They all have successful yeshivos, they are all tremendous talmidei chachomim, and they are all sons in law and (except for R’ Swerdloff) sons of Roshei Yeshiva.

[note: Rav Ausband is the son of Rav Issac Ausband Shlita R"Y of Telz, and the son in law of Rav Binyamin Tzeilberger R"Y of Bais HaTalmud. Rav Sorotzkin is the son of Rav Boruch Sorotzkin, R"Y of Telz, and the son in law of Rav Shmuel Berenbaum, R"Y of Mirrer Yeshiva. Rav Swerdloff is the  the son in law of Rav Gershon Weisenfeld, R"Y in Bais HaTalmud.]

Most people in their situation would have just waited for opportunity to fall into their lap. After all, with such yichus, the world “owes them” a royal shteler, complete with frock and mizrach vant.

However, they did otherwise. They abandoned their “comfortable” positions where they were, and left to start themselves off, on their own, in hostile territory, with absolutely no guarantee of success.

Why did they do this? Looking back now, it was a pretty smart move, but at the time it was considered foolish and risky.

The answer is simple, yet not understood by many. In order to be successful, one has to be able to operate on his own terms. You cannot be a person of significance in the shadow of others, bound to their rules and guidelines.

They all saw the future ahead of them, and they were scared. They were scared to sit still and do nothing, because that meant being restricted in what they could say, how they could learn, which talmidim they could take.

And they knew that their potential could not be reached under other people’s rules. They knew themselves, and realized early on that their ultimate success depended on them getting out and starting fresh where no one could tell them how to do things.

Everyone has within themselves the potential to do something well. Don’t stifle it by restricting yourself to other people’s rules. Get out on your own, and bring out the best things that you can only do when its on your own terms.

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