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29 Adar 5759 - March 17, 1999 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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The Cost of Restaffing the Yeshiva Tichoniyot

by M. HaLevi

Recently, the national religious daily Hatzofeh, published articles by various educators and public figures who acknowledged the education failure of the yeshiva tichonit system, which has been showing worrying signs of weakness.

In the wake of the controversy over the issue, Hatzofeh journalist Shaul Schiff publicized a letter which he received from a very "central figure in Zionist- Torah education."

The man writes: "It is clear to me that my remarks are liable to cause a veritable commotion, or at least to make many of Hatzofeh's readers jump. But it seems to me that they must serve as the focal point of the discussion over our future and that of our children. I don't intend to attack anyone or any side, but rather to attack the idea, which resulted in our current situation.

"During the past 25 years, a full, controlled and planned replacement system (not to say purging) of all of the chareidi ramim with our ramim, has taken place," he writes.

He says that this stems from the objective to apprise the younger generation of the aschalta d'geula viewpoint, and the partnership with nationalistic ideology. "The chareidi (or blacks as we called them) ramim could not fulfill that role properly. Sometimes, debates and friction between our children (their students), and our homes were formed, and we know of quite a number of instances of chareidization and the crossing of lines.

"It was definitely impossible to ignore the problem. But today, we are obligated to ask if we chose the correct solution. Is the price we are currently paying worthwhile? Is this really the child for whom we prayed?

"The 'old' ramim have been replaced by our chevra, graduates of Yeshivas Mercaz HaRav or of hesder yeshivos. True, there is no doubt that the young students identify more closely with ramim who wear knitted kippos and who served in the army and speak their language. But the question is: does the message they convey work? Is it possible to inculcate our children with double messages, which sometimes even seem contradictory?"

He notes that the chareidi ramim tried to convey an unequivocal message to their students in the yeshiva high schools: the message that Torah study is the most important aim. "Even if today, students identify more closely with their ramim, the message conveyed by the chareidi ramim was absorbed. True, not all of the students remained avreichim or became rabbonim, but even those who went into business, or embarked on professional courses, remained, at heart, bnei Torah, or those who appreciate the value of Torah. Relatively, there were no more kippah discarders then than there are today."

The writer cites a penetrating question asked by Rabbi Tzvi Shimshoni, in Hatzofeh, in light of the yeshiva high school's new policy of hiring ramim with a military past, and an academic education, a question which until now had no answer.

"Even if the ram is a talmid chochom and very learned, who can guarantee that the student will identify precisely with his Torah and scholarly side? After all, there are additional aspects to his personality (which he also goes to pains to stress). Not every student is capable of being as successful as his mentor in all areas. So what must we do if a student chooses to identify with only one aspect of his mentor's character, the aspect which suits him, and which may not always be the mentor's Torah side? What happens when the ram isn't really a talmid chochom?

"I wonder if anyone can say with certainty today that all of the ramim in all of the yeshiva high schools are talmidei chachomim. Sadly, it seems to me, that over the years, quite a few roshei yeshiva were forced to hire ramim, who were not outstanding talmidei chachomim, as long as they suited the spirit of the yeshiva high-school.

The writer adds that the main aspect of the problem was and will always be the yetzer hora. Today, the yetzer hora has many more opportunities and means than it did in the past, and lurks in every nook and cranny.

"But that's a technical matter, not an essential one. The good counsel of Chazal, `pull him to the beis medrash' is applicable today too. One must make certain, though, that the beis medrash will be sufficiently attractive and interesting, and that there will be someone who wants to and can direct students to it, and along its path."

He concludes, in his style, of course that: "In the end, the cracking of a sugya along with Kezos, Nesivos and a few Avnei Milu'im, and a good svoro of Reb Chaim are interesting and exciting intellectual challenges, just as they were 20 or 30 years ago. One who spouts them can still merit a high rating among his pals. The question is: do we have enough super- professional moderators who will serve these delicacies to our youngsters?

"When Torah study resumes a central place of honor in life, and occupies most of the time and the thoughts of our students, then the spare time, the Shabbosim, the vacations and the conversations, and even the thoughts will appear different."

As a side remark, we add that the hybrid approach of the yeshiva tichoniyot negates, in its essence, the aspiration to inculcate Torah as a supreme value. But the writer is right when he says that in the past the chareidi ramim knew how to instill sensitive and talented students, who found themselves in such institutions, with the cheshek to study and to create a more Torah-oriented atmosphere.

Sadly, the administrations of the yeshiva tichoniyot not only purged the yeshiva high schools of yeshivishe ramim, but also of all yeshivishe aspirations.


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