At the Yom Kippur service I was thinking that a moral principle is only important so long as its application has a positive impact. Freedom in some measure is important, but is absolute individual freedom and freedom in the market really something that makes life better? Hardcore Republicans say that any government regulation is bad because the unrestricted free market is what creates the greatest economic profit. The fundamental tenet of this ideology was summed up by Gordon Gekko with the words, “Greed is good.” But is the greatest economic profit what we should be pursuing, or is it the greatest level of societal happiness?

This evening, my Siddur read, “you shall have no other God but me.” Money too, is a God, and when we turn away from love and happiness and pursue wealth alone, we not only harm ourselves, we negatively impact others. Capitalism without the restrictions of morality or government leads to oppressive economic inequality, a small class of people wealthy beyond measure, financial crises resulting from careful and premeditated manipulation of trust, alienation from  government and society, exploitation and destruction of the environment, subjugation and economic exploitation of 3rd world countries – the list could go on and on.

Perhaps greed is good when it comes to economic power, but after a certain minimum point, is money what makes us happy? Judaism teaches us that faith and relationships are what make us happy and give our lives meaning. One can be happy whether he is rich or middle class. We should not support the sole-minded pursuit of wealth when that pursuit results in the exploitation of others. Regulations exist in order to promote a higher level of happiness in society. One billion dollars might not make a difference for one wealthy individual, but, when redistributed it has the power to impact positively the lives of so many people. A regulation creating a minimum wage might not seem that important if CEOs pay their workers fairly on principle, but when this doesn’t happen, it is the government’s duty to intervene. Freedom is good, but it should not be regarded as an absolute right, to be used or abused at will.