Is a comma needed before 'when'? why/why not?

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Futurehuman11  #480094  Fri, 22 Feb 08 02:54 AM

This mirrors the collaboration between the moneylenders and kings in the Middle Ages when the Jew shared the proceeds from his lucrative business with the king in return for protection.

  
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Philip  #480098  Fri, 22 Feb 08 03:09 AM

Futurehuman11

This mirrors the collaboration between the moneylenders and kings in the Middle Ages when the Jew shared the proceeds from his lucrative business with the king in return for protection.

I would use the comma. Nonrestrictive clause is the reason.  I'll allow others more proficient to elaborate.
  
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Cool Breeze  #480175  Fri, 22 Feb 08 09:05 AM
Temporal clauses are neither restrictive nor nonrestrictive. No comma is needed but if you want to use one, go ahead. There is normally no comma before conjunctions such as if, when, and because:

I said I would do it if he asked me.

I didn't want to know when he would come.

I asked him because I wanted to know the right answer.

If the sentence is long like yours, a comma may make the meaning clearer in some cases and there is no rule against making one's meaning clearer. It's really up to you. Note that a comma is frequently used if the subordinate clause is before the main clause:

Because I wanted to know the right answer, I asked him.

CB 

  
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