The Working Poor 81

your vessel,“From this we know that the Scripture is referring to none other than the harvest time.”"”

Two principles arise from this talmudic exegesis of Deut. 23:25. First, halakhah will differentiate between the destitute poor and the working poor. Certain rights and advantages are reserved for the working poor. In effect, these advantages encourage the poor to work and to strive for self-dependency. The halakhah’s liberal definition of who is poor(which extends charitable benefits to those with some income and assets) coupled with certain advantages that are reserved for the working poor combine to create a powerful incentive to work.

The second principle that is developed from the Talmud ’s exegesis of Deut. 23:25 is the doctrine limiting the financial vulnerability of the land owning farmer. The sages were mindful of the importance of protecting the farmer/employer’s financial security. They knew that if the financial viability of the farmer/employer was threatened, the entire economy could collapse. Society has a vested interest in creating incentives to work. And workers will find opportunities only if there are secure employers seeking to hire laborers. The interaction of these two principles will be explored in the next section.

WORKERS’ RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS

Halakhah confers important rights and privileges on the workers. In theory, the above mentioned Torah mitzvah giving the worker permission to eat the produce of the field is an almost unlimited right.'* But the realities of societal change and harsh economic cycles challenge Jewish religious leaders to define and implement rights ordained by the Torah in a way that would best protect the interests of the entire community.” In Mishnah Baba Metzia, chapter seven, we find preserved the discussion of rabbis from