Is Judaism the solution for Capitalism?

What does history have to teach us about this moment in America?

Author

Jared Thurmon
September 23, 2025 ‱ Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Mo Money, Mo Problems or No Money, Po Problems?

Money often makes it to the top of the list of stressors that break down a marriage. Money often makes it to the top of stressors that impact our health negatively. So I figured let’s talk about money for a minute.

Some people think money is bad, money is evil and like to quote Paul from the Bible who writes “the love of money is the root of all evil”. Others will quote Solomon from the Hebrew Scriptures who says “money is the answer for everything”.

My favorite quote on money is from Ellen White who writes - “The desire to accumulate wealth is an original affection of our nature, implanted there by our heavenly Father for noble ends.”

I like that because it shows me the wanting money is something innate within us that I shouldn’t feel bad about - as long as I do good with that money.

But the data on income inequality and the growing wealth gap in America is something to consider.

CNN recently reported - that to be in the top 20% of earners in the United States you need to make $264,500/year. To be in the top 10% you need to make $353,000/year. It goes on to say that the top 20% of earners currently account for more than 63% of all spending in the United States and the top 10% account for 49% of all spending.

I could give you all the data on how many more millionaires there are in America and billionaires being formed every year. Just google it. The key stat is this - The U.S. wealth gap shows significant concentration among the wealthiest families, with the top 10% controlling about 60-70% of the nation's total wealth, while the bottom 50% holds a tiny fraction (around 3-4%)

I remember a few years back when Nick Hanauer shared in a TED Talk that he had concerns and so did others in the billionaire class and “whether we like it or not - the pitchforks are coming”. 

This gap reached a fever pitch in colonial France and many atribute teh saying of Marie-Antoinette, the Queen of France to have said to the peasants calling for revolution “let them eat cake.”

Another infamous phrase "Eat the rich" is most commonly attributed to the 18th-century Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. During the French Revolution, the quote was paraphrased and popularized as, “When the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich”. 

What is the solution? Have I started drinking the marxist Kool-aid?

You don’t have to look far to hear someone describing a conspiracy theory with many flavors of a secret cabal of Jews controlling the world.

Perhaps because of all those voices, the more sensible ones are drowned out that have some very interesting ideas on monetary supply and guidelines for a free society that are found in the Hebrew Scriptures of Leviticus 25.

In less than 1600 words, a formula is laid out on how to maintain a free society, how to maintain motivation for hard work and holding values like family, love, vacation, food, fun, taking care of the poor and so much more.

I remember the first time I read it I thought I had stumbled into a socialist section of the Bible and didn’t really like it to be honest. I like hard work, I like to work hard. I like the parts of the scriptures that condemn laziness.

But when you see what we see today - two parents working hard who can barely afford housing and food and medical bills, you start to wonder if something is wrong.

What Moses does in Leviticus which many argue it and the Torah make up what we know today as Judaism. He breaks down a plan to prevent the growing rage and disdain that class warfare brings. Do we see this principle applied in Israel today? Negative Ghost Rider. If you want to get me on a tangent - ask be about letting the land rest. There are some who believe that Israel didn’t really practice this principle once the ‘children of Israel’ got to the promised land. Others argue this is why they were taken to Babylon as slaves for 70 years - because they had not let the land rest.

Moses describes how every 7 years - everyone would take a vacation - a Sabbatical. There’s a lot in there but the bigger idea is that every 50 years, there would be a reset. Everyone could be as ambitious as possible or as reckless as possible for a little over a generation - but then all the land, all the assets would revert back to each family. Sounds crazy right?!

There is a book - The Ministry of Healing - that describes the original plan for how to maintain happiness and ways to prevent an unhealthy wealth gap - “In God’s plan for Israel every family had a home on the land with sufficient ground for cultivating. Thus were provided both the means and the incentive for a useful, industrious, and self-supporting life. And no human devising has ever improved upon that plan. The world’s departure from it has caused, to a large degree, the poverty and distress that exist today.”

Imagine if in America today everyone had their own land, their own house, grew their own food, wasn’t encumbered by goofy tax laws, owned their home with no mortgage - people could still work hard and live an amazing life - but every 50 years, we start over again. It’s wild to even think about, I can’t really wrap my head around it.

Love to hear what you think of this.

-Jared

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I’d love to hear your thoughts on money. 👋

I write this newsletter each week because I feel my best when my body, mind and soul are all healthy. I want the same for you. If you feel like you’ve seen something valuable here, please do me a favor and forward this newsletter to a friend or let me know what you think by replying or texting me - (310) 879-8441

I think happy couples make the world go round. I also believe men can do more to lead and love in their lives. In light of that, I have found the following four books to be the 4 books every man should read and every woman should want their man to read.

Here are a few other links to things that have changed my life:

Whoop - Track your HRV and REM Sleep

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Here are a few topics I think you’ll love if you haven’t checked them out before:

-Jared

P.S. - This newsletter does not provide medical advice. The content, such as graphics, images, text, and all other materials, is provided for reference and educational purposes only. The content is not meant to be complete or exhaustive or to be applicable to any specific individual's medical condition.