It's all about the Benjamins...
You know how all these Yeshivas are constantly preaching about how everyone in the yeshiva must grow to be "Koylel Yungerleit"? That's kinda funny, because a while ago, we received a newsletter about some Yeshiva dinner . I looked at the honorees on the cover. I told my father, "I bet these are all the money men, and ones with the beards are the chashuv ones." I should have bet more. Sure enough, one graduated from NYU and his wife from Hunter, the other guy is a dentist with a professional wife. Umm, "Koylel" anyone?Now, some will say, "maybe he learned for the first year or two..." whatever. I have no problem with these schools preaching Kollel because deep down I think we all know that it's really the right and best way when it's done sincerely. But I'll save all that for my long winded post about Kollel. It's so complicated that I'm gonna have to work on it on paper, edit it and blah, blah..
But I find it hypocritical of these people to honor those who have done exactly the opposite of what they preach. Assume they went to a private undergrad, but going to grad school, which is mostly co-ed, and then the workplace is also obviously not all Jewish men...it is all assur according to them, and all that business.
Some students may argue to the Yeshiva that they'll be the Zevulan to all the learning Yesachars...but you're supposed to ASPIRE to be a Yesachar, AND many say that Zevulan gave half his earnings to Yesachar. I can't think of anyone who would do that in real life. Oh, man, I'm dipping into my "Koylel" thing. But you see what I am saying--these Yeshivas-- yes, need the money-- but they are going against what they say by honoring these money men. So they are saying, "Yes, you should learn, but these people are an exception, they can do what we feel (and preach) is assur because they are making money for the school, and paying for your learning..."
Since you can't expect these people to live on miracles, they have left themselves with two options, 1-only honor those bearded guys who have little money down here, but savings accounts "up there" where it counts, or 2- they should allow their students to pursue professional positions without feeling like a goy or a failure.
posted by Michelle @ 6:09 PM
7 Comments:
Have you asked them if they feel like goyim? Your point is well taken that the yeshivos ought to be fair and present the Zevulan way as an option (although they'll argue that you must reach for the stars, and even if you fall short you're ahead of where you'd be if you reached for the trees), but when they start kissing the rich people's fannies, do the wealthy still feel like goyim?
Well, maybe the GUYS don't feel like Goyim,but in my HS girls who did not plan on marrying a Koylel Yungerleit came damn close.
it's all hypocrisy, they'll fawn over anyone for money
You're looking at this through the eyes of a post high school graduate. Give it a few years and you won't give two hoots about what hypocracy goes on in the Yeshiva world. These institutions don't run on love; they don't run on zechusim either. Schools need money to function, to heat the buildings, pay the faculty, run the electricity, pay the mortgage. If kissing the fannies of rich people will allow the Yissaschar's of the world to learn, it's an unfortunate byproduct. As for you, you choose which you'd rather be---Yissaschar or Zevulan---and let those narrow minded biddies who tried to brainwash you in high school worry about someone else.
I know they need money to run, but what happens when they tell their students, who will IY"H have mouths to feed and bodies to clothe, that working is not okay, and they must have the proper bitachon in Hashem. Why can't they practice what they preach? That Hashem will provide for them, (as He is now).
Trust me, reality sets in and no one listens. How many kollel families do you see who go at it for decades? After a year or two, the party's over and the guys go to work. Again, you just do what's good for you and don't listen to others on soap boxes.
Have you actually ever heard or been told straight from the mouth of someone who heard it-Yeshivos telling their students that they must learn in kollel to be a good jew & that a/o who doesn't is bad?(Besides for the "ben torah" incident in high school) They definitely encourage it, but do they actually put people down if they don't? They must understand that it's not for everyone, & that it's better to be earning an honest living & kovea itim than to be spending your life "smoking outside of the bais medrash" & being a phony balony. BTW, did you ever hear the story of what some gadol answered when someone asked him if the zevulun gets the same s'char as the yissachar? He said, Yeah, they get the same olam habah, but how I pity him that he's missing out on my olam hazeh!
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