Do you want a tie with that?

A friend of mine who tutors yeshiva bochurim was telling me about a bochur whose rosh yeshiva told him, "A bochur who wears a beard, is a like a guy who wears a tie on his pajamas.”

Obviously this wasn’t a Chassidishe yeshiva, but I wonder, what is behind that statement? Is a bochur a pajama, and not worthy enough to grow his beard? Is it a statement to keep the coals burning in the never ending battle to protect these innocent youths from Chassidim or Chassidishe values? Is it because the beard is only for people of stature, and not the common man or simple bochur – thus a bearded bochur insults those of status and stature? Or was it a simple innocuous comment with no harm intended? In my opinion, this battle to assure that yiddishe kinder have no feeling for kedusha inyanim is illogical; it seem to me that there are 2 logical outcomes that are probably not desirable to the roshei yeshiva that share this view:

1. The bochur is convinced and lives a life of kedusha-less rules – a guf without a neshoma – eventually becoming a baal habayis without even a small amount of Yiras Shomayim.

2. The bochur finds Chassidim that show him another, perhaps more spiritual, path – and the bochur leaves the ranks of his rosh yeshiva.

I just don’t get it; I am, however, sure that there are measures taken to avoid the second scenario. As to the first, that’s ok I guess. And if you don’t think there is any agenda here, this might change your mind: A girl I know from a main-stream Bais Yaakov background, who was positively disposed to Chassidim, went to Nevei Yerushalaim. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think that in many ways it’s a great place, and they do great work. But I can tell you, this girl came back after a couple there years with such hatred for Chassidim and Chassidus that it was unbelievable. Here’s the attitude that they worked day & night to instill in her:

1. Chassidim are Am-Haaratzim that don’t know a word of Torah; they are blatant violators of halacha. They have perverted the derech hayoshor of Yiddishkeit.

2. Chassidic seforim and Toras hachassidus in general is unnecessary, since it is only basic penimius haTorah, which is available in many other better seforim (and Chassidim stole it from the stam yeshiva world anyway). And they proceeded to teach sections of Nefesh Hachaim, Ramchal & Rav Dessler as the better alternatives for those with interest in Chassidus.

3. Lubavitch is the worst of all possible derachim – to be avoided at all costs. No unmarried girl should C”V light a Shabbos candle like Lubavitch promotes, and if they have to light, because they don’t have anyone to light for them, then they must light 2 candles, not 1 candle like the am-haratzim in Lubavitch do.

4. For Halacha, the primary sefer of significance should be Chai Adam.

I could go on, but you get the idea. I was a bit surprised that this indoctrination is so blatant, but I guess the battle lines are pretty clearly drawn. I guess Yiddishkeit has become little more than ideology to the leaders of the Litvishe Modsos Hatorah out there.