(Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yisroel Korff, Zvill-Mezhbizher Rebbe, son of Grand Rabbi Mordechai of Mezhbizh, hosting a family tish in 1947 with the rebbes of Skver, Novominsk, Rachmastrivka, Kopiczynitz, Boyan, Chernobyl, Loyev, Koson, Kobrin, Shotz, Brod, and Tolna-Vizhnitz)
Photo by Wiki
The booming growth among Charedim in general, and among "Rebbishe Kinder" in particular has given birth to a new problem, a problem we can all live with, really. Rebbishe Kinder today have re-written their own rule books and now have this rule that none of them can actually work in the real world. Gone are the days when you'd see them on 47th Street at the Diamond Exchange smoking their cigarettes and talking business with other Jews. Shabbos was another story, of course, with the weekday businessmen shedding their weekday mundaneness and donning their Shabbos finery, and becoming Rebbes and Rebbishe Kinder again, leading the services in their shuls across New York. Those were the days when the older generation had to actually work to support themselves and the generation boom was about to happen. They knew that raising and marrying off all those children was gonna cost a pretty penny, and somebody had to pay for it, so they hopped the buses and trains and did what any self-respecting man would do; they went to work and make a living.
Today is another story. No self-respecting RK would get a job today that compels him to actualy deal with people, buying and selling and negotiating over mundane objects. It's not becoming of a man in a Bekishe in the weekdays to be seen on the train or even the Yiddishe bus with all the Amcha Yidden crossing the bridge/tunnel into the city every day. This new mindset among the Rebbishe (which stretches very far these days) has given birth to a new class of young men who cannot work but are not cut out for full-time learning in Kollel either. Some get jobs as Maggidei Shiur and Shoy'el U'Mayshivs, but those are limited. When I was as kid there was a RK who had a shul who was a Melamed in a BP cheyder, that wouldn't happen today, it wouldn't be good for business. So the young RK who gets married today usually goes to a Kolel outside his Kreyz and sits there for a while. There the other Yungeleit won't sit and bad-mouth him, and he'll do his thing in peace. A Vizhnitzer BSh"K goes to the Gerrer Kolel, and the Skverrer BSh"k goes to Ch'san Sofer, and nobody's the wiser as to how he spends his days. That lasts for a few years.
המשך יבוא בעז"ה
Chassides in Bankrupt.
ReplyDeleteBe it the laideg-geiyers, welfare recipient 'Rebbishe Einiklach' dressing their little bar mitvah yinglach as royalty i.e, 'dee beest beser feen yeidem' when the kid has nothing to show for himself, yet.Was the 'chaseedes' just a different way to steal the elitism from the Snags?At least a Snag had to be a talmid chochom to feel like he is a 'yesh', being the son of a talmid chochom meant zilch.By the Chasidem, the father just has to dress like a 'prince' play some chaseedeshe shtich, for all his descendants to feel that they are above evryone else.
The other side of Chassides/chasidem are Lubavitch.They are stam meshiguem, what is their to talk about?Just saw something on vous iz nayes that they are offering free drinks in bars in E .yisruel for frayeh on the Yahrtzeit.Wonderful.The Besht must be proud.
not "They," one Meshugener.
ReplyDeleteI hope you don't base it all on the actions of that one guy.
Tzig
ReplyDeleteLubavitch is a bandeh meshuguem.The example of the free drinks is just an example.I've been to 770 often enough to see that seeing a normally dressed Lubavitcher is becoming difficult.Not a talmid chochom, not a chassidishe yid:Just look normal.Clean, neat.
Maybe the guys out of town look, behave normal, I don't know well enough, but remember this:A first in the yiddishe velt is a large group in a chassides claiming the rebbe is alive when he died 13 years ago! Doos hayst normal?
Oy vei
I just saw on COL the letter announcing the free drinks in bars with hostesses.For real.COL denounces it bitterly, but interestingly enough in the comments some posters curse out Bnei Brak snags and call it a snag provocation.Unfortunately, it is NOT a Snag provocation, it is a real meshichist 'mivtza' to get secular I sraelis involved.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, along with the general ‘Chassisization’ of the Litvisher world, the same is happening to the sons of Rosh yeshivas (Not son in laws, who are chosen with one criteria in mind, ability to learn and Yiras Shamayim). By way of example, MOST of Rav Schenaur Kotlers sons worked. None of the current Rosh Yeshivas children work at all. Problem they have is there is no place to hide, and it is really quite apparent that they aren’t stars, so they cant find positions commiserate with what they feel they are worthy of. Nepotism can only go so far.
ReplyDeleteWhile there may be something to what you write, limayseh, the idea is not that strange. After all, RAT's zeide was maspid RAK.
ReplyDelete" Rav Shmuel Berenbaum of Mir-Brooklyn, Rav Henoch Leibowitz of Yeshivah Chofetz Chaim, Rav Chaim Stein of Telshe-Cleveland, and Rav Chaim Epstein of Zichron Meilach"
Were they particularly connected to the baal hayohrzeit ?
Recently RAT spoke at a large Litvishe Yeshiva in Far Rockaway too, by the way. But that is another story.
What is the reaction of the R. Zalman Leib side?
The 7:49 poster in posting on the wrong thread. And Rav Yoel T. is AT's great uncle, not grandfather.
ReplyDeleteWhat did Banshak's do in the pre WW2 era in Poland. Were they all gutte Yidden ?
ReplyDeleteI ahve read that even the Rayaatz before he assumed leadership was employed by Tea Wissotski as an agent.
Tzig, you have a point. But you are generalizing big time.
ReplyDeleteMany many Rebbishe Kinder do work hard to support their families. Though I admit that many more do not.
Shneur, re rebbishe kinder before WW2, it all depend which family you are referring to...
the family i am familiar with were anshei ma'ase and were generally speaking very active people invloved in askanus and if they were shayach to it got elected as Rav of a town.