It is written: "When thou shalt sell any thing to thy neighbor, or shalt buy of him, grieve not thy brother." (Leviticus 25:14)
"Grieve" here can be translated "deceive not." Therefore, God is telling His people, "when you buy and sell with each other, do not deceive each other." Chapter 25 of Leviticus is almost entirely about the seventh year Sabbath and the fiftieth year jubilee. But throughout the chapter is also a reminder of the charity we are to show one another in imitation of the love God has toward us. It's really a beautiful chapter of the Bible. God's Mercy exists in each of its words.
There were many standout verses, but verse 15 really struck me, mainly because it seemed to indicate an early version of Christian Just Price Doctrine and the concept of Distributism. Just Price Doctrine was, until very recently, something unknown to me. Growing up in a "celebrated" Capitalist system, it had never occurred to me that there could be anything unethical about, for example, selling something for more than it's worth, or buying something for less than it's worth. But that seems to be what God is saying in Leviticus 25:14! We are not to deceive our brother when buying or selling with him. If we have a car that is officially valued at, say, $4,000, and we find some sucker who buys it from us for $6,000, we have effectively stolen $2,000 from him! For this to be the case, the buyer must be completely unaware of the car's actual worth -- he must think he is paying a fair price. That is Just Price Doctrine, and I had no idea it can be traced back to the Torah!
An even worse abuse of Just Price is when a seller takes advantage of a buyer's situation to maximize his profits. For example, at an outdoor event it is over one hundred degrees and only one person is selling bottled water. The seller knows that people will pay almost anything to keep from dehydrating, so he charges $5 for water that is valued at $1.50. This is an abuse that is rampant in a capitalist society. Capitalists see it as smart business, but God sees it as thievery. The just thing to do would be to charge each person $1.50, the fair and agreed-upon value of the water.
The other side of the coin is when a buyer gets a "great deal" on some item. Perhaps a seller is trying to get rid of an old vinyl album. The seller may not know the actual worth of the album and so he sells it for a measly $2. But if the buyer knows the actual worth to be, say, $50, and buys it for $2 without telling the seller (then brags to all his friends about the "steal" he got), that buyer has stolen from the seller! It amazes me that American society doesn't acknowledge these things as offenses. They are deceptions. They are not examples of "loving your neighbor."
All that aside, I found the whole concept of the jubilee and the seventh year Sabbath to be profoundly wonderful and a prime example of God's Mercy -- specifically the idea of releasing all slaves every fiftieth year, and forgiving all debts. What a brilliant way of preventing man from ever getting too haughty! The jubilee shows man who is really in charge. In case any man may think he owns another man, God sets in straight on the jubilee, and the servant is released and the slave owner is reminded of God's authority. No wonder the jubilee has been poorly observed among some of the more worldly Jews throughout history -- to the power-hungry and greedy it is a nuisance!
The same goes for the Law that states that on the seventh year Sabbath all fields shall lie fallow. This requirement does two things. On the one hand, it forces the people to rest on the seventh year -- no tilling the fields, no harvesting or reaping. People are forced to turn their minds to God instead of their work, which God desires. Secondly, and more importantly, it is a test. Leaving all the fields fallow on the seventh year requires a great deal of faith in God. It forces the people to trust in God's Providence, to believe that He will provide food for them during the Sabbath year.
I am almost done with the Book of Leviticus, and after such a careful reading, I can say I never knew the Law would be so intricately rich!
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