Deuteronomy 15:1-2
“At the end of every seven years you shall make a release. This is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because Yahweh’s release has been proclaimed.”
This passage is part of a larger section in Deuteronomy where Moses is outlining laws for the Israelite community as they prepare to enter the promised land. These instructions are given to a people establishing a new society, emphasizing social justice and care for the vulnerable among them.
What systems or practices in our present society create conditions of inescapable debt, and what might a 'release' look like for them?