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A Jewish Ethic for Consumerism

Written by Rabbi Neil Amswych Monday, 08 March 2010

As Fairtrade Fortnight draws to a close, Rabbi Neil Amswych of Bournemouth Reform Synagogue looks at the Jewish imperative to pay a fair price.

The Biblical verses that command ethical trade – using just weights and measures or simply not wronging each other in trade  – are helpful when forming a Jewish ethic for consumerism. Perhaps just as helpful is the less well-known quotation from Talmud  which says we should pray intercessory prayers over goods which have become dangerously cheap. In the text, this is said to occur when goods are sold at 40% below their real value.

Everyone loves a bargain; however, when that bargain is based on a price that is so cheap that it locks the person producing the goods into poverty, then we are faced with an ethical and thus religious problem. “Buy One Get One Free” may seem good to us, but to the farmer who depends on money from the sale, it can be disastrous. Judaism therefore not only demands that we trade fairly but also that we always pay a fair price for everything.

The Fairtrade Foundation is one of many organisations, including Equitrade and others, which ensure that those who grow our food and who produce our clothes get a just price for their labour. Paying a fair amount is an act of justice – something we are Divinely commanded to actively pursue.  We should remember, though, that paying a fair price is only the tip of the iceberg – pollution (from excess packaging, pesticides or from production and transport) and waste (of energy, water or from regular discarding of food by supermarkets) are also among essential considerations.

Fairtrade Fortnight reminds us that even greater than buying something cheaply is the knowledge that we are buying something that helps support another human being. This way, we show love to our neighbour – our global neighbour wherever they may be – as we would expect it for ourselves,  the key Divine imperative.

Rabbi Neil Amswych is Principal Rabbi of Bournemouth Reform Synagogue and founder of IDEA.

Find out more: download your Fairtrade Fortnight Jewish Action Guide.