Arcane Topic Warning: Part the Fifth

[Raynor]

In the Letters, Tolkien compares the dwarves to the jews:

Originally Posted by Letter #176

I do think of the 'Dwarves' like Jews: at once native and alien in their habitations, speaking the languages of the country, but with an accent due to their own private tongue

Imo, another similarity involves their good ability in commerce. It is stated in the Silmarillion, Of the Sindar, that they "ever demanded a price for all that they did, whether with delight or with toil".

I will note two important moments; I believe that their first great commerce deal involves the building of Menegroth; for this, they received "much wisdom" from Melian and "many fair pearls" from Thingol, who in turn got them from Cirdan; according to the Grey Annals, this occurs in 1300 Valarian Years of the First Age, 500 years after the dwarves crossed the mountains into Beleriand.

Two millenia later, in 52 Years of the Sun of the First Age, the dwarves of Blue Mountains help Finrod build Nargothrond and they also make for him the Nauglamir, the necklace of the dwarves, which will bring much suffering later. In return, Finrod gave them many treasures from Tirion, since he brought many more than any noldo prince.

I presume that there was some barter on "intelectual property" concerning craftsmith, between elves and dwarves, which could or could not have involved money/goods; we have Eol the Dark who learns a great deal of metal work from them - and he probably teaches them in return the making of galvorn. There is also the making of the enchanted doors of Moria, where Celebrimbor gave a hand at least in drawing the elven-letters.