Does Judaism Support the Idea of Capitalism?

A big momentum is taking place in Israel right now. Lots of middle class people have been marching in protest, demanding social justice. Many of these are considering capitalism a chunk of the problem. Others say it is actually the solution. The big question is: what does Judaism feel about capitalism? Does it support it or is it against it?

Judaism always speaks about the idea of ownership of the land. “Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree and none will make him afraid” (Mic. 4:4). However, Judaism also states that even though we are in possession of the land, we are not truly the owners of it. Every seven years, is a biblical year, and therefore the land has to rest. At the same time, when harvesting comes, part of the fruit should go to the poor. In fact, a tenth of your profit needs to go to the poor for charity. Charity is to be considered a sign of righteousness, a way in which we as individuals do justice. The profit we make is given to us so that then we can share it with others.

In Purim, we don’t say we are ‘giving charity’ to the poor; we say we are ‘giving a gift to the poor’. That is because when we give, we are actually receiving a gift too. We are sharing something that’s been given to us for the actual purpose of sharing.

Human beings dream of having their own property, a place of their own to relax and have their own privacy. Judaism agrees with this. It wants us to be independent and it deeply respects the idea of privacy. That is why the highest level of charity is considered making a poor person financially independent. That way the individual will be able to support himself without the help of others. 
However, with independence comes along a series of laws regarding our social obligation to society; that’s why the laws in the Bible mention paying on time and looking after your employees, all these, strictly related to business ethics.
Churchill said that, “the inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.” In this respect, Judaism is definitely not into the belief of communism as it does not see anything wrong with individuals working hard, taking initiative and creating companies that will make new jobs for people. So long as their employees are well-treated.
So then, why are people complaining in Israel about cost of living and prices going up? In Judaism, there is a limited profit you are allowed to make from foods that are considered as basic needs for individuals. In fact, the halachah states that you cannot buy things from people that try and sell them too high simply because it is not ethically right. The Mishnah says, “If I’m not for myself, who am I?” It means we have to be independent and look for ourselves, but at the same time, it states that “if all I do is care about myself what am I”? Without the latter, life has no purpose, no meaning.
Take Shabbat as an example. The reason we have one day of Shabbat is to show us that money is only  a means to an end. Shabbat helps us have the day off in order to relax and understand that money is only a tool. Our real goal should be doing goodness in the world, helping other people be independent. Notice that if extreme, capitalism can be absolutely wrong. It gives too much power to the individual and ends up forgetting about the community. Communism on the other hand, is wrong too as it is opposed to the concept of individualism.
There is a beautiful custom of going to the water on Rosh Hashanah called Tashlich. There are many reasons for this; one is that we are reminded that we need to be like the fish. One of the lessons that we learn from fish is this concept of social responsibility. Fish do not have eyelids- their eyes are always open. Having our eyes open means to always be aware of the needs of people around us. We need to notice and react when we see people struggling; we need to be aware of our own needs, as well as others. By keeping our eyes open and being sensitive to others, may we merit that this New Year G-d will keep His eyes open to all our needs and provide generously.

Every generation has a responsibility to make sure the next generation is better off, making sure that everyone grows more compassionate and kinder to each other, assuring a better life for all. So grow as an individual, as much as you can, without forgetting to help along the way those you can.
Please let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a Shana Tova U’Metukah - a happy, sweet new year! May this coming year be filled with success, happiness, fulfillment, and good health. 
Eitan Olevsky is a novelist and screenwriter from Lima, Peru who now lives in Vancouver.