The Rebbe spoke to us about this at length. He said that people might say that things were much cheaper in the good old days, but then again, people did not have as much money as they have now. A simple householder, even one living from charity, spends more today than the wealthy of yesteryear.
He said, “Aderaba. Der Eibershter firt heint sheiner die velt – The opposite is true. God now directs the world better than ever.”375See Sichot VeSipurim, p. 212, #33; above, note 192.
לְעִנְיַן מַה שֶּׁדֶּרֶךְ הָעוֹלָם לוֹמַר בְּכָל שָׁנָה וּבְכָל עֵת שֶׁעַכְשָׁו אֵינָם עִתִּים טוֹבוֹת וּבַשָּׁנִים הַקּוֹדְמִים הָיָה טוֹב יוֹתֵר וְכוּ'.
Every year, people say that previous years were better and times are not as good as they were before.
כַּיָּדוּעַ שִׂיחוֹת כָּאֵלּוּ בֵּין רֹב הָעוֹלָם, דִּבַּרְנוּ עִמּוֹ מִזֶּה הַרְבֵּה. וְרֹב הַשִּׂיחָה הָיָה שֶׁסִּפְּרוּ לְפָנָיו הַרְבֵּה שֶׁבַּיָּמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הַטּוֹבִים הָיָה הַכֹּל בְּזוֹל גָּדוֹל הַרְבֵּה יוֹתֵר מִשֶּׁל עַכְשָׁו. כִּי לֹא הָיָה אָז נְגִידִים וַעֲשִׁירִים גְּדוֹלִים כְּמוֹ עַכְשָׁו. וּמַה שֶּׁמּוֹצִיא עַכְשָׁו בַּעַל הַבַּיִת פָּשׁוּט וַאֲפִלּוּ מְקַבֵּל חָשׁוּב הוּא יוֹתֵר מֵהַהוֹצָאוֹת שֶׁל הַנְּגִידִים, שֶׁבַּשָּׁנִים הַקּוֹדְמִים כַּיָּדוּעַ וּמְפֻרְסָם כָּל זֶה.
The Rebbe spoke to us about this at length. He said that people might say that things were much cheaper in the good old days, but then again, people did not have as much money as they have now. A simple householder, even one living from charity, spends more today than the wealthy of yesteryear.
עָנָה וְאָמַר: הֲלֹא אַדְּרַבָּא, הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ מַנְהִיג עַתָּה הָעוֹלָם יָפֶה יוֹתֵר מִקֹּדֶם! וְאָמַר בְּזֶה הַלָּשׁוֹן: אַדְּרַבָּא דֶּער אֵייבֶּערְשְׁטֶער פִירְט הַיינְט שֶׁענֶיר דִיא וֶועלְט.
He said, “Aderaba. Der Eibershter firt heint sheiner die velt – The opposite is true. God now directs the world better than ever.”375See Sichot VeSipurim, p. 212, #33; above, note 192.