cover image Case Studies in Jewish Business Ethics

Case Studies in Jewish Business Ethics

Aaron Levine. Ktav Publishing House, $49.5 (419pp) ISBN 978-0-88125-673-4

A rabbi and an economist, Levine draws on his extensive scholarship in both fields to apply American and Jewish law to ethical issues in business. As the title implies, Levine, who teaches courses at Yeshiva University, presents case illustrations and then explores which Jewish laws apply and which principles can be induced. The cases fall into the following categories: advertising and marketing, salesmanship, pricing policies, labor relations, and consumer and social ethics in the marketplace. Levine sets the tone for his book in an early chapter on moral education in which he offers contradictory opinions on telling the truth. He asserts that it is ""a sin to lie,"" but then introduces the concept of ""permissible lies."" Throughout the book, Levine follows this pattern of presenting contrary views, often taken from the Talmud, but, in each instance, he provides a definitive judgment. He also presents a number of problems for students to solve by applying the principles he has set forth, though the lack of any discussion of these problems reduces their usefulness. Chapter summaries would have been helpful, and the book ends abruptly without a conclusion. Frequent repetition is a further weakness. Careful editing could have improved this impressive contribution to a complex subject. (Feb.)