As seen in the biblical tradition, issues of poverty and the poor are considered to be of constant concern to God. As Hoppe suggests, “the biblical tradition, of course, presented God as both the just ruler of the world and the merciful protector of the poor” (Hoppe, p. 167). As such, it required that early Jewish communities continually grapple with the social and structural realities that generated poverty. However, as we see in this chapter, the rabbinical community has conflicting views on poverty and the poor. This is particularly the case with regard to the quest for purity and sanctification. Because the economy of Roman Palestine was largely based on an unstable economic system, many Jews living in Palestine fell into a precarious economic situation – mostly left to a subsistence status. As Hoppe notes, this was caused by the social stress of civil unrest as well as the heavy burden of taxes owed to the Romans, loans owed to lenders, and rental fees for land use. These social realities have prompted a response from Palestinian communities. Not only did economic disadvantage place a burden on society as a whole, but as biblical and rabbinic traditions show, the poor were considered a major concern of God. Hoppe proposes that there existed a paradoxical view of the poor within Jewish communities. . In some sense, poverty was seen as a gift from God, a virtue that brought positive spiritual benefits. Another view saw poverty as a consequence of spiritual impurity. This particular notion, as Hoppe suggests, was developed to justify actions against Jews unable to observe the laws of impurity. He claims this was largely due to a lack of time and means to plunge into poverty. In rabbinic tradition, Hoppe cites an important saying that includes all aspects of Jewish life: “The world is upheld by three things: by the law, by [Temple] service, and by acts of loving-kindness” ( Hoppe, p. ). As people appointed, claimed, and endowed by God to be good stewards of God's creation, I believe it is our responsibility to discern how our laws, worship, and actions meet the needs of the poor among us. In other words, what kind of habits do we have that prescribe God's arrangement? As we discussed in class, if the Greek understanding of stewardship, oikonomia, refers to proper arrangement according to God's plan, then we should continually reevaluate our habits. Discerning individually and collectively the type of habits we adopt that go against God's divine arrangement..