Jane* emails: “My neighbor is an orthodox Jew (I’m Jewish as well, though not as religious) and he told me that his beliefs prohibited him from “talking business in front of [his] wife.” Knowing some strong and financial astute Orthodox women, I’ve had trouble believing that. If this stricture is true, where does it come from in the Bible or Talmud? Thanks in advance for your response.”
Leonard says: “Luke – your hunch is bang-on. Orthodox Jewish women have been working and earning and managing $ throughout history, they are frequently the main wage-earners of their family, and almost always managing the household budget. There is no religious reason to prevent women’s involvement in financial and business discussions, though there may be specific considerations in the case you describe that we’re not aware of.”
Mikal says: “Dude doesn’t want his wife to know how much money he is making, because then she will wonder where all of the money is going. Hint hint: to the girlfriend.”
