Author Archive for aaron
Redefining the Kollel Check
A friend once remarked, “A yeshiva is ironic in that at first you have to pay to attend it, but then it suddenly turns around and pays you.” Why do we pay to attend yeshiva as a bochur? Because running a yeshiva costs money. Food, salaries, maintenance, seforim, insurance, and administration costs money. Tuition is [...]
Shavuos – What Does Kabbolas HaTorah Really Mean?
Back when I learned in Lakewood Yeshiva, I remember how much was said about Shavuos being a “Kabbolas HaTorah,” up to the joyous dancing at the end of Yom Tov that lasts well into the late hours of the night. As a kollel yungerman, I was able to connect with the feeling, being able to [...]
His Business is Failing, But he Has 5 Son-in-Laws in Kollel
There is a very fine person in our shul who is always learning, helping others, and supporting himself with his work. He was successful many years in business, but lately his business has declined considerably. He has 5 married daughters, each of them being fully supported by him. That means some of them have been [...]
Are Kollel Guys “Bench Kvetchers”?
In his weekly column for Mishpacha magazine, R’ Yonason Rosenblum wrote how he was appalled at hearing someone apply the term “bench kvetchers” to many of those learning in kollel today. His response: There can never be too much ameilus baTorah. Even those never destined to become maggedei shiur are a great value, and not [...]
Is Kollel Holding You Back From Leaving?
“Started with nothing and became a multi millionaire.” You’ve heard this phrase many times, and often it is said about people that you are intimately familiar with. So many holocaust survivors came to this country with less than nothing – no family, no money, totally unfamiliar with the new country and its language – yet [...]
BMG Kollel Check – How Much Longer?
The problems with the kollel check given by Lakewood yeshiva can be summed up in 3 short sentences: It’s a small amount of money (not enough to make a difference) It’s given to too many people (it costs too much) It produces no return (the money doesn’t grow) The first two points have already been [...]
Supporting Kids in Kollel – Are They Really Happy With It?
A common belief among parents of children learning in kollel is that financially supporting them throughout their years of learning is a positive experience. However, that almost always is never the case. A recent informal study done by Kollel Guy revealed that kollel men who were supported by their parents or in-laws for a period [...]
Free Lunch vs. True Freedom
“There is no such thing as a free lunch.” It’s much easier to go for the free lunch. At least in the short-term. There is no worrying where your next meal is coming from, you don’t even have to decide on the menu. You may not love the food that is being served, but hey, [...]
Aaron Kotler Lakewood Interview
Recently, Mishpacha magazine interviewed Rabbi Aaron Kotler, the CEO of Lakewood yeshiva. He discussed how the Jewish (frum) community of Lakewood has grown drastically over the past 25 years, which he credited much of it to the work of his father Rav Shneur Kotler. He also spoke about the current economic environment, how former talmidim [...]
Don’t Fight the System
Some of my readers consider the topic of this site controversial. As such, I tend to get lots of email that is critical of my viewpoints. As is typical with anonymous emails, many of them are written without much intelligence, and as such I don’t even bother replying to them. However, I do occasionally get [...]
