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Love of money


In Jewish and Christian tradition, the love of money is condemned as a sin primarily based on interpretations of texts such as Ecclesiastes 5.10 and 1 Timothy 6:10. The Jewish and Christian condemnation of avarice and greed in relation to money finds parallels in Solon and Aristotle, and Massinissa - who ascribed love of money to Hannibal and the Carthaginians.

Berachya Hanakdan lists "love of money" as a secular love, while Israel Salanter considers love of money for its own sake a non-universal inner force. A tale about Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apt (1748-1825), rabbi in Iasi, recounts that he, who normally scorned money, had the habit of looking kindly on money before giving it to the poor at Purim, since only in valuing the gift could the gift express love of God. Berachot 54a teaches businessmen to "elevate their love of money to the same status as their love of God, which means that they should thereby love God enough to follow his commandment."

The primary Greek text, 1 Timothy 6:10, can be read in various ways. The grammarian Daniel B. Wallace lists six alternative possible translations. There are two reasons for this: first, it is difficult to tell whether the noun "root" is intended to be indefinite, definite, or qualitative. Second, the Greek word for "all" may mean "all without exclusion" or "all without distinction".

Augustine defines love of money as a subcategory of avarice.Luther referred to the love of money in accusations both against the Catholic Church and against commerce, in sermons which have been charged with anti-semitic undertones.


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