Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-11-21
ASSEMBLY
OF TEE JEUgS Nv P.APIy.
eoScLupEp.

ana ms jurisdiction OF those tribunals, d.
recsed by law, or mrseiy established by Gus.
) ten!
aasusr. The replies made TO the TIVE
former qaestioas, aake any reply to th's
unnecessary. IL May only De observed,
thar sapsesiag the rabbies 70 possess any
;noic,sry iurisoicsioa a. this time (the soa-
srary of whica Is the tasy or that there are
any osrticular form of eiestisa, thsy must
be ne effect Of custom, and nos oy the aa'
thoriSy OF law.
9uestlon 10. Are there any professions,
when ,ae laws of the Jews forbid !!
-Aaswsr. There are sons: on the coatra-
~ the raimad (Kldusshsm, chapter
declares eesitivsiy shas the father OF ia
u,il,. wha does not bring up his chiid to
trade. brings hin up TO be- a n'saway~
mao. -,
y 9ussti0n IL. Does the law of the Jews
forbid tnsm 10 take usuFy of their brs-
thren?
.Ana1uer. Deuteronomy, chap 70, verse
10, you shall NOT lend on interest 70 yoar
bfofher, asther money, aos grains, nor
any tkag whatsoever"
The x sbrsw word NEcHEL, which aas
been translated by the word usuRY, aas
wrongly been explained. ltsisnihes 10 tins
Hebrew ,eague, sang interest" and nes
en- usurieus interest: It has aos, shersiafs,
the Specification which is now apphed 10
the word usary. tits even impossibls tkas
il could have tina. signiacation, for that ex-
pressioa is rslasiys, and there IS aotniog
IN the text which expresses Its relation.
VIVA, do We understand by tas French
word usury is IL aos an lataress aigasr
than the rate hxed hy law !!
If shs law of Moses has not hxsd that
rate is it possibts that ;he Hebrew word
should sigoify a. illsgal interest!
The word NEcHEL ia IN the Hebrew
tongue what the word Janus isiasaa Las
tia.
Ia order therefore to induce cue GO be.
lieve that this word signihss usuyy, tscrs
oughsso be another word which wsnld SIG
nify intsress and since that word does net
ezistall interest is usury, aad al u'ury is
ssterest. Whas view may the legislator
have had, when he forbade sas Hebrews
to.sake interest from one another! |, vas
certainly 10 bring the ties OF broshsshaoS
closer among shen, and TO induce sham to
assist each other frem mssives OF beness-
lence.
The frat object was to establish among
them equality of property AID aasdiosri'v
of private wealta, 10 consequence ofwaich
the Sabbasick and Eubilss years were cs,a.
blished tbs former to take place every see
ven, ADD the latter every fifty years. The
Sabbatiek year abolished ali debts, asd tbs
Jubilee restored all the property which hsd
been sold or alienaEsd. Nwas easy 10 fsre.
see that difference Of soil, more or less in
dustry, and the common calamities sflifs,
which would occur, would naturally pro.
duce inequality Of property, and that the
unfortunate Israeliss, would require ,he as.
sistanoe of the more forssnase. Moses
did not wish that the latter should profit by
the misfortune of the former, aad thar he
should Increase his naisfor,uass. by makiag
him pay for the ais which the uatorsuaass
should be- sompslled to ask, aad bssoma
more oPuisps, as the other became poorer,
aud therefore he says You shall act land
on interest to your brothsr." But whas
leans could the Jews make TO each eihsr ia
times like those; they had no coamerse.
and but little moaey was in circulation, and
whsn property was more equally divided !?
IL could be nothing elsa bus a few bushels
OF grain, some cattle, or a few useaails of
husbandTy, which Moses commanded to
De loaned gratis, He wished his people TO
bs people of husbandman. Long af.sr
the time of Moses, and although Judsa was
situated near the sea, inhabited by the Ty-
rams, Syrians, and other commercial ana
maritime people, the Hebrews did aes en-
gage in commerce. All.he ordinances of