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Is it too gashmiusdik to have an air conditioner? after all, the Steipler didnt even want a fan in his house~
Your question is commendable (if sincere). In extreme hot weather, in the high eighties or nineties there is a danger of dehydration. Personally I get very severe headaches easily and to be able to function (go to work, take care of my family) I need air conditioning. Most people will need it at even much much lower temperatures than that to function properly.
I think most people would feel they can do mitzvos better when feeling well – daven, learn, etc. Also, children need a geshake, happy house. They shouldn’t feel they’re suffering. (See Rav Brezak’s articles in the Yated on having delicious food and treats on Shabbos) . I imagine the Steipler didn’t eat cake or ice cream. If a person wants to limit their gasmius there’s probably many areas to start with before removing air conditioning. But for himself, not his children or spouse. Maybe limit noshing to only on Shabbos and other things like that.
R’ Shteinman did not have an air conditioner for years. When it was pointed out to him that visitors to his house were uncomfortable in the heat, he had one installed. I’ve been told that when there are no visitors, he turns it off.
In extreme hot weather, in the high eighties or nineties there is a danger of dehydration.
So drink more water. What does that have to do with an air conditioner?
fix-it-up – If you are trying to be less migushem, I can find you alot of better things to work on then no ac.
The Steipler didn’t have an electricity running in his house on Shabbos either. Maybe you should do that too.
get rid of your internet before you start with the AC- thats something that wont affect those who come to your home while shutting the AC will make them hot.
There are a lot of things our Rabbonim may or may not have had. Many were poverty stricken. There is no gashmius in having cool air in the summer and heat in the winter (or should we advocate freezing to death as a GOOD thing?) Hashem put us in this world to enjoy it, not suffer (as some religions believe). it is hard to enjoy anything in temperatures of 85+ degrees, not to mention focus on learning.
True negative gashmius (because gashmius in and of itself is not a bad thing – we have to eat to live, we have to reproduce the species, we have to sleep – these are all aspects of gashmius), involves getting a fancier car than you really need, a bigger house, just to impress, lots of furs and jewelry (one fur is a warm coat in the winter, three or four is overkill, literally).
Taking many vacations a year might come under that umbrella (depending on circumstances). It’s all in how you live your life the rest of the time. If I want to eat a piece of steak or salmon, that is fine. If I go out to fancy restaurants 6 days of the week, maybe that’s a bit much. Hashem did not order us to suffer. In speaking of the mitzvos he said V’chai bahem. When we go before Him after 120 years, He will want to know if we made use of the wonderful things He gives us. Part of those things, is giving us the knowledge of how to build machines that make our lives a little easier.
Why are we even having a discussion on air conditioning?
And a rosh yeshiva I know was more than happy to use the a/c – when asked about managing in “der heim” he answered “We suffered”
Go crank it up!! 🙂
The Steipler didn’t have an airconditioner, and Avraham Avinu didn’t have a house.
And a little secret… the Baal Shem didn’t have internet.
There is no gashmius in having cool air in the summer and heat in the winter
Heat! Now there’s a concept. I think I would invest in a heater before I invested in an air conditioner (or a fan).
It’s certainly possible to live without them, and believe me, I don’t suffer.
It is far easier, haifagirl, to add layers of clothing in cold weather, than to do the reverse in excruciatingly HOT temperatures. Give me the A/C everytime.
I have neither. Don’t need them. That’s part of the beauty of living in Haifa, I guess.
Back in the yeshivot in Europe there was EATING DAYS.
Since food was scarce, you only had meals on certain days of the week and you fasted on others.
“hard to enjoy anything in temperatures of 85+ degrees,”
what about swimming 🙂
I’m going to just go ahead and assume that the original poster was either joking, or fishing for that one guy in the Coffee Room who is bound to write OF COURSE U SHOULDENT HAVE A A/C U THINK OUR GEDOYLIM NEEDID A A/C NO!!!!! THEY KEPT COOL IN THE SHADE OF TOYRUH HAKIDOYSHUH!!!!!!!!11
There, have I satisfied your needs, FIU? 🙂
Assuming this is a sincere question,my answer- different humans have different needs, and there are guests & family members to consider. Of course there are questions. The more we spend “on ourselves” the less we have available to give to tzedakah, but it is not exactly an either or equation. With AC I personally can function (without it I am like a beached whale!) and functioning also means I can earn more dollars, or raise funds for a cause, thereby having AC AND even more dollars for tzedakah. Each day I try to think twice, briefly, before switching it on, about the extra hours we will work to pay the electric bill, and the planetary resources we use. But I am NOT entirely a fan of “back to the simpler times”. When I grew up FEW households in my low income neighborhood had AC. We got ONE after two members of our family became violently ill from the heat one night. People slept on roofs at night. Argued about who got to sit in the bathtub full of cold water. Fled to the streets and got in irritable-mood fights. Insects got in open windows and spread illness. During heat spells shelters had to be opened and people died from the heat regularly. I am happy we have other choices.
In case some one is about to buy one:
1) get help to buy one the right size. Too big will cool the airand stop cooling before it dries it- leaving you cold & clammy.
2)Read Consummer Reports or similar – for example, the amount of noise they make varies widely.
3) Also be aware that SOME AC’s can run on a “Shabbos clock”, but others will NOT come back on when the electricity is reconnected. This is not only good for Shabbos; for instance you can set it to come 1/2 an hour before you come home from a sweaty commute from work on a particularly hot day.
4) Installed it should tilt out SLIGHTLY. You don’t want water to run IN to your wall or home, but you don’t want all the water spill out the back either. Water in the case of the AC is GOOD- to be available so the unit can splash it up on the Hot coils outside. That water provides about 75% of the cooling efficiency.
what about swimming 🙂 “
Mikehall, I haven’t done that in YEARS.
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