Rabbonim and marbitzei Torah have had sharp criticism
of a new wave of advertisements encouraging avreichim
to leave the beis medrash to study a trade or
profession. In fact, such appeals seek to change the career
aspirations of bnei Torah and to create the impression
that a "revolution" is in the works among bnei Torah
who are taking up these courses of study.
In recent months there have been many advertisements and
promotional articles in weekly magazines and local chareidi
newspapers. The publicity is aimed to prepare the ground for
legitimization of such career goals. Although only a few, from
the fringes of the chareidi community, have entered these
frameworks up until now, a false impression has been created
in an attempt to convince people that this is a widespread
trend.
One of the advertisers states, "A broad phenomenon has slowly
been growing up from the grassroots, a revolution with far-
reaching implications is gradually gaining impetus and
changing the face of our entire chareidi society." The
advertiser is creating a scenario based on his wishful
thinking, in hope that the advertisements themselves will help
give legitimacy to this approach. Their goal is to gain
widespread appeal. Whether intentionally or not, a side
product of their efforts is the undermining of the yeshivos
and the chinuch of the younger generation.
Advertisers are trying to create a dismal picture of the
family life of the ben Torah who is totally involved in
learning as opposed to the lives of those who earn an
"honorable parnossoh" -- which they imply can be
achieved only through study in their schools and/or by
acquiring academic degrees. Aspirations for professional
careers and advanced types of employment are introduced. They
argue that such careers suit yeshiva students who, with their
intellectual capacities, analytic abilities, application and
diligence, are eagerly sought after by the commercial
sector.
Roshei yeshiva and roshei kollel have recently
spoken out against such advertisements that totally contradict
the view of gedolei Yisroel that we must concentrate on
encouraging dedication only to limud Torah and not try
to initiate new ideas, institutions or activities with other
goals. They noted that there have always been people compelled
to leave the beis medrash in order to earn a living.
However, this was never done in an institutionalized way.
"Chazal state that when lomdei Torah are forced to
leave their Torah studies and go out into the commercial world
for parnossoh, one must lament them with the verse from
Eichah, `How have sacred stones been spilled in the
markets.' Today, however, certain elements are trying
lechatchilah to coordinate a departure from the beis
medrash. They do so by means of advertisements and
favorable write-ups meant to present an alternative for
avreichim who are moser nefesh so that they will
be able to pore over their Torah studies with all of their
energies. They attempt to create nisyonos and to tempt
the families of bnei Torah, while conferring status on
those who leave the beis medrash to acquire a
`prestigious profession and an honorable livelihood.'
"Our gedolim have raised the glory of Torah in Eretz
Hakodesh and have founded generations of those who study Torah
betahoroh. They have instilled them with the desire to
remain solely within the four amos of halocho
and have imbued the students of the talmudei Torah and
the Beis Yaakov schools with these ideals. They have
guaranteed that the aspiration for Torah will prevail as the
supreme, exclusive value out of the profound understanding of
Chazal's words that there is no kovod except Torah.
They have taught that the life of an avreich who is
omeil baTorah is the most gratifying life for him and
his family in this world and in the World to Come. Any attempt
to cast aspersions upon these ideals, in the form of `Mai
ahanu lon rabbonon' or that, `There are enough lomdei
Torah,' while focusing on so-called `distress' in families
that must be alleviated by sending avreichim to
institutions for professional training, totally contradict the
views of all gedolei Yisroel.
"Such efforts fly in the face of the entire derech we
have received from our gedolim concerning the building
of a Torah world which was reestablished besiyata
deShmaya after the Holocaust and is blossoming in both
quality and quantity."
The rabbonim also noted that the use of names of certain
rabbinical authorities and spiritual figures in those ads is a
misleading distortion, since the poskim and morei
horo'oh, in giving the rulings and advice quoted, were
referring only to practical halachic questions on the issue of
earning a livelihood and acquiring a profession: questions
pertaining to tsnius and about subjects forbidden to
study. No approval or encouragement was intended or given
either for the current advertisements nor for activities meant
to offer avreichim an alternative to the beis
medrash. No approval was certainly given for this issue to
be discussed in the Torah world.
Those behind these institutions and advertisements initially
explained that their purpose was to work only with older
avreichim who were in any case forced to leave their
studies after many years in the yeshiva and who applied to
them on their own initiative. But in light of the insufficient
numbers of applicants and tuition-payers, these institutions
must justify their existence and the abundant government
funding that they receive by showing enrollment figures. "If
they are sincere in their purpose, they wouldn't have to post
advertisements all over, because anyone needing
parnossoh has always found the way. The very battle of
these elements over their right to market themselves, and
their zeal to proclaim their "vision," testifies at the outset
that this is an attempt to create an artificial need, to
generate hesitation and introduce aspirations for professional
careers into the Torah world: careers that can only be
acquired by intellectual exertion.
"Fortunate are we that we have merited dor yeshorim
mevorachim. From childhood, our sons aspire to be
talmidei chachomim and to dwell in Beis Hashem
all of their lives. Our daughters regard devoting themselves
to Torah and enabling their husbands to toil in Torah as an
ultimate ideal. Let us not permit new goals that involve
changing of values to stake claims among us."
