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9 | Introduction And yet, by focusing on a puzzling ( and seemingly out of place ) phrase used in the ancient discussion, Huberman and Prisman suggest that the rabbis indicated their discomfort with their own analysis, realizing that something was being overlooked . On a different topic, the chapter by Brezis stresses that in contrast with the legal system, where there should be zero tolerance for offenses, we should not aspire to extremely low tolerance for offenses against social norms . This zero - tolerance rule applies, for instance, to lying and this chapter shows that it is also the case for the revolving door . Also, it shows that governments find it optimal to allow the existence of the revolving door . The past few decades have seen the evolution of a new approach toward law . This approach is based on an economic approach to social institutions and attempts to show that laws evolve to maximize social and economic welfare . Rosenberg and Weiss consider whether this approach can be used to understand a much older set of laws than the current ones – the world of halakhah, or Jewish Law . They suggest that while the main body of halakhic law, which is found in the Talmud, was compiled approximately eighteen centuries ago, it appears to have often been based on economic principles . Specifically, they consider an example from the law of torts and demonstrate how the Talmud treats the issue of liability in a way that leads to an economically efficient outcome . Katz and Rosenberg examine a jarring and puzzling ruling by Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel ( Rashbag ) , who seems to suggest, within a particular context, that there is no onus on individuals to deter others from committing sins . However, preventing others from sinning is an important Jewish maxim . Drawing on both economic theory and on the attempts of generations of interpreters of the Talmud to explain Rashbag’s ruling, Katz and Rosenberg show that the discussion is significantly more nuanced than appears at first glance . Ultimately, they show that Rashbag’s opinion is
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