Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Marriage and Control
In the traditional Jewish family, the husband was the breadwinner and the wife was the homemaker. Inasmuch as the husband had primary access to the family income, he could exert control by making the wife totally dependent on him for money. In today's economy, this occurs if the wife cannot sign a check or have a credit card. Putting the wife on a weekly allowance as one would do with a juvenile is an affront to her dignity. The reverse is true when the wife supplies the family income, either by her earnings or her family's support. If she utilizes this to control the husband, this is both a transgression and an undermining of the marriage relationship.
Each spouse must live for the other, is the message, it seems.
Each spouse must live for the other, is the message, it seems.
