13 year old farmers... Learning or Working Part II

...... Well, that would be case if we followed the advice of the Mitteler Rebbe of Lubavitch, adviced offered way back in the 1820s. The advice was presented at a time when Jews would be happy with a slice of bread twice a day, yes, but should be just as relevant today as it was back then. Back then there were thousands upon thousands of such young farmers; they worked the land and were happy and G-d fearing, just like the Mitteler Rebbe said they were. Yeshiva was for a very select few, only those who were considered to be "Mutzlochim." Obviously times have changed. No longer do we have thousands of Jews living on Kolonyes in the Ukraine. And no longer can we have a society where only a handful can open a sefer other than a siddur. Knowledge is power, and lack thereof is lack of power to battle the forces of evil that wish to ensnare us in their webs of deceit and decadence. Unlike the letter from Reb Osher Stoliner, where the letter seems to be a general one, albeit written to a relative, this letter DOES seem like it was only addressed to that particular segment of society, to Yishuv'niks who were living a simple, yet uplifting life in the breadbasket of the Ukraine. The Rebbe doesn't seem to worry about the fact that the Yid's lack of knowledge might bring him to be over on a issur muktzeh, which some of you here WERE very concerned about... (not that I'm trying to diminish the severity of the issur, cholileh.)



So we've come a long way, people. Most of us can daven - at least for themselves - and many of us can learn a Posuk Chumish by ourselves. Some of us can learn a Mishneh, There are even those who can learn a blatt gemoreh without a crutch, and a handful can learn a Teysfis without help. Real progress indeed. No longer are we danger of assimilation or departure from the fold. We're safe and learned. We look like Jews, none of that brown hats and tan suits anymore. We each have a set of daled minim and we have tashmishei kedusheh that would put the biggest tzaddikim of yesteryear to shame. Reb Chaim's hiddur mitzveh couldn't hold a candle to that of a 20 year old in Bnei Beraq these days. There's more "Torah" in one week in Lakewood than there was for years back in some places In Europe. Ah! mamesh achshir doro! And the chidushei torah that appear today? mamesh hafleh VoFeleh! Judging from how beautiful everything is today it's a chiddush that we ever speak about der later heim at all. All we had was a bunch of freiaks and Amiratzim who never had the true simchas hachayim and mesikus hatorah - those things could only happen post WW2, after (in the morning) and before (in the afternoon) picking up the babies from the babysitter... They had none of that back in Europe, so what did they know...



But we need farmers. We need a place where a young man can use his hands for constructive purposes. Not all of us are cut out for learning. And sometimes he may be cut out for learning, but all he needs is some encouragement and a voice that listens, not reprimands. We're not advocating that we close down all yeshivos, c"v, but we do know that some of us need assistance, so that we can grow up as erliche yidden, tomchei torah. And thank G-d there are 2 such yeshivos in the Monsey area alone. They cater to two different clienteles, otherwise they would work together, I'm sure. We're talking Mesivtos here. And we're talking about kids that are not necessarily incapable of learning because of a disability, all they need is to be made to feel like a human being who can accomplish. One is Shaarei Arozim, which caters to the Yeshivish/American Oylem and has built a sterling reputation, and another is a relative newcomer, Yeshiva Talpios. Shaarei Arazim has an easier time, IMHO, since they deal with a society that's less - only a little less - worried about mah yomru haBriyos. They're more inclined to do what's right for their child, no matter what the nosy lady from across the street says. They've also been in business for some years now and are likely more open to modern methods than Talpios may be, at least judging from the external trappings.

Both of them have transformed boys and are working wonders, B"H.