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What is are the Torah opinions with regard to Life Insurance?
Mi Ha’ish Ha’chafeitz Chaim…N’tzor L’shoncha Mai’ra
IANAR, but I don’t see any good reason why you should not have good live insurance. OK Sure we all want to live to 120, but not all of us will. People die young, it happens. And if by some chance it should happen to me I don’t want my wife and kids to be destitute!
How many people have you seen collecting for some widow who’s husband died young? Don’t let it be your family.
I don’t know, all I remember is Torah UMesorah having a raffle, in order to sponsor life insurance for Rabbeim. Sounds like they felt Rabbeim should have
Do you feel there is a halachic or hashkafic reason not to purchase a life insurance policy that you are asking this question?
Unfortunately, I can remember many times where a man passed away young and the local shuls collected funds for the family because they didn’t have life insurance. Each time, the Rabbonim stressed the importance of having it.
I personally get some through my employer (2.5x my salary) plus I buy a $1 million policy for myself and $750k for my wife.
Each person must act according to his level of bitachon. Although the Ramban says, that a true yorei Hashem (dont remember the exact words) doesent go to a doctor, the Steipler shouted at a baal bitachon for not going to a doctor, insisting he must go.
R. Y. Berkowitz, in his new book “the 6 constant Mitzvos” makes the point that we don’t work on bitachon. Rather we work on coming closer to Hashem. Bitachon is a natural outgrowth of being close to Hashem… To skip the coming closer to Hashem part will not make our bitachon stronger.
A huge huge baal bitachon should probably not purchase
Why should there even be a question about this? Life insurance is paid out to provide for the beneficiary in case of the death of the insured. DOn’t we put money into retirement plans, so that when working is no longer optional there is a ready source of income? I see no stirah.
eclipse – 🙂
I don’t see any reason that the torah would not allow one to invest his money.
It is against Sharia law to have insurance of any type (considered gambling). Not so in Halacha. There is also no issue of a “lack of Emunah” – it’s really just another form of personal hishtadlut.
truth be told: I once heard a story about a similar thing, although I don’t remember who it was about.
Basically, this Rav never went to doctors. If he got sick, he made a cheshbon hanefesh to figure out why he deserved it. If he had stomach ache, he figured out what he did wrong with his stomach. If his foot hurt, he figured out what he did wrong with his foot. His wife wanted him to see a doctor, but he never did.
One time, he got sick, and told his wife he was going to see a doctor. She was overjoyed, and went with him to see what the doctor had to say. The doctor diagnosed the illness, and prescribed a medication for him to take.
After they left, the Rav took the note from the doctor and ripped it up. His wife was shocked, and asked why he did it. He replied that he wasn’t sure where the illness was coming from this time, so he saw the doctor for a diagnosis. Now that he knew where the illness was, he could properly do his cheshbon hanefesh.
Feif Un: That’s an amazing story. Thanks for sharing. It really really humbles…
there are different shittas. some allow life insurance, and some do not allow it.
if its a lack in bitachon then you should not be able to have health insurance. cuz by having health insurance you are saying that you have not bitachon that you will not get sick
Do we really need to see more Tzedakah inserts that tell of a poor widow and 9 orphans if you have a family you have a responsibility to provide for them should chas vashalom something bad happen.
“A huge huge baal bitachon should probably not purchase”
If the life insurance money is going to sustain the baal bitachon’s family when he’s gone, then b’derech hateva, it is incumbent upon him to have life insurance.
Isn’t there a Tshuva in Igros Moshe that addresses the hashkafic question of bitachon and insurance?
and some do not allow it.
Who does not allow it?
The Wolf
It is asur to rely on Divine intervention. Therefore life and disability insurance is needed even by those with the strongest bitachon.
cherrybim: You mised it. If a person is truly truly on that level, his responsibility for his family is taken care of. Fact is though, our Torah sages generally used doctors. They didn’t take that “yirei Hashem” title for themselves
binah–:) :)!
It is asur to rely on Divine intervention
it is obligatory to rely on Divine intervention.
nevertheless one is obligated in hishtadlus.
how much and what kind depending on who one is.
TBT: The Anaf Yosef on Medrash discussed the hashkafic issues here, second answer.
it is obligatory to rely on Divine intervention.
nevertheless one is obligated in hishtadlus.
Interesting way of putting it. I would say Hashem gives us the ability to do Hishtadlus, and only with Hashem’s help will it work. However, if possible, one may not “rely” on Hashem coming to his aid, but must trust that if it comes to that, Hashem will help (also see Anaf Yosef)(what you said is vauge. If that is not what you meant, please clarify)
I heard that R’ Moshe Feinstein held that everyone should have life insurance from the minute they stand under the chuppah.
“it is obligatory to rely on Divine intervention”
Only with absolute amunah like Moshe Rabeinu, otherwise, one is m’chuyav to go b’derech hatevah.
“it is obligatory to rely on Divine intervention.”
That is a totally ridiculous statement.
If I don’t prepare for Shabat, will HaShem do my grocery shopping and cook my meals?
If I don’t get rid of my chometz, will HaShem miraculously cause it to disappear before Pesach?
If I get sick, will HaShem always make the disease go away without treatment?
The halachah simply does not agree with that statement. It is a chiyuv to prepare for Shabat, get rid of my chometz, and go to a real doctor if I have a serious illness.
cherrybim: read that statement in my post in context please, as gavra did
gavra: let me just put it this way: it is not proper to rely on natural and human salvation. one must KNOW that EVERYTHING is in the hands and COMPLETE control of Hashem. one must rely on Hashem and no one else. read Chovos Ha Levavos. while maintaining this as a proper and desirable Emunah, one must conduct his life and Parnasah with hishtadlus appropriate to his Emunah, keeping in mind that this is merely a disguise, so to speak.
the above is very basic Jewish principles. it brings up many questions and requires consultation with appropriate Rabbaim to carry out properly, but it is a foundation of Yiddishkeit. I dont intend to debate it
r moshe paskend its a mitzvah to get life ins, and there are many contemporary poskim who do too. if you are bh healthy , term life ins will cost you very little. look into it.
charliehall
before calling my statements ridiculous it would behoove you to actually read and contemplate the entire post. its not too long
here it is:
it is obligatory to rely on Divine intervention.
nevertheless one is obligated in hishtadlus.
how much and what kind depending on who one is
if you dont understand the interplay between Emunah and Hishtadlus, i dont think i can easily clarify it for you in this medium. but real quick, you must perform hishtadlus in action while relying in your heart ONLY on Hashem.
i certainly did not say that one should not do any actions, or act in a manner of Tevah, this is of course required. this is how the world was created. this is what Hashem has asked of most of since the time of Odom Harishons chait
Mr. 80:
Don’t worry, neither do I. It goes much deeper than either of us want to deal with here.
thank you gavra
its a very difficult
and crucial
matter
Charlie,
There’s a difference, in theory, between your first two examples and your third.
It is always, and unequivocally, an obligation to do mitzvos and not rely on Divine help at the expense of human effort.
For panassah and health and such, someone on a high enough level should rely on Divine help to the exclusion of human effort (as an example, Yosef with the sar hamashkim).
I doubt that there is anyone on that level in our generation.
i think there are two quite different usages of the word “rely” here
charliehal is using it meaning to rely as regards actions.
i am using it as regards thought and emotion.
The son of the Divrei Chaim (Sanzer Rav) said that buying life insurance is a segulah for Arichas Yomim.
Making a LI, avoids imposing on Klal Yisroel the burden of having to support families who don’t have one!
“charliehal is using it meaning to rely as regards actions.
i am using it as regards thought and emotion. “
Correct. I apologize if my previous post seemed to strident. I did not understand that the distinction was being made. HaShem is of course in charge of EVERYTHING.
Rav Lichtenstein on this general topic:
Mr. 80:
That is why I said your original statement was vague. One must “Trust” in Hashem, but not “rely” as not to do the work required. If the work can not be done, one must still “Trust” Hashem that it will work out as needed.
Let me restate my apology in a stronger way: I apologize for the stridency of my previous post and for the term “ridiculous” it reflected a misunderstanding of what others were saying. I regret the error.
The reason why I asked this question is because I remember hearing that the Chazon Ish holds that one should not have life insurance because if someone does it could work against him. The reason is that perhaps the reason why he is spared death is because of the financials problems he will cause his family, but now that that issue is no more, he might die.
Am I quoting him correctly? Has anyone heard of this?
Also, assuming what I said is the Chazon Ish’s shita, I have a kasha. According to him, wouldn’t health insurance fall into the same category? Perhaps a person is not getting a sickness due to the financial strain it would put on his wife or children who dont deserve it, but now that he is insured that problem is gone, so Hashem will send the sickness.
So how can anyone follow the Chazon ish’s shita on Life, and at the same time have Health? Is that not a stira (assuming I have all the facts right)?
I think there is a difference between the Chazon Ish’s position not to get life insurance — because if someone’s wife and children were not slated to be punished by not having parnass but the husband was slated to be punished by dying, the RBS”O would spare the husband’s life on account of not punishing his wife and children financially. If he gets the life insurance, his wife and children wont suffer (as much) financials if he dies. That issue doesn’t happen with health insurance.
The reason why I asked this question is because I remember hearing that the Chazon Ish holds that one should not have life insurance because if someone does it could work against him. The reason is that perhaps the reason why he is spared death is because of the financials problems he will cause his family, but now that that issue is no more, he might die”
By that same logic we should not go to doctors, because maybe we aren’t getting too sick because we are needed by our families. Hashem expects us to do our part to remain healthy, and to be able to provide for our families in the event that chalilah we are not healthy enough to survive, or if we should die unexpectedly.
How about: “In addition to pursuing an established and accepted course of action, it is obligatory to seek and pray for Divine intervention.”
Rav Lichtenstein quoting the Chazon Ish in the link I gave above:
Jewishness,
You didn’t quote a source for the Chazon Ish. You quoted an “If I remember correctly” which means technically oomis is questioning what you wrote, not necessarily the Chazon Ish.
Interesting that you call it oomis’s own hashkafa when its a very mainstream hashkafa. Interesting.
Can’t we leave off the personal insults!
If I really wanted to be mean, I would just say that someone who is someone who holds the Chazon Ish’s Shiita should not have his family supported after death. Logic being, if we support his family, it will make his death easier on them, and that will remove a reason for Hashem not to have taken him away.
I’m in that sort of mood, but not enough to withhold the “If I really wanted to be mean”.
End story? Don’t Double Guess God. He will Win, its His rules.
Jewishness: The worm line was uncalled for
At least some of the signatories follow the shitta of the Chazon Ish Z’L.
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