Economic-oriented laws date to antiquity. Rent control, minimum wage and pricing controls are some modern examples of these measures. Each law is meant to address particular concerns- housing, the ability to earn enough to afford life’s necessities, and the ability to afford an essential good. Their effectiveness and positive impact are subject to debate.
One of the Torah’s economic laws radically addressed real property. The measure granted land ownership in perpetuity. For lay individuals, this means land would stay within a particular family forever. Why would such a law be enacted? The answer may be in the Torah Portion Vayigash.
This law’s origins may have come from Vayigash. The genesis of the jubilee laws may have been inspired by the impact that a seven-year famine had on property owners. An additional fact buttresses its connection to the Jubilee laws. On an aside, the Torah’s economic solution comes with a unique twist. The right of perpetual land ownership came with a societal obligation.
Background
The story’s setting is the height of the famine that had been predicted by Joseph as a result of interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams. During the seven bad years that followed the seven good years, Joseph continued to be the Pharaoh’s second-in-charge. During the seven prosperous years, he had stored massive grain reserves. At the start of the seven bad years, Joseph distributed the grains. In doing so, he charged the general population. The priestly class, however, was exempt. They received grain at no cost. Genesis 47:22.
The transactions were described in Vayigash:
“And Joseph collected all the silver that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain that they were buying…And silver came to an end from the land of Egypt and from the land of Canaan. And all of Egypt came to Joseph saying ‘Give us bread! And why should we die in front of you!”
And Joseph said, ‘Give me your livestock if there’s no more silver.'”
After they had given up all of their livestock, they came back in the second year and told Joseph: ” ‘We won’t conceal from my lord that the silver has come to an end and the cattle livestock have gone to my lord. Nothing is left in front of my lord except our body and our land.” From that they sold themselves and their land for bread and became servants of Pharaoh. Genesis 47:13-25.
In the end, the Pharaoh owned the land. Real estate owners became sharecroppers. They would keep eighty percent of what they grew and twenty percent would go to the Pharaoh. Only the Pharaoh and the Priests remained owning property.
In sum, a famine created an economic crisis causing landowners to lose everything.
Given this story and historical concerns over the success of crops and harvests, a law was hose in charge of creating laws needed to address this concern. The Torah not only addressed the concern but it added a wrinkle to it.
The Jubilee
The jubilee law noted: “In this jubilee year you shall go back, each to his possession.” Leviticus 25:13. The jubilee year being once every fifty years. As such, land owner’s owned perpetual rights in the ownership. They were allowed to engage in land arrangements short of sale. They could lease it out but they could not lose it.
This law had a catch, however. Those with land were required to make parts of it accessible to others to gather food. Leviticus 19:9-10 (The poor and the alien were allowed to have access to the field’s corners and some fruit within the vineyard; one’s not stripped and the fallen fruit.)
The Other Clue
In Egypt, the Priests were able to maintain their property. This occurred as a result of them receiving an allotment of grain from the Pharaoh. Under the Torah’s law, the Levite priests, all of the tribe of Levi were not entitled to own land. Further, they would be fed with the offerings to the Lord. Deuteronomy 18:1-4.
Arguably, the Levite exclusion from property ownership was intended to not give them an advantage against the other tribes with respect to land ownership. During times of famine, they would be fed. They, however, could not use that period to accumulate real estate wealth.
Conclusion
The Torah Portion Vayigash perhaps offer the genesis of the economic problem for which the jubilee laws were enacted to address. Given the unpredictable nature of weather and prolonged regional famines, protections were needed to prevent landowners from losing their property. This is precisely what happened in Egypt within the Torah Portion. Additionally, there is distinct contrast between the Egyptian experience to that of the Israelite. Wherein Egyptian Priests maintained their properties during the famine due to their being entitled to government provided grain, the Israelite Priestly class, the Levites, were prohibited from land ownership. The Levites, as part of the law, obtained food contributions from the populace.
Be well!!
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Note: The graphic features David Ricardo, the famous English Economist.
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