How exactly should one go about fulfilling the mitzvah of buying your wife clothing for Yuntif? Nowadays, women always buy their own clothing. And often, the husband and wife share one bank account which the both contribute towards. What should the husband do to fulfill his mitzvah?
Answer
There is no fixed amount that is required to fulfil this mitzvah. If the husband contributes half of the costs and thus enables his wife to buy the clothes, presumably he has fufilled this mitzvah.
The mitzvah of buying clothes for one’s wife for Yom Tov is part of the general mitzvah of ensuring that she has Simchas Yom Tov. If this can be achieved in other ways he has also fulfilled the Mitzvah.
If the husband doesn’t have spare $ to purchase a dress for his wife…can he get her something else?
Yes. He can but an item of jewelry, a jeweled pin, and so on. According to some authorities, he can also buy items for the home that give her pleasure, such as a fancy cover for challos, a kiddush cup, candlesticks, or even a tumble-dryer. Much depends on individual circumstances of what would make a wife happy for Yom Tov, though clothes and jewelry remain the most ideal choice.
if $ is really tight, can the wife forgo the present?
as she might be upset that her husband bought her s/t when they have X amount of debt for example…
She can forgo the present, but the obligation remains on the husband to care for her simchas yom-tov. Her foregoing the gift will give him a good excuse for not buying something grandiose, but he should still het her something small. It isn’t the money that counts…
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