Capitalism, the Torah, and the Misreading of Yeshua’s Teachings.

In a recent exchange, I found myself addressing a common misconception: the conflation of biblical teachings with modern socialism, often filtered through a statist lens that distorts the Torah’s intent. The discussion began with a claim that trade defines capitalism—a point I don’t entirely dispute, though it’s incomplete. Trade is indeed a component, but capitalism is more precisely the private ownership and control of the means of production. From there, the conversation veered into Yeshua’s teachings, with my counterpart suggesting a Marxist caricature of capitalism and a misreading of scripture that painted Yeshua as a proto-socialist. Here’s why that perspective misses the mark—and why the Torah, and Yeshua’s alignment with it, actually champions a form of capitalism rooted in individual responsibility.

Yeshua, the Torah, and the Rich Young Man
Let’s start with a key point of contention: the story of the rich young man in Matthew 19:21. My interlocutor claimed Yeshua instructed a crowd to sell all their belongings and give the proceeds to the poor—a universal command supposedly proving his anti-capitalist bent. That’s simply not what happened. The text is clear: “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you’ll have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’” This was a private exchange, not a public decree, and it was directed at one individual—a wealthy man who claimed to have kept all the commandments.

Context matters. Yeshua wasn’t preaching collectivism or demanding the abolition of private property. He was pointing out the young man’s failure to fulfill a specific Torah-based obligation: the duty of the wealthy to support the poor. The Torah doesn’t mandate poverty for all—it assigns a role to those with means. Deuteronomy 15:7-8 commands, “If a poor man is among your brothers don’t be stingy or cold-hearted. Open your hand and freely lend him what he needs.” Leviticus 19:9-10 instructs landowners to leave gleanings for the poor, and Deuteronomy 14:28-29 establishes a tithe every third year for the needy. These aren’t calls for state-enforced redistribution; they’re personal responsibilities rooted in generosity, not coercion.

The rich young man’s shortfall wasn’t wealth itself—it was his neglect of this duty. Yeshua’s advice to sell his possessions and give to the poor wasn’t about abandoning capital entirely but about aligning with the Torah’s call for the affluent to act as stewards. To twist this into a blanket rejection of private ownership is to misread the narrative through a Greek socialist lens, not a Jewish one. Yeshua wasn’t a statist—he operated within the Torah’s framework, which prioritizes individual accountability over centralized control.

Capitalism in the Torah: Private Ownership Endorsed
This brings us to capitalism itself. The Torah unequivocally supports private ownership of capital. Land, crops, livestock—these are entrusted to individuals, not the state. The commandments to leave gleanings or tithe for the poor assume personal control over resources. Even Yeshua’s Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) praises the wise investment of capital, rewarding those who multiply their resources through trade and initiative. The Marxist trope of the greedy capitalist pouring money into industry for profit doesn’t hold as a sin here—it’s a distortion of what capitalism entails. In its purest form, capitalism doesn’t require wealth; it requires private stewardship, rich or not. Contrast this with statist ideologies—socialism, Gnosticism, or the Greek systems my counterpart seemed to favor. These elevate the state to a quasi-divine role, using coercive taxation to redistribute wealth. The Torah calls this theft. Exodus 20:15—“You shall not steal”—applies as much to governments as to individuals. When Israel demanded a king in 1 Samuel 8, Samuel warned of the consequences: “He will take your sons… your daughters… your fields, vineyards, and olive groves… a tenth of your grain and wine… your servants, cattle, and donkeys.” This “taking” is a pattern of theft baked into centralized power, mirroring the monarchy and socialism that followed. God didn’t bless these systems—hunger and suffering flourished under them because they defied His design.

The Purpose of Poverty and the Role of the Wealthy
Why does poverty persist? The Torah suggests it’s by design—not as a flaw to be eradicated by force, but as an opportunity for the wealthy to fulfill their covenantal role. God could end poverty, but He doesn’t. Instead, He tasks those with abundance to provide for those without, as Deuteronomy and Leviticus make clear. The poor enable the rich to live out the commandment to give, creating a symbiotic relationship rooted in free will, not compulsion. Statist attempts to “solve” poverty through collectivism—whether socialist or monarchical—overstep God’s authority, turning taxation into a perverse parody of tithing. In Torah terms, that’s idolatry, plain and simple.

Judaism, the Greek Lens, and Modern Missteps
Today’s Judaism often bears little resemblance to its biblical roots, having been filtered through Greek philosophy and statist traditions. The Jewish mentality of the Torah—individual responsibility, private ownership, voluntary generosity—stands in stark contrast to the Greek emphasis on centralized authority. My counterpart’s reliance on secular, progressive sources to interpret the Torah only muddies the waters further. There was no state in the Torah forcing people to surrender their income; God left obedience to the individual. The rich young man’s lie—claiming he’d kept all the commandments while ignoring the poor—exposed his failure, not the system’s.

Conclusion: Capitalism on Steroids
So, is Yeshua’s teaching socialism? Hardly. It’s capitalism on steroids—private ownership coupled with personal duty, grounded in the Torah’s vision of a free, responsible society. The state has no business playing God, and the Bible doesn’t sanction theft disguised as policy. If you want to follow God, stop worshiping the state. As long as you defend it—like the rich young man dodging his duty—you’re contorting yourself to prop up a false idol. The Torah’s economic vision is clear: capital in private hands, wielded with generosity, under God’s authority—not man’s.