Magna Carta

From: Shlomi Wise, KLBD Sent: 15 June 2015 09:40 Subject: Magna Carta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta It seems that people are celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. The Jews of Europe at the time were severely limited in which professions they could practice. They often went became money lenders because at the time The Catholic Church banned their subjects from 'usury'. Not many people know that two clauses in the Magna Carta (out of sixty-three) are specifically about borrowing money from Jews. This took place 75 years before the anti-Semitism got to the point that the monarchy expelled the Jews from the country. The biggest incentive was that this way they wouldn't have to pay back the money they had borrowed. Below is an English translation (from Latin) of the two clauses. (10) If anyone who has borrowed a sum of money from Jews dies before the debt has been repaid, his heir shall pay no interest on the debt for so long as he remains under age, irrespective of whom he holds his lands. If such a debt falls into the hands of the Crown, it will take nothing except the principal sum specified in the bond. (11) If a man dies owing money to Jews, his wife may have her dower and pay nothing towards the debt from it. If he leaves children that are under age, their needs may also be provided for on a scale appropriate to the size of his holding of lands. The debt is to be paid out of the residue, reserving the service due to his feudal lords. Debts owed to persons other than Jews are to be dealt with similarly.