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To help release poor people from their debts, the Torah ordained that all debts were wiped out once every seven years, at the end of the sabbatical year. Later, towards the end of the Second Temple period, times were very difficult, and many poor people were unable to repay their debts. Because of this, the rich stopped lending money to the poor, to avoid losing their money with the advent of the sabbatical year. Therefore, the Sages ordained that those who wanted to prevent their loans from being wiped out could lend the money out through the rabbinic courts, using a special document called a prozbul. This was a non-ideal solution though, dictated by an unfortunate necessity. Today’s sages and leaders should think seriously about how debt relief might be applied in our times.
