You Have to Say a Chiddush
When you are trying to get noticed in the beis medrash, you have to say a chiddush, a really bomb chiddush. The more off-the-top it is, the better it is, as long as you can (attempt) to back it up with proofs. But if all you have to offer is the same reid that’s been circulating for years, you will have a hard time trying to find someone who will listen.
So when it comes to making money, why is anything different? Those who have nothing new to offer just don’t make it. How many accountants do we need that all do the same thing? How many dry cleaners can a specific place support? Do we really need just another take out store with all the same kinds of foods?
Instead, think of a novel offering. The first restaurant or caterer that offered sushi. The accountant that knows exactly how to deal with an audit on a particular tax credit. The dry cleaner that knows how to freshen up old dresses like new. When you have something new and interesting to offer, people will come and tell their friends.
There are successful examples of novel business ideas all over the place. Starbucks, which is a multi-billion dollar company, sells coffee. So does every corner donut shop. But the way they sold their coffee got people to talk about it, and come, and spend an outrageous $5 a cup.
Is it more risky to only focus on the novelty? Sure it is. But it’s a risk you can’t afford not to take.
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Lazy Comes in Many Forms
Lazy doesn’t just mean having a hard time getting up in the morning. It comes in many different forms. You can be too lazy to actually go to bed at night. You can be too lazy to write a letter to someone, pick up flowers for your wife, call your lonely uncle, or visit your elderly neighbor.
Lazy does not just mean someone who acts relaxed and slow all the time. You can even be lazy and work 18 hours a day. Someone who occupies himself with trivial, meaningless tasks is not acting slow or relaxed, but they are still being lazy. One can spend their whole life serving customers at the bakery, or finding beds for bochurim in the Irv, and yet they are still being lazy.
How so? By being lazy they refuse to take the positive yet uncomfortable steps to better their lives and the lives of their families for whom they are responsible for. It seems safe and cozy to continue doing the familiar work they have been doing, but in reality all they are being is lazy. And scared.
It’s scary to make a move that will change everything. Who knows if it will work? What will other people say? Does my wife approve of it? Doesn’t my family/friends expect better from me? Isn’t it too scary? What will happen when…
So many objections. They all seem valid. But ultimately, its about time to call it what it really is – laziness. Get up off the couch of your comfort zone, and do something that makes you sweat. Prove to yourself that you really can do more – and do it well. Give yourself a chance like you never had before. And defeat the lazy side of you forever.
True Bitachon vs. The Government
Those in kollel are used to hearing the speech how those who rely on Hashem and devote themselves exclusively to Torah will have all their needs provided for without any need for hishtadlus or to go work. More often than not, the words of the Rambam at the end of Shmitta V’Yovel are used to drive home this point, how not only Shevet Levi but anyone who devotes themselves….
Relying on Hashem exclusively to provide for your needs is fine, but the sad truth is that not many are capable of doing so. That means not worrying at all on where the next meal will come from, and training not only yourself but your wife and children to think along those lines.
Many are under the allusion that they have true bitachon, but sadly they do not. The gemara says that one who relies on the baker for his next meal is not a true ba’al bitachon. Surely, someone who relies on government programs to cover a part of their budget are not living exclusively on the Ribbono Shel Olam.
As we have seen recently, the government is no friend of Torah. In the U.S., the recent Rubashkin trial has shown how even a rural Iowa judge can harbor such hatred towards frum yidden by putting Sholom Rubashkin in jail for an even longer term than requested by the prosecution. In Israel, the Emanual case shows clearly how when you take government funding for anything, you have to put up with the Israeli government calling the shots, and everyone knows they are no friends of Torah.
We have become somewhat comfortable these past 20 years of getting by in kollel with the government as our savior. I think that those times are coming to an end. Government deficits are at all time highs, and the trend in politics it to vote in candidates who promote less government and less spending. Even where programs will not be cut, the scrutiny of the applicants’ eligibility will be greatly increased, and the punishment for falsifying one’s status will become harsh enough to think twice about applying.
It’s time to stop placing our faith in the U.S. government for help. Instead, let us look to the back of the dollar where it says “In G-d we Trust.”
“But I Don’t Know the First Thing About…”
Learning in kollel does not generally prepare you for any particular career path, unlike a lawyer, doctor, or engineer. The lack of college degree presents two problems:
- A lack of credentials for prospective employers, and
- A lack of the practical knowledge needed to perform the job at hand.
Most people, when faced with the first problem, give up right away. They say things like, “I will never get a job without a degree so why bother?” But those who instead choose to deal with the second problem first have an entirely different experience.
College degrees are really only certificates attesting to the person’s proficiency in a particular subject. Always, that same information is readily available for anyone who wishes, either in a book, DVDs, or online. For free. In a fraction of the time it takes to get a college degree, one can study a subject and become sufficiently proficient to have the skills needed to perform the duties of any job. Obviously, one cannot become a lawyer, accountant, or a doctor without going to college. But there are many careers and businesses which one may think they need a college degree, when all they really need is someone proficient enough in the skills needed to perform the job. (Computer programming, networking, web design, construction, nutrition, & special ed are all great examples of this.)
Oh, and what about that you don’t know the first thing about programming, construction and anything else? Think back to when you started learning a totally unfamiliar sugya for the first time. Did you know anything about kodshim before you went to Brisk? How about Yoreh De’ah? But after a few weeks, you were sufficiently familiar with the subject you were learning.
Dive right in and you’ll become an expert in no time. That is, if you don’t give up hope before you even start.
Starting a Business from the Ground Up
Kollel guys looking to go work don’t have the wealth of choices that are available to most American college grads entering the work force. A college grad however, has many choices. Most of them will start their careers by using their degree to get themselves a “starter job”, which they hope to use as a stepping stone in their career advancement. But some of them will use their accomplishments while in college (research, projects, associations) as a means of reaching out to investors who will fund their projects and ideas with the hope of creating a successful new business, such as the VC’s that funded Larry Page & Sergey Brin’s startup company in 1999 called Google. Not very many, though, will begin their careers by starting their own business without any financial or logistical backing whatsoever.
But us kollel guys don’t have these options available. We generally don’t have any degree to speak of, so we can’t get a traditional job that pays even a modest salary. We also don’t have the expertise and recognition that will get the interest of venture capitalists or other investors in the business. And we have much greater expenses than the population at large, so we can’t just take any entry level position which pays far less than a frum family can manage on.
And so, we are left with only one choice, and that is called bootstrapping. That means to create a new business with little or no money, and to grow that business by using only the internal cash flow that is reinvested in the business. Building a business this way requires no college degree, no angel investors, and no large business loans. The business is conceived, operated, accounted, and overseen by its owner – who doesn’t have to answer to anyone, except to satisfy his customers so they come back and bring others along with them.
Is the path to success a long and hard one? Is it tough to begin your business using a fold up table and chair, without having the “prestige” of an executive office? Aren’t most small businesses out of business within 5 years? Yes, yes, and yes.
But when you are a kollel guy looking for work – there is not much of a choice in the matter. That makes the decision to operate this way so much easier.
P.S. Here’s a great free e-book on how (and why) to be a successful bootstrapper – The Bootstrapper’s Bible, by Seth Godin.
They Survived the Holocaust, Came Here With Nothing…and Prospered
I always wondered, why so many of our fathers and grandfathers who were holocaust survivors that came to the United States with nothing – no money, family, or happy memories – and nevertheless succeeded in business. It is hard to find such levels of success among the younger generations. Why were they so successful?
It’s easy to explain away this phenomenon on extraordinary siyata dishamaya (divine intervention) for those that survived the holocaust. But siyata dishmaya is only a good explanation for a particular individual’s success. But how do explain the fact that so many of them were inordinately successful – while the odds were clearly not in their favor? (No connections, anti semitism, immigrants, language barrier, unfamiliar culture, etc.)
I believe the reason for their success is because they simply had no safety net to fall back upon. There was no choice – either succeed…or go hungry. If they wouldn’t have been successful in business, there was such thing as family to to bail them out or Tomchei Shabbos to deliver meals to their door. There was no food stamps or HUD, no school vouchers or Gemachs to fall back upon. There was only one clearly marked path for them in life – work hard, build a successful business, and have food to eat. There was no other choice, and so they did what they had to. Success came at a price, but it was a far better choice than the alternative.
Today we are faced with many choices – choices that cause many of us to lose our way from succeeding in life. Should I learn in kollel for years on end, or go to work as soon as possible? How about getting a degree in (fill in the desired career path here)? Or perhaps I can join the family business? Should I continue being supported by my parents while I “get started” in business? What about government programs – if I go to work don’t I lose my eligibility?
These “decisions” make it that it becomes difficult from just doing what it takes to succeed. Our fathers and grandfathers didn’t have all these options, and thus success came naturally. Therefore, our job is to see beyond the confusing array of choices we face – and do what it takes to ultimately be successful in life.
A Better Way than Kollel Checks
After devoting many posts to the problems with the current system of kollel checks, its time to come up with some suggestions. Many would just say, “Let’s abolish the whole check in its entirety.” However, its usually a far better suggestion to come up with creative new ways of doing things instead of just abolishing them outright.
The problems with kollel checks is that there is no accountability, no standards, and they are just simply not efficient.
Here is a suggestion that is exclusive to the Lakewood kollel. The current system of learning in Bais Medrash Govoha is known as the “chaburah” system. For those unfamiliar with the term, it means that the learning is done in groups of men learning the same topic, and the chaburah is headed by someone who brought the group together initially, establishes the curriculum, and sets the overall tone for the group. The leader, referred to as the “Rosh Chaburah” is not paid extra for his duties, all he gets is a regular kollel check (if that).
Since the Rosh Chaburah is in effect running his own “mini-yeshiva” it would make sense for him to receive a mini salary in return for his efforts. The amount of compensation should be dependent on a number of criteria, each which would serve to enhance the status and image of both the chaburah and the yeshiva as a whole. He could be compensated based on a number of varying factors, such as: chaburah longevity, number of members, its desirability, the frequency of shiurim from within the chaburah, satisfaction of its members, and its successful completion of set milestones – such as entire mesechtos or topics.
In effect, the new kollel check would serve a dual purpose – it will drive those with leadership qualities to the top, and those without it out the door. It would create mini yeshivas within the greater Lakewood yeshiva – which is what the Chaburah system is in effect. A portion of the Rosh Chaburah’s responsibility could involve fund raising for the members of his chaburah, which would ensure that his chaburah would not be overrun by thrill seekers and those seeking just to get a good name for themselves.
Take the current money that is being spent on the kollel budget, cut it down to 1/5th, and use that to fund salaries for the Roshei Chaburah. These Roshei Chaburah would in turn go out and independently raise funds to pay the members of their “mini-yeshiva”, branding it as their own yeshiva and not just as generic “Lakewood”.
This would free up so much money that is needed to be raised every year for the yeshiva, while at the same time prepare the future leaders of the next generation for their eventual roles. It’s a win win for everyone – except for those who rely on the $300 a month they automatically get just for breathing, without any accountability or responsibility.
Which way do you prefer? Leave your comments below – make your voice heard!
Son Apologizes for His Dead Father Not Learning in Kollel
If I wouldn’t have seen it myself, I would not believe it.
I recently attended the levaya of the father of one of my friends back in yeshiva, who was tragically niftar at the young age of 61 after suffering from cancer. He was a person that loved to learn Torah, and devoted many hours of his week to learning. But at the levaya, his son – who is learning in kollel together with all of his brothers – felt it necessary to apologize to the assembled why his father went to work. He explained that his father took advice from his rebbe before he went to work, and that he had no other choice but to work – since he had no one to support him.
Why does the son feel the need to apologize? Did his father do something wrong? Did he even do something out of the ordinary that required further explanation? Of course not. When he went to work 40 years ago most people didn’t even know what the word kollel meant. Certainly the concept of “support” was unheard of – that insanity hadn’t taken hold back then.
When kollel becomes so commonplace that a son feels the need to apologize why his dead father chose to “go to work”, that is not mesirus nefesh for Torah. True learning in kollel always involved great sacrifice, including being subject to ridicule and extreme poverty.
There should be nothing to be ashamed of for doing what is normal.
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 what provides the means for a yeshiva – and the Torah it disseminates – to operate.
However, there is no economic sense to the distribution of kollel checks. The members of a kollel are usually not working for anyone, and they are not providing any service that generates economic value. Therefore, the very essence of a kollel check is at best a gift, which is bestowed upon the members of the kollel by its supporters.
Gifts are the first thing to be curtailed in a down economy. That is why we are witnessing an unprecedented number kollel closings, because the supporters of the kollel no longer have the means or the will to continue bestowing these “gifts”. If businesses are being forced to lay off employees who are generating economic value, it goes without saying that kollelim will have to stop paying kollel checks which don’t return any economic value.
Now is the opportunity to redefine the kollel check. If the system could be changed to where the kollel check is no longer an unconditional gift with nothing expected in return, but a means of extracting value from the kollel member, it would accomplish two very worthy goals.
First, it would reinvigorate the donor base. Those who have lost interest in providing these unconditional gifts would likely be interested in contributing to a redefined notion of a kollel payroll. Second, it would be a great boon to the kollel itself, which would be strengthened and energized by the market forces which would now be present.
These thoughts come to mind as Lakewood Yeshiva counts down to its annual “Evening of Chizzuk” on behalf of the BMG kollel. The greatest portion of BMG’s budget is the kollel payroll, currently estimated to be over $10 million annually. Besides the inefficient use of such massive sums, there is an even greater question to ask – why are we giving away our hard-earned money as a gift?
Should we do away with kollel checks? Yes & no. The way Lakewood does it – yes. But there is a better way. Let’s explore some ideas in future posts and in the comments.
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 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.
