From the Rav’s Desk: Investing in nursing homes-The Rebbe’s opinion

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  1. Question: [Thursday, 14th Kisleiv 5783]

I have a relative who works in investments and has offered members of our family a great financial opportunity to invest in a string of nursing homes which we hope will bring in a nice income. However, when I was discussing this with a friend of mine he said that he thinks he remembers that the Rebbe was not encouraging of people investing in nursing homes. Is this correct?

Answer:

You are indeed correct that the Rebbe was not fond of people investing in nursing homes unless it can be ascertained that the profit will not come as a result of providing low-quality care to the nursing home patients. The following is a letter of the Rebbe on the subject which speaks for itself:

“based on what I have heard of the way that nursing homes are managed, the main profit comes from the fact that the management diminishes the amount of money spent for medical care of its residents, including those medical treatments that are necessary for the residents, in addition they diminish the amount of food that they get, and they are cheap in properly heating their homes [in order to save money on electric bills] and matters of the like. I heard this information from a number of people. From then on, I advise all those who consult with me to not enter into this business, as the daily challenge in this is simply too great, especially that people make for themselves different justifications of Heterim being that it is not they who are directly doing the above malnourishment of the residence”

In short, the Rebbe viewed such an investment as dishonest, immoral, and unethical towards the residents of the nursing home, and from here one could learn regarding all investments of the like which are unethical for a human in general and a Jew in particular. Making money must be done in a Kosher and ethical manner.

Sources: See Igros Kodesh 28:133

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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