Life Insurance; A chiyuv, or a lack of Bitachon?

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  • #599073
    Aishes Chayil
    Participant

    The son of the Divrei Chaim said that making a life insurance is a segulah for Arichas Yomim. The fact that you are sparing Klal Yisroel the burden of having to support others in time of need, when everyone has their own obiligations.

    On the other hand, there are those opposed to it. Does anyone know why? Your comments please;)

    #804618
    Chein
    Member

    It’s a machlokes.

    #804619

    I have an insurance policy…G-d forbid something should happen, I know my family will be taken care of.

    #804620
    TheGoq
    Participant

    I think if you have children it is irresponsible not to have life insurance.

    #804621
    Abelleh
    Participant

    R Moshe Feinstein thought it was fine.

    http://tinyurl.com/3vymvtu

    #804622
    miritchka
    Member

    everyone leaves this world at some point. unfortunately some leave this world when their children are still young leaving the spouse with enormous responsibilities and financial obligations that are more difficult to hold up with only one parent/guardian. like the goq said, its irresponsible not to have.

    #804623
    mytake
    Member

    Isn’t it Hishtadlus? Doing what you can to ensure financial stability in case of a tragedy…? I don’t see where lack of Bitachon comes in here.

    #804624
    Aishes Chayil
    Participant

    mytake;

    Lack of Bitochen I imagine would mean that if you are preparing for death, you might have slight doubts about the coming of Moshiach when in fact there will be techiyas hameisim etc….and probably eternal life.

    I stand to be corected.

    #804625
    miritchka
    Member

    isnt buying a burial plot a similar issue?

    #804626
    Sam2
    Participant

    Aishes Chayil: No one calls it a lack of Bitachon that we own a house in CHU”L. After all, if Moshiach comes tomorrow then we won’t need it anymore. Preparing in case Moshiach doesn’t come isn’t a lack of Bitachon. We don’t know when it will come. So while we always hope it’s today, we can’t live life with the assumption that it will be today.

    #804627
    dvorak
    Member

    Anyone who thinks this is a lack of bitachon has a fundamental misunderstanding of the concept. Bitachon doesn’t mean going through life believing that Hashem is watching out for us and therefore nothing bad will happen, because tragedies do happen. It means that you believe that whatever Hashem throws your way is for the best, even if you can’t see how. You should prepare yourself for certain possibilities (within reason); you should have a Plan B (again, within reason- maybe a plan C,D,E would be a bit much, but nothing wrong with a Plan B). You do your part, and when Hashem throws a curveball or a particularly nasty slider, you deal with it, always with the understanding that He’s looking out for you even when it doesn’t seem that way.

    #804628
    rt
    Participant

    my rebbi quoted Rav Yaakov z’tl as saying to this question, “yes it’s a lack of bitachon, but who is going to pay the bills?” Rav Yaakov was a very practical person.

    #804629
    Chein
    Member

    I would think that buying a plot is not the same issue. Everyone is niftar and needs a plot. Life insurance OTOH is generally not designed for people who pass away at age 85. It is designed if c”v someone passes away young (and still has family that needs financial assistance.)

    #804630
    Aishes Chayil
    Participant

    Sam2,

    Then why are some pple (rabonim) opposed to it???

    #804631
    Toi
    Participant

    chein- thats not true. it may pay more and be cheaper if youre young, but you can cash a half mill. in your eighties. how does this fall outside hishtadlus; why is working more bitachon-full? Maybe moshiach will come in two minutes and youre set? totally not maskim. you work because as my rebbe said “Hope burns bright in the breast of man” its sensible and logical. so is a policy. farig

    #804632
    Chein
    Member

    No one calls it a lack of Bitachon that we own a house in CHU”L. After all, if Moshiach comes tomorrow then we won’t need it anymore.

    Actually some people don’t own a house here for precisely that reason.

    #804633
    rt
    Participant

    see Darash Moshe in Lech Lecha, he says a person should put much effort into procuring a makom kevurah

    #804634
    Chein
    Member

    Everyone needs a burial plot. Only those who pass away young need life insurance.

    #804636
    miritchka
    Member

    @chein, so according to what you wrote, why is buying life insurance (that not everyone needs) and buying a plot (which everyone needs) a segula for arichas yamim? (see first post)

    #804637
    Chein
    Member

    miritchka: That is the position of those rabbonim who say to buy life insurance. I was describing the position of the other rabbonim.

    I would tend to think that by far most rabbonim say to buy life insurance.

    #804638
    miritchka
    Member

    i hear ya. thanx for the clarification

    #804639
    ZachKessin
    Member

    <i>Everyone needs a burial plot. Only those who pass away young need life insurance.</i>

    People die young, obviously we hope to live for a long time but sometimes we don’t. Maybe I will live to 120 or maybe I will get hit by a bus tomorrow. *I DON’T KNOW*! That is why I have life insurance because if the worst happens I want to know that my wife and kids will still be able to pay the rent and eat.

    So if you have people who depend on your income you need life insurance unless you have enough assets that your family could pay the bills off of them.

    #804640
    zahavasdad
    Participant

    Do you have Health Insurance , Property Insurance, Auto Insurance?

    #804641
    Chein
    Member

    Health Insurance covers standard periodic checkups everyone should have.

    Property Insurance covers hurricane or natural disasters (or a fallen tree.) It is also required to get a mortgage.

    Auto Insurance is legally mandatory.

    #804642
    zahavasdad
    Participant

    The newest Health Insurance Policies only cover “Catastrophe’s”

    They have like a $5000 deducatable before they will pay anything.

    COLLISION Auto Insurance is NOT Mandatory

    #804643
    charliehall
    Participant

    Pray like everything is up to God. Act like everything is up to you. Do not test our creator!

    #804644
    cherrybim
    Participant

    Going to the doctor when sick; a Chiyuv (v’nishmartem m’od l’nafshoseichem), or a lack of Bitachon?

    #804645
    Aishes Chayil
    Participant

    Cherrybim,

    There are those Rabonim who takeh dont beleive in taking the Dor Yishorim, claiming that Hashem watches over us all.

    However going to the Doctor when your not well is another issue. A Doctor is supposed to be a shliach. How is that comparable to the topic at hand?

    #804646
    on the ball
    Participant

    Dvorak: Your point is a matter of contention between different Shitos. Some hold that Bitachon means believing that it will all work out well and nothing will go wrong as Hashem is taking care of things in the same way a child has innocent faith in his/her parents.

    I heard B’shem Rav Matisyahu Salomon Shlita that life insurance is part of the Chiyuv of the Kesuba.

    #804647
    apushatayid
    Participant

    “Then why are some pple (rabonim) opposed to it???”

    Who are these pple (rabonim)? How, where, when and to whom did they state this opinion?

    #804648
    Aishes Chayil
    Participant

    Read the second post:

    ‘Its a Machlokes’

    #804649
    gavra_at_work
    Participant

    Going to the doctor when sick; a Chiyuv (v’nishmartem m’od l’nafshoseichem), or a lack of Bitachon?

    As with everything else in this religion, a Machlokes. The famous Ramban in Vayikra says it is a lack of Bitachon. Most other Rishonim (and the Pashtus in the Gemorah) disagree.

    #804650

    Having an insurance policy is not a lack of Bitachon…

    It’s like saying I can cross the busy street with my eyes closed and nothing will happen to me because I trust in Hashem…

    #804651
    babygoose
    Participant

    today we have organizations like areivim and haben yakir li that are sort of l.i.p. just: cheaper, not worth anything (not an ivestment) and more

    #804652
    apushatayid
    Participant

    “‘Its a Machlokes'”

    between who and who?

    #804653

    whom and whom (haifagirl asked me to fill in for her while shes away)

    #804654
    apushatayid
    Participant

    So, whom says what?

    #804655
    littleapple
    Member

    I remember hearing that Gedolei Poskim of E. Y. were cholake on Reb Moshe and were against life ins. due to ayin hara or pischon peh l’satan. This could involve perhaps the greater chiyuv of bitachon and liphnei meshuras hadin of living in E. Y.

    #804656
    Sam2
    Participant

    “Who says what?”

    #804657
    littleapple
    Member

    Need to get back you on that later, col tuv.

    #804658
    simcha613
    Participant

    I one time heard that life insurance is the opposite of an ayin hara. You have more people hoping that you live. Once you get life insurance, the insurance companies hope you live as long as possible.

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