You must not lend them money at interest or sell them food at a profit. The interest and profit prohibitions apply to both money loans and food sales to the impoverished: the community member who is poor enough to need to borrow money or buy food on credit receives the full protection of the covenant's anti-exploitation provisions. The prohibition on food profit for the poor communicates the covenant's priority: the life of the poor community member takes precedence over the profit of the wealthy one.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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