The more I write about money problems, and the more feedback
I get, the more I realize that this isn't an individual
problem. It's a national one. We are experiencing a national
crisis. While misery loves company and a shared burden is a
burden halved, we have to look to global solutions, not just
individual ones. While everyone has his individual
mazal and his individual tikkun, as soon as
something affects an entire community or, in this case, an
entire nation, i.e., a recession, we have to start thinking
in larger terms.
It is historically noteworthy that before any tragedy has
ever befallen the Jewish people, it has been preceded by
financial reversals. Enslavement in Egypt was preceded by
heavy taxation; the Inquisition stripped Jews of their
riches. The Holocaust first deprived Jews of their
livelihoods and possessions and in America, the Depression
preceded the Second World War.
Perhaps we need to look at the present economic crisis as a
warning and exert our utmost in doing, at least, economic
tshuva.
I'd like to offer a list of suggestions which we might
consider as not only a way to improve our own economic
situation, but as a way to improve the country's lot as
well.
1. Even among Torah scholars and the poor, the standard of
living has never been so high. Today, a life of basics and
deprivations of luxury still enable someone to live on a high
standard of living compared to previous generations. Many of
us can afford to lower our standard of living and many of us
cannot afford not to.
Living modestly is a merit too few of us strive for anymore.
This doesn't mean we should only own one set of clothes and
eat meat only once a week. However, when we consider how
people managed on much less decades ago, it shows us how
we've come to depend on many things we used to be able to
manage without. The less we need, the less we need.
2. Where does bitachon come in if we are not working
ONLY for our daily bread? While it is wise to plan for
tomorrow and have money put away to marry off our children or
for our old age, this lessens our faith that Hashem is the
One really providing for our needs. There should be a
limit to how much we work for next year's daily bread.
3. We are a generous people. There is nowhere in the world
that matches Israel in terms of charitable organizations. On
the other hand, I'm not sure that there is anywhere in the
world that matches the need for so many charitable
organizations. [Ed. Third World countries? Bangladesh,
anyone?] We have to make sure that we take care of ourselves
enough that we don't become the objects of charity. We also
have to give charity, knowing we are no better than the
people we are giving to and that at any time, the wheel may
turn. We must carefully avoid feelings of arrogance or self
righteousness when we give.
4. Many gedolim have come out against lavish
simchas and buying a new couple everything they may
need until old age. Shidduchim should not be based on
material considerations but on the compatibility of the
couple and their ability to build a bayis neeman. In
the rest of world, couples happily save up money living in
rented apartments and even with rented or second-hand
furniture.
People who ordinarily have no problem taking clothes from a
gemach, suddenly feel that a life partner for their
child is unworthy if he doesn't come complete with a fitted
kitchen etc. I am shocked when I hear how many people's
marital happiness is predicated on their parents' ability to
purchase an apartment. What does it say about Torah values
when a person's marriageability depends on his/her parents'
bank balance and not on his/her character, lineage or Torah
knowledge? This is particularly ironic, considering that most
people are going through very difficult financial times. Also
consider that according to this criterion, many previous
gedolei hador wouldn't have been considered a good
match!
5. Gratitude is a trait that suffers in a world where people
feel they have things coming to them, everything is available
and there's little connection between the supplier and the
buyer. I think we need to say `thank you' more often and more
wholeheartedly to everyone who provides services for us. And
to Hashem! It isn't hard to see people picking things out of
the garbage these days. If you have no need to do this, count
yourself among the better off and be grateful.
6. Recently I had some electrical work done on the apartment
I rent. The electrician charged a very reasonable fee. Even
my landlord seemed to think so. The electrician said he tries
to make things easier for people by not charging too much. He
realizes how hard things are for people nowadays.
Isn't that refreshing? How many of us consider the
minimum we can charge someone for our services, as
opposed to the maximum?
7. When a worker comes to our house, do we offer him a drink?
Cake? Show him where the bathroom is? Do we practice
hachnossas ovdim the way we do hachnossas
orchim? Do we thank cabbies when we alight? How we relate
to people who work for us says a lot about our work ethic.
8. Although buying on credit demonstrates a certain element
of bitachon in Hashem, it also demonstrates a certain
faith in our ability to pay. We have no guarantees that our
jobs will be there tomorrow or our stipends and subsidies.
Without those guarantees, we can't buy on credit unless it is
a matter of pikuach nefesh. We perhaps need to buy
food with the hope we can pay for it next month, or pay for
our child's education / dental braces with post- dated
checks, and this, too, is arguable, but we have no right to
buy more trivial things in this manner.
9. We definitely pray more than our ancestors did, simply by
virtue of the fact that nowadays everyone can read, there are
more prayerbooks published, and there are more places to
pray, etc. On the other hand, how much intensity do we impart
to these prayers?
In the days when yeshiva bochurim ate `days' in
people's homes, when Jewish women didn't know how they would
make Shabbos, let alone provide food the rest of the week, I
have no doubt that prayer was more heartfelt. There is a
difference when we pray for bread as opposed to when we pray
to lower our overdraft [of living up to our standards-of-
living].
Hunger is definitely a greater motivation for prayer than
panic. Perhaps we need to offer up our prayers with a hunger
to be closer to Hashem.
10. No matter how hard our lives are, they don't compare to
the physically difficult circumstances the Jewish people
toiled under in previous generations. Modern living has
replaced the washtub with the washing machine and dryer; the
pen and paper with email, the typewriter with the computer
and the woodburning stove with the microwave. No matter how
hard we work, we don't really `toil' for our daily bread.
Perhaps if we challenge ourselves to work a little harder at
whatever it is we do, we would enjoy more of the fruits of
our labor.
One last thought: When we are all in the same financial boat
and it's sinking, we need to do what we can to bail each
other out and not expect one another to book a luxury cruise.
We need to be considerate of one another at this time and not
have financial expectations of each other or ourselves. We
shouldn't feel guilty or worry what others may think if we
purchase a less expensive wedding gift or compromise on
exchanging gold watches etc., live less extravangantly, try
not to keep up with the Cohens, not feel we have to
contribute to or invest in every cause, or choose the least
expensive options in our expenditures.
May we all see an end to these difficult times and may we all
share our neighbors' joys and not have to share their
burdens.
