02/03/2009 - 7:30pm to 02/03/2009 - 9:00pm

Location:
Chabad Jewish Center of Salem
Family Building Blocks
1135 Edgewater Street NW
Salem, OR 97304

Class Description:
This class is a course on the book of Exodus. Each week we will examine a topic from that week's Torah Portion that provides insight into our courses topic, which is: The experience of an enslaved Israelite nation on the path to becoming a free society provides a compelling springboard for the principles and values that define our people.

Gain insight and explore the Jewish perspective on dilemmas in business and workplace ethics. Learn how the Torah makes sense of the mighty dollar, balances Capitalism with compassion and infuses financial life with awareness and meaning.

A link for more information on this class is:
http://www.chabadsalem.com/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/483122/jewish/Torah-Studies-Course.htm

and a link to a summary of every class is:
http://www.torahstudies.com/courses.php?task=details&CID=32

This week's topic:
Beshalach: Manipulating the Marketplace-The Torah's View of Free Trade
Profit provides the best incentive that human society has found for developing an economy and maintaining overall prosperity. Yet what is profitable for one person or company often spells hardship or even ruin for others. In today's world, for example, high fuel prices have brought record profits to some, while posing a terrible burden on many others. Throughout the ages, societies have grappled with the issue of whether it is effective or ethical to tamper with free-market prices. Is it just to regulate one man's profits while not regulating another's? Can we find a way to allow a reasonable but limited profit to some, in order to keep prices affordable and goods available? What practical and ethical problems arise from doing so? In today's class we'll examine what Jewish law and our ethical teachings tell us about resolving these crucial issues in economic policy.

More Info:
If you have any questions or would like to sign up please contact Rabbi Perlstein by emailing him rabbi@chabadsalem.com or calling (503) 363-0522.

Cost:
$55 for the whole 10 week course or $8 per class. Price includes a handbook. Bring a friend or family member and revieve a 10% discount. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.