“Necessities” | Imamother

amother

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 12:12 am

I keep thinking this when seeing all the threads about how our lives are so hard and stressful and all the major financial crises we’re going through…does anyone think the things we consider necessities are just insane? I mean, if you think about history, as a whole, Jews were usually much much poorer. 1-2 outfits is all you really need. (Maybe 4 at most to account for seasons). No fancy food. By simchas you just wore your shabbos dress and maybe had some extra cookies. Kids shared beds. Houses were much smaller.

Now I know we’re not going back there. Believe me I have a lot more than 1-2 dresses. But if you really think about it, it’s luxuries not necessities. We’re really living very luxurious lives.

peace2

Fri, Jan 26 2024, 12:35 am

Our standards of living changed, and luxuries became necessities. We can live without a lot of it, but once it's a societal norm, it kinda becomes a necessity if you want to fit in and for your children not to be "deprived"
I had a seminary teacher who said "your luxuries become your children's necessities" meaning things that you consider to be extras that you can do without- for your children growing up with them as a given, they become the norm. I think that's how generational standards have changed