The Supreme Court recently heard a case that turns on the meaning of “money”: What counts as “money compensation” for the purpose of a particular kind of taxation? The case seems abstruse and the write-up at Scotus Blog is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but the issue – or at least the real heart of the issue – goes back to antiquity. The Hebrew Bible prohibits the charging of interest. There are a few versions of this prohibition (Exodus 22:25, Leviticus 25:36-37), each of which defines its scope differently. The version in Deuteronomy 23:19 reads: You shall not charge interest on loans to another Israelite, interest on money, interest on provisions, interest on anything that is lent. (Translation NRSV) This verse seems to clear up a problem that pops up in the other versions, which is what the prohibition of interest actually applies to. According to Deuteronomy, not only am I prohibited from charging interest on monetary loans that I make, but even on food. I am to get back exactly what I lent, with no profit or recompense for the opportunity cost that I pay for the time during which I cannot use the money or stuff I lent. So far […]
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