Lost in Kollel » Limud HaTorah

The Truth About Shavuos and Matan Torah

aaron — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 02:05:15 +0000

Much like the “yom tov” of Lag B’aomer which has been hijacked byfrom it’s true meaning – the day when the talmidim of Rebbe Akiva stopped dying – so too has the Yom Tov of Shavuos been hijacked by zealous kanaim from it’s true meaning. The Torah doesn’t ever mention that Shavuos is a celebration of Matan Torah. What it does say is that Shavuos is the festival of the harvest – חג הקציר.

Why is Shavuos, which is certainly the time of when we received the Torah, referred to in such a mundane manner?

Perhaps there lies an important lesson. Celebrating the receiving of the Torah is only meaningful when it is done in conjunction with a harvest. Because if you just spend your life learning but never harvest anything, you haven’t really accomplished much.

What does it mean to harvest? Every person can define harvesting differently.

Harvesting can refer to someone like R’ Sender Dolgin – a person with average intelligence who has finished shas annually for over 15 years – and knows it!

Harvesting can refer to someone like R’ Chaim Tzvi Gorelick – who has mastered the laws of techum Shabbos, and has taught thousands of Lakewood residents where they can and can’t go on Shabbos.

Harvesting refers to R’ Moshe Pruzansky – who has created a massive chabura in Lakewood Yeshiva attracting hundreds of members who learn entire mesechtes – and master them.

Harvesting refers to making yourself a goal…and achieving it.

It’s possible to receive the gift of the Torah, and spend an entire lifetime learning it, but never harvest anything. In our contemporary yeshiva system, we are indoctrinated from our early years that we must devote our learning to “learning how to learn”. So we spend our days and weeks and months saying sevoros and learning more meforshim, without really getting to the bottom of anything. We get ourselves used to this method – and we end up spending our precious years of kollel continuing along the same path of “learning how to learn”, without ever actually starting to learn…and harvest.

Shavuos is the festival of harvest. What have you harvested recently?

And if you haven’t, it is not too late to plan for next year’s harvest.

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Yonason Rosenblum: A Job is More Productive Than Kollel

aaron — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 06:15:59 +0000

Did Yonason Rosenblum write those words in his Mishpacha magazine column? Well, he did not write those exact words, but he did say this:

In the world of learning, there are few measures of progress or tests. The only demarcation is between yeshivah and kollel, and the difference is not that great. Pressure must be self-imposed. My guess is that those who enjoy the greatest satisfaction in learning, and are the most likely to become maggidei shiurim and authors of seforim, are not necessarily those seen as the most talented in their youth, but those who are best able to set concrete goals. (Yonason Rosenblum, Mishpacha Magazine March 30th)

Kollel provides a great opportunity to sit and learn without interruption from other “occupations”. But does it produce results? As Yonason so eloquently writes, the only real motivator that gets his columns finished on time is the knowledge that a pink slip is waiting for him. Most kollelim don’t have that sense of accountability. So what happens? Well, human nature tells us that for a large majority of people kollel will not produce much value.

If that is the case, why do we have kollelim? For the general public, kollel does have its place for the first few years of a person’s married life. A few solid years of torah learning will ensure the family is build on a strong spiritual foundation. However, once a few years pass the benefits of kollel for most people begin to fade, and lots of negative consequences arise. Not much good comes out of an occupation that has no built in challenge for excellence.

There are the few that kollel does work for. These are not the brightest minds or the greatest lomdim. Kollel works best for the ones who are self motivated. The ones who are in the beis medrash learning during seder and after seder. Yes, the ones who are in their seats Rosh Chodesh Cheshavan and on Rosh Chodesh Nissan. For these people, learning torah is a goal that challenges them on their own, and kollel is just the means for them to carry out their mission.

And those people are far and few in between. But they are truly worthy of our support.

(NOTE: I know that I am picking lately on Yonason, but it does seem to me that he is a reader of Kollel Guy. Yonason, if you come across this can you drop me a line? I think we’d have a good time together.)

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Should Kollel Only Be for the Superstars?

aaron — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 04:26:13 +0000

As kollel becomes more challenging to finance, the thought has been floated that kollel should only be for the super talented, while the “regular” people who would never make it “big” should go out to work and support those who their learning is “worth it”. YU’s Kollel Elyon is founded on this very idea, similar to the concept of a college scholarship which awards grants to pay tuition of promising students in the hopes their “investment” will pay off by the knowledge attained by these promising minds.

No, kollel should not be for the super stars, at least not the way the world defines who is a super star.

A super star is considered by most people to be someone with “promise” in learning, who has the head to become a great rosh yeshiva or talmid chochom. Such a person is deemed worthy of supporting their years of learning so they grow in Torah and develop their full potential.

However, the truth is that most successful gedolim did not have their livelihoods provided to them while they “trained” in learning. Rather, they grew by learning through thick and thin, whether they had food on the table or not.

Super stars are not created by putting them in a stress-free environment. Rather, a true super star is one who develops under the harshest conditions, by pushing forward with their goals and dreams even as the going is tough.

Learning Torah is mostly uncharted territory. It’s not similar to learning other subjects, where you can just follow a text book and absorb the material. Torah needs to be conquered by each individual according to their own approach. A super star learner cannot be created just by giving them time to absorb the material.

To develop in Torah one needs to conquer it. In the words of Chazal – Words of Torah are acquired only by killing oneself over them (appropriate for Parshas Parah). That is only accomplished by sweating it out, not by getting a pass on life.

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If You Want to Stay in Learning…

aaron — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 03:49:08 +0000

There are many who learn in kollel that put aside learning for a few weeks (or months) to do seasonal jobs, such as lifeguarding or head counseloring in the summers. Some yungerleit are involved in selling esrogim, and others become a mashgiach for pesach in a hotel.

Why is this kind of activity permitted and even accepted? Isn’t this also a form of “leaving learning”?

Some will say that by doing these jobs they are able to manage learning in kollel the rest of the year. This however, is a poor disguise of the real truth.

One who willingly and truthfully wishes to dedicate his life exclusively to learn Torah, and forgoes the normal behavior of grown married men to earn a livelihood should only do so for the proper reasons. If one feels his life’s calling is to only learn and not do anything else, then he should only learn and do nothing else. The same mesirus nefesh which dictates their choice of occupation the rest of the year does not take a break for anything.

The real truth is that these people have had enough. They don’t really want to spend their entire life in kollel, and are just looking for a “socially acceptable” way out. They feel if they do these kinds of seasonal work, no one will consider them as having left kollel, since they are only temporary jobs.

What is sad about this is that they are only fooling themselves. If they would be honest about their situation, they would realize that its time to “officially” leave kollel, and get themselves a real job. Then they would not have to endure the low wages and poor working conditions that are the norm in these socially-acceptable-I-didn’t-really-leave-kollel jobs.

If you want to stay in learning, then learn. But if its time to leave, don’t fool yourself into staying longer than you are able to. The conditions are poor, and you’re only doing it for the wrong reasons. The only person you are fooling is yourself. Meanwhile, your wife, children, and most of all -yourself – are enduring the pain.

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Rosh Chodesh Elul – Make this One Different

aaron — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 03:35:00 +0000

Its the Elul time of year, bein hazmanim is over, and life is back to routine – all over again. Another zman, another limud, but the same old routine. But this time, let’s try something different. Instead of allowing another zman to drift through with the same result, do something remarkable. It’s a short zman, and if it doesn’t work, you can always go back to the old system in just 8 short weeks.

Here’s what we are going to do. Pick something you always wanted to learn and make it your project. A short topic that is not too easy, but is something that makes your heart race with excitement. It can be anything in Torah, even something out of the ordinary (some examples for inspiration purposes only – Hilchos Kiddush HaChodesh, dateline, Ramban’s Shaar Hagmul).

Once you’ve selected the topic, now write it down. Nothing is more effective than a written goal stating your aim to master this topic by Erev Yom Kippur. For now, don’t worry if you will actually complete your goal, focus instead on making a target to aim for. Take a notebook and start writing notes. Not chiddushim, just notes. Before you start learning the next day, review what you did yesterday. If you have a few minutes before maariv starts, review what you’ve learned that day.

Nothing about all this remarkable, except for one thing. If you follow through on this, you’ll have the best zman you’ve ever had in a long time. And that will indeed be truly remarkable.

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An Abundance of Torah Options

aaron — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:00:24 +0000

In the olden days of 20-30 years ago, learning in kollel “long term” offered very few options. Historically, a kollel was formed an extension of a yeshiva, which is geared primarily towards the lomdus of noshim & nezikin. After a few years, one would begin to feel a lack of satisfaction in continuing to learn those topics again and again. Picking oneself up and learning something “exotic” wasn’t much of an option, unless you were willing to do it yourself, without a chabura and perhaps not even a chavrusa.

Today, one who wishes to learn for an extended length of time, there are plenty of options. In Lakewood there are hundreds of chaburas learning everything and anything under the sun. One who wishes to find an exciting topic to learn doesn’t have to look far. Even areas that were once off limits for yeshiva guys, such as practical halacha, shchita, and hashgacha are very popular and well acccepted.

This leads us to the following observation:

If you are in kollel and feeling unmotivated, it may just be that you are looking for something exciting to learn. You may have had enough of the lomdus and the yeshivishe reid. Go choose from the endless possibilities that are available to you. Figure out what it is that entices you, that something which resonates within you, and go become the biggest specialist in that field. (Think of R’ Chaim Zvi Gorelick in T’chumin or R’ Eliezer Stefansky in Mikvaos.)

But if after choosing amongst all the possibilities you are still feeling unmotivated, and staying in kollel no longer excites you, that is a sure sign that it may be time to move on. Every person needs to feel special about themselves, especially about what they do. If it is in learning, go out and make a market for yourself by conquering a topic of learning that will be “yours”. But if nothing in learning excites you, it’s time to seriously consider moving on.

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Shavuos – What Does Kabbolas HaTorah Really Mean?

aaron — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:00:01 +0000

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 spend my days fully engrossed in limud haTorah.

Now that I am out of kollel, it’s more difficult to connect with it. What does Kabbolas HaTorah really mean? Is Shavuos meant for us “working guys”, or is it just for the bnei Torah who don’t do anything else?

The truth is, being out of kollel gives one a unique opportunity at doing an authentic Kabbolas HaTorah, one that just isn’t possible for those in kollel or even those in chinuch.

One of the most famous Medrashim we retell on Shavuos is how Hashem brought the Torah to all the nations of the world, asking them to accept it, which they all refused to do, except for the Jews. We accepted the Torah blindly, without knowing all that it contained, because we accepted Hashem’s total mastery over us, even though no other nation was willing to do so. Thus, true Kabbolas HaTorah means to do so even though no one else is doing so, and even though it is not easy to do so.

Someone whose job it is to learn, whether as a Rebbe or as a kollel yungerman, there is no great need for Kabbolas HaTorah because they are already there. Sure, they need the commitment to continue doing so, and to strengthen their learning while they are doing so, but nevertheless there is no new yoke to accept upon themselves.

On the other hand, those who don’t learn for a living, Kabolas HaTorah takes on a whole new meaning. It means accepting upon oneself to learn while no one else seems to do so. It means making sure the learning that one does is meaningful and lasting – not just sufficing with a poor excuse of Daf Yomi. While the rest of the world (and many of our friends) spend their nights socializing, partying, and just wasting their time, you have a serious seder limud with a chavrusa.

If you are in that situation, every day requires a new Kabbolas HaTorah. It’s all too easy to fall back into the default mode of “not learning” just like so many of your friends. It requires determination, strength, and the complete submission to Hashem’s mastery. Thus, a Kabbolas HaTorah exactly the way it was done back in the year 2448.

So let’s get out the paper and pen, and before Yom Tov arrives write down our personal Kabbolas HaTorah. We are going to commit to a serious seder, and choose our limud wisely. Most importantly, we will have a specific goal in mind. By this coming Simchas Torah, exactly 135 days from now, we will have completed a milestone of some kind – whether it is a messechta, a perek, or a particular topic. On this coming Simchas Torah, when we dance hakafos, we won’t just be rejoicing at our brothers’ simcha, instead the joy will be our own for having captured a true Kabbolas HaTorah.

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Are Kollel Guys “Bench Kvetchers”?

aaron — Sun, 09 May 2010 04:39:29 +0000

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 deserving of being called “bench kvetchers.”

R’ Yonason, of course, was overreacting to the very real phenomenon that exists today in kollelim around the world. Indeed, all of his points about the importance of Torah study are 100% true. However, there is also a very large element in kollel that can definitely be referred to as “bench kvetchers”.

A bench kvetcher is a derisive term to someone who “sits” without an occupation instead of working. By its very definition, one who is fully occupied with his learning, even if he is not “earning”, is not a bench kvetcher. However, one who is in kollel by default, and is not fully engaged in Torah study, is a classic example of a bench kvetcher.

There are many reasons why someone chooses to be in kollel – some of them are noble, and some of them are not. If someone feels a true calling to learn in kollel instead of working, he will never allow himself to be a “bench kvetcher”. He will never let a seder slip by without utilizing every moment to toil in learning. His life is fully engaged in the spiritual pursuit of what R’ Yonason describes as “being of infinite value.”

But the many others who remain in kollel for less noble reasons – i.e. they are too scared to “jump” into the unkown, or they are enjoying living off other people’s money, or they feel societal pressure to be someone they really aren’t worthy of being – these are the people that give kollel a bad name.

Who knows, maybe if they were actually called out as being what they really are – “bench kvetchers” – that would get them moving along in the right direction.

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BMG Kollel Check – How Much Longer?

aaron — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:00:28 +0000

photo credit: The Lakewood Scoop

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 discussed in an earlier post. The third point is one that is likely to be misunderstood by many, so let me explain. Obviously, the intention of the supporters of Lakewood Yeshiva are to increase limud hatorah, with the understanding that by giving yungeleit some form of stipend they are able to learn more.

The problem is, the investment being made in each stipend given doesn’t extend beyond the person receiving it. He gets his stipend, learns, and it ends there. The money that was invested was for that particular person at that particular time only. Further learning will require additional funds, and the cycle continues. More money, more learning; less money, less learning.

Instead of just paying for the yungerman’s time learned, which doesn’t produce any “growth”, we can imagine a situation where money is paid for the effectiveness of the yungerman, which does produce growth. This greatly increases the value of the stipend paid, and is a much more effective use of tzedaka money than just paying for time alone, which cannot be measured and doesn’t grow.

Many people will misunderstand this. They will take it to mean that supporting someone who is just learning for the sake of learning is a waste of money. Obviously, as someone who spent many years in kollel myself, and who continues to devote much time to learning, I don’t believe that. Of course, paying for someone to sit and learn – not in order to say a shiur, become a great rav, or author scholarly tomes – is still a noble cause. Sitting and learning Torah L’ishma is not something to put down, chas v’shalom.

But when it comes to allocating the use of very limited funds, it makes most sense to direct those resources towards where they produce the greatest return. This is both for the sake of Torah itself, as the buying power of those dollars is able to reach further, and for the sake of the donors, who are stretched thin with all their obligations.

There are many ideas, some of them quite good, on how to best appropriate these “kollel check” funds in the most effective manner. Most likely, these ideas will never see the light of day. Instead, the kollel system, and Lakewood yeshiva, will continue resisting change, and eventually the money for kollel checks – which are already greatly rationed and limited – will come to an end.

P.S. Some of these alternative ideas will be shared in later posts – however, it is most important to realize what is wrong with the current distribution system than to raise alternative plans. Only once the problem is recognize can we really move forward towards a successful resolution.

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Is Kollel a Contributer to Kids at Risk?

aaron — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:16:03 +0000

Recently, I had the opportunity to question Rabbi Yakov Horowitz of Monsey, who is known for his work with teens at risk within our community. My question was – Is there a higher incidence of kids at risk with kollel families than from the general community? Some of the reasons why there would be a higher occurrence in kollel families could perhaps be due to the tight financial situations faced by most families whose fathers learn full time in kollel, thereby causing children to perhaps feel materially deprived. Another contributing factor could be when those kollel yungerleit who find themselves feeling unfulfilled, that feeling can pass through to the children and give them a negative attitude towards learning and yiddeshkeit in general.

He replied that those people who learn in kollel and have simchas hachayim generally have good kids. However, he referred me to a recent article of his regarding internet and kids at risk. There, he points out the five of the most common contributing factors why children abandon a Torah lifestyle. He granted me permission to republish his thoughts here:

If I were asked al regel achas (“on one foot”) to list the Top Five causes of kids going off the derech, they would be, in order:

1. Child abuse/molestation/neglect

2. Lack of simchas ha’chayim/shalom bayis at home

3. Poor parenting or overbearing parents

4. Undiagnosed or unaddressed learning disabilities.

5. Extremism (lack of flexibility in raising children and forcing them into the same mold)

According to Rabbi Horowitz, many of these factors can be directly linked to the parents’ lack of career/livelihood. Shalom bayis is negatively impacted when finances are tight, and if the husband is feeling unfulfilled due to a lack of occupation. Learning disabilities can be worked upon, if money is available to pay for the professional remediation.

So while kollel is not necessarily a direct cause of causing children to stray, the side effects of a poorly executed kollel life plan (hint: staying in kollel longer than one should) can bring about situations which are high at risk to breed children at risk.

Devoting your life to full time learning is a great sacrifice. But it must be done in a way that one doesn’t sacrifice his own children in the process.

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