My boss is on the phone with his "prize" son-in-law who's living in Eretz Yisroel and learning in Mir-Yerushalayim. They're discussing a shtikkel Teyreh that he heard in a Shiur to BaaleiBatim by a certain well-known Rosh Yeshiva from Upstate NY. To be able to talk Teyreh during work . איז ממש מעין עולם הבא
The איידעם sits in the Mirrer Kolel in Yerushalayim and has all his expenses paid, including a couple of R/T tickets to the States twice a year. He probably does learn, not just "Kvetching di Bank", although it probably is אף די אמעריקאנער שטייגער, without too much effort. The Eidem calls the patron of this nice יששכר-זבולון venture, his shver, and reports on his so-called progress, telling him a Vort he read in either לקח טוב or a similar Sefer, and the coming week's expenses are in the bank.
All this time I sit here and listen to this conversation where the Shver (I presume) is shepping buckets of Nachas of his Tchachke. Instead of me having the "best of both worlds" I have none. Nisht all expenses paid and nisht swimming in the ים של תלמוד, worse than that, my dream of making some kind of difference, whether by Shlichus or Chinuch never materialized either.
The eidem has weeks of בין הזמנים where he gets the time to prepare properly for all of the Yomim Tovim, aaaaand spend time with the family. Us working zhlobs need to work Erev RH, Erev YK (although not this year with YK on Monday) Chol HaMoed and even Hoshana Rabboh. Imagine riding the train to the city when all good Jews are basking in the glow of Hashem in Shul!
If I had the chance to do it all over again I would insist on being able to learn in Kolel for at least 15 years, when by then it would be too late to start going to work already, and I'd continue to live in spiritual bliss for all eternity.
אמן כן יהי רצון
Ssad Hirshel, sad. I can only say that I hope you will one day be a true chassidisher Yid.
ReplyDeleteexcuse me, Mr. Zezmir, but it'll take a little verbage on your part for me to see the err of my ways. Can you tell me where I went wrong? Please?
ReplyDeleteFor a chiddisher Yid tzu benken nuchn leben fun der keilel Litvak iz a rachmanus. Eib eihr kent dus nit alein farshtein is der rachmanus a touplete.
ReplyDeletei gave shi'oorum,chaburos,wrote seforim in my early years.now i squezze medicaid for hungarians
ReplyDelete> Nisht all expenses paid and nisht swimming in the ים של תלמוד,
ReplyDeleteWhy? Because you did not get a Shver rich enough or willing to cough up enough schmecks to support you and yours in that lifestyle? Perhaps that was never your tachlis.
Anyways, recall the story of the Yeshiva boy meeting his prospective Kallah's parents for the first time. Her father mentions that the girl is used to a rather rich lifestyle; clothes, trips to EY, fancy home, etc. "Don't worry; G-d will provide" is his answer to every question.
Afer he leaves the Kallah's mother comes to speak to the father and asks him his impression of their future SIL. Father answers "I love him already; he thinks I am G-d!"
HT, you should have enough physical success in the years ahead to be in the position of that Kallah's father and Shep Nachas from your own children basking in that glow.
G'mar Chasima Tovah
Hirshel: I am a zhlob just like you ;)
ReplyDeleteTzig
ReplyDeleteYou say that 'you have made no difference in the world'.That's not true.Since you started your blog,I have lost a lot of respect for Lubavitch . Why?:Well you are supposedly not a meshichist, not a ba'al teshiva, but still spiteful and full of hate always looking to dredge up awful history from 200 years ago and more.On top of that the supposed depth of Chabad has not touched you or any of your Lubavitcher posters so I guess that depth has disapeared from Chabad.I guess America IZ ANDERSH! (examples of the shallowness are the supposed divrei torah you have posted.Childish at best.)
So the uncovering of the truth about Lubavitch is itself a sort of 'shlichus' after all 'Chabad mont emmes'.Thank you and keep it up.
P.S It's ok if you don't post this.
you're fired! the chutzpah! blogging about me!!
ReplyDeleteIf your boss is so machshiv torah that he supports kollel yungerleit in Jerusalem, why not take a sefer with you to work and spend more time learning and less time blogging. You might even get a raise. (any perceived mussar is to me too)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this piece. Yasher kayach Hirshel !
ReplyDeleteIt reminded me of the piece you posted some time ago, about a Lubavitcher who complained to the alter Rebbe, that, in contrast to the Chagas chossid, he had neither aylem hazeh or aylem habo. There the response (by the alter Rebbe) was that you should rather have the Lubavitcher gehennom than the Chagas gan eiden. So here too, I guess a die-hard Lubavitcher would say that he would rather have the Lubavitcher gehennom you describe as a working Lubavitcher, than the 'gan eiden' of a kayllel yungerman.
I realize that what you posted was written somewhat in jest. However, 'many a truth is said in jest'.
Perhaps you need to explore some adjustments in your life.
Keep it up, such introspective, serious pieces are geshmak.
C
ReplyDeleteyour words are appreciated. Do you expect me to go back to Kolel without a supportive Shver?
I didn't say or mean davka regular kayllel. Maybe some other way could be devised to increase lernen and maybe to cut down on work too (don't ask me for a detailed plan though ;-).
ReplyDeleteIn the old days there were laymdim and ayvdim in Lubavitch (I mean in addition to shluchim and stam baalei batim). Maybe it is time to go back to that.