeshiva University. He also received an MA in Jewish Philosophy from Bernard Revel Graduate School and a BA from the Honors Program at the Yeshiva College of Yeshiva University.
Rabbi Ziring studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion and continued his learning there as a member of the Kollel Gavoah. He was also a fellow at the Tikvah Fund and Center for Modern Torah Leadership’s Summer Beit Midrash. Rabbi Ziring has previously served as Sgan Rosh Kollel of the Yeshiva University Torah miTzion Beit Midrash Zichron Dov and as the Rabbinic Assistant of BAYT in Toronto.
Meet the Instructor
Tikvah aims to make all of our courses available to as many qualified students as possible. In the event that Tikvah needs to add additional sections, this course may be taught by a different faculty member with a similarly high level of expertise.