EXOD537 A husband's obligations to his wife are listed in the Pentateuch: "Her food, her raiments, and her conjugal rights, he shall not diminish" [this verse]. "Food" is the comprehensive term for board and lodging. The standard of living which a husband must provide depends upon his income. It is unethical to demand of a wife that she be content with a living standard below that which is maintained by the average person within her husband's income bracket. It is equally unethical for a husband with a potential for a higher income to deny it to his wife on the ground that he prefers greater leisure than most people of his age enjoy. On the other hand, it is unethical of a wife to demand a higher standard of living which is beyond her husband's ability to attain. Men who are married to wealthy women may tend to slack in their efforts to make an adequate living. The rabbis were generally critical of husbands who prefer to depend on their wives' income (Pesachim 50b). They issued a dire warning to him who secretly entertains hopes of inheriting his wife's estate. "In the end she will bury him" (Avot deRabbi Natan 3:3). Many modern families have two breadwinners. Women seek employment to increase the family income or out of a preference for the stimulation and challenge of a job. A wife's gainful work is perfectly proper, provided it does not preclude the primary function of bringing children into the world or deprive young children of a parent's company and supervision.