Emet / Truth
Working for a Living Part 1
posted Wednesday, 8 February 2006
This is a rather sensitive topic in certain Jewish quarters. However I would just like to offer my personal opinion on the matter and present some sources and evidence to support it
Economic
From a purely economic perspective it is absolutely imperative that there be a source of income coming into a family. In simple terms that should be blatantly obvious to anyone with a degree of common sense, no money – no house, no money – no food, no money – no schooling for children, etc.
Being part of the Orthodox Jewish community inevitably requires higher living expenses, for the following reasons:
The point of all the above is not to “complain” about the cost of Jewish living. Rather the point I am trying to get across is that because Jewish living is expensive, people have to work for a living.
I just have great difficulty understanding how entire sections of communities in light of all the above expenses can not work for a living. Where do they get their money from? Seriously… I am asking because I do not know. Where I live in Sydney, Australia, all the Orthodox Jews work for a living so I have great diffulty conceptualizing in my own mind how entire communities can function with only maybe the wife working at best or living on welfare. Any insight that the readers could offer would be appreciated.
For in my own mind, you do not need to be a rocket scientist to realize that if you have large expenses, with little or no income, well then you are in debt… How do these communities even function for a week?
If people would like to email me in private about this topic, or leave a comment that would be great.
Coming up in part two, types of professions and Torah sources that support working for a living.
Economic
From a purely economic perspective it is absolutely imperative that there be a source of income coming into a family. In simple terms that should be blatantly obvious to anyone with a degree of common sense, no money – no house, no money – no food, no money – no schooling for children, etc.
Being part of the Orthodox Jewish community inevitably requires higher living expenses, for the following reasons:
- Orthodox familys on average are much bigger than their secular counterparts. Some Orthodox familys can have anywhere between 5 –> 14+ children
- Orthodox Jews usually prefer to live in the same neighborhoods (usually the more “upper class” neighbourhoods). This is so they can they be close to their friends and family, be close to schools for their children and be close to synagogues. The cost of living and the cost of property in these neighborhoods is much higher than other suburbs
- Orthodox Jews in the majority of cases would like to send their kids to Orthodox schools to get the education they require for their children. This amounts to private school fees for every single child.
- Orthodox teenagers when they graduate from school usually go spend 1 / 2 years in Israel. The average cost just for tuition for one year in Yeshiva overseas is USD 10,000+
- The cost of “religious accessories” for lack of a better word also amounts to extra money. The cost of kosher food, tefillin, large libraries of seforim, lulav, estrog, streimals (if Chassidic) are all extra expenses
The point of all the above is not to “complain” about the cost of Jewish living. Rather the point I am trying to get across is that because Jewish living is expensive, people have to work for a living.
I just have great difficulty understanding how entire sections of communities in light of all the above expenses can not work for a living. Where do they get their money from? Seriously… I am asking because I do not know. Where I live in Sydney, Australia, all the Orthodox Jews work for a living so I have great diffulty conceptualizing in my own mind how entire communities can function with only maybe the wife working at best or living on welfare. Any insight that the readers could offer would be appreciated.
For in my own mind, you do not need to be a rocket scientist to realize that if you have large expenses, with little or no income, well then you are in debt… How do these communities even function for a week?
If people would like to email me in private about this topic, or leave a comment that would be great.
Coming up in part two, types of professions and Torah sources that support working for a living.
comments (3)
1. andy left...
Saturday, 11 February 2006 4:17 am
Those of us who are fortunate enough to live in the USA (by far the biggest
financial supporter of Torah study in the world) have many government
programs to assist us, at least up to a point. I don't know about 10 kids.
2. Motti left...
Wednesday, 8 March 2006 6:23 pm
You have a valid point. I however i would like to point out, that in the
previous generations people were not well of, and i would say that in the
spanse of time from the time the jews enterd the holy land with yehoshua,
we have never had fianacial prosperity as much as we enjoy now.
But at the same time that our fianacial level has risen, so have the
expenses risen, as you have pointed out in your post.
Fortunatly, there are some communitys that now offer computer courses
etc... at affordable rates, so jews can self supporting, and maby make a
living as well.
3. Rabbi S. Tepper left...
Thursday, 17 July 2008 1:50 am
There are two Halachic problems with living off of government funds in
order to learn Torah ful time that come to mind: