Opinion & Comment
On the Kollelim and their Survival

Part II

In the first part, Rabbi Grossman noted that a time when Torah is being seriously threatened from hostile outside forces is not an appropriate time to engage in internal soul- searching. It certainly does not make sense to call for a voluntary limitation of kollel fellows. We must strengthen ourselves and make sure that we don't give way before the schemes of the powers that be. Kollel study is not supposed to be professional training for a rabbinical position, but pure study of Torah. HaRav Shach fought valiantly against claims that it is possible to determine at any point which avreichim are capable of benefiting the public by their continued learning and who ought to leave, chas vesholom, the beis hamedrash and "join the workforce."

Fighting for the Kollelim

At a gathering held in the Ponovezh beis hamedrash in Yerushalayim, at the beginning of the twelfth month after HaRav Shach's petiroh, HaRav Shlomo Brevda provided further testimony on the same topic and also related the view of the Steipler, zt'l.

"I have reliable knowledge of an incident that took place several decades ago when the Rosh Yeshiva took part in a meeting with other sages, some his age and some older than he. A certain feeling permeated the atmosphere, that avreichim ought to leave the kollelim and go to teach. Some unbelievable things were said against the kollelim. Alone among all the elders, Maran the Rosh Hayeshiva stood up and said, `This cannot be. Am Yisroel's foundation and its highest purpose are the talmidei chachomim who devote their days and nights to Torah study. Don't harm the kollelim.'

"Someone said that they were going to make a teachers' seminary and that they would take bochurim who were not doing well and avreichim and give them night courses. They would get certificates from the Ministry of Education and earn good salaries.

"One of those sitting there stood up and said the following: `And I will be the first to send twenty-five avreichim from my own kollel to the seminar, the very first night!'

"Maran . . . then got up and asked, `Why would you send them there?' and he replied that his avreichim were not going to develop into geonim anyway.

"The Rosh Hayeshiva said to him, `How do you know that they're not going to grow into gedolim? Have you given them time and opportunity? You are a communal leader while I have been a teacher all my life. I can tell you that there are all sorts of bochurim in our yeshiva, excellent ones, average ones and below average ones. Every ben Torah who gets married enters kollel. Now listen to a story.

" `A certain bochur, of average abilities, got married several years ago and entered kollel. A fortnight ago I heard knocking on my door at eleven o'clock at night and I went to open it. It was this avreich, holding a package. He sat down opposite me and told me that he'd devoted two zemanim to studying a particular masechta, learning every sugya with all the opinions of the Rishonim etc. He had written a treatise on it but did not dare to publish it. "Perhaps the Rosh Yeshiva would take five minutes to look it over and say whether it is written in a straightforward style?" he wanted to know.

" `He left his work with me and I looked at it for longer than five minutes. It is a very important work and I don't know where he found the resources to compose it. So who are you to say that twenty-five avreichim won't grow into geonim? You have no experience at all [in this area] and I do. It is impossible to say that any given avreich has no chance of developing.'

"The Rosh Hayeshiva went home brokenhearted. He had stood alone against all the others. Avrohom [Ovinu] on one side [and everyone else on the other]. He met a friend and told him that he'd heard things said about the kollelim . . . and he cried.

"Several weeks later there was another meeting. He went back and everyone showed him respect except for one participant who attacked him. Then someone else got up and shouted that one doesn't attack the Rosh Yeshiva and someone else got up and said that he retracted what he said about sending avreichim away etc.

" . . . This was what the Steipler said to me at the time: `If they had prevailed against Maran . . . HaRav Shach, there wouldn't be a single avreich left in kollel in all of Eretz Yisroel! There would be terrible danger. Nor der Oibishter hot gemacht a gevaldige chesed mit Klal Yisroel in dem finster dor, hot Ehr [unz] gegeben maran . . . haRav Shach (But Hakodosh Boruch Hu showed Klal Yisroel tremendous kindness in a generation of darkness and gave us HaRav Shach).'

"Those were the words of the Steipler, ztvk'l. If not for HaRav Shach . . . we wouldn't have a leg to stand on. It's all owing to his self-sacrifice. That is how all of you are here . . .the chadorim, the yeshivos, the kollelim and Bais Yaakov."

Let Us Be Numbered Among Torah's Supporters

In our present situation it is fitting to review Rabbi Yosi's teaching (Shabbos 118): "Would that my lot fall among those who convene the beis hamedrash and not among those who disperse it." Rashi explains that "those who convene . . ." are "the chazanim who gather the talmidim every day to come to the beis hamedrash" while "those who disperse" are "those appointed for mealtimes, to announce, `It is time to get up and eat.' "

Even when dealing with something as clearly necessary as breaking for meals, Chazal advise us that it is preferable to avoid the task of getting students to interrupt their learning. We can apply Chazal's warning to our issue, in which connection they certainly didn't find it necessary to offer dissuasion.

In matters of spiritual life and death that affect the future of the Torah world and of Klal Yisroel, one ought to take a firm stand for strengthening the botei medrash and expanding the kollelim. One should surely avoid chas vesholom being among those who try to remove avreichim from the daled amos shel halochoh.

Far be it from us to seek solutions in the spirit desired by those who level decrees against us, who only wish to thin the ranks of those studying Torah. Our duty, both as individuals and as a community, is to seek ways of bolstering the kollelim, primarily because of the ever present obligation to strengthen Torah but also to show those who are plotting against us that their schemes will come to nothing. This is not an easy task but it is possible. If all sections of the community, philanthropists and ordinary folk alike, rally to the cause and give according to their means, we will encourage Torah's growth and heighten its prestige.

Concerted efforts can yield amazing results. This can be demonstrated by a single example. If we would have been told several years ago about the tremendous sums that reach the Vaad HaRabbonim LeInyonei Tzedokoh and Kupas Ho'ir Bnei Brak from the community at large, even before the large donors submit their donations, we would not have believed such a thing possible. However, massive publicity and consistent relaying of the message have resulted in heightened public awareness to the point where Klal Yisroel give generously beyond their means for the poor and needy.

Were we to take similar measures to heighten the public's awareness of the supreme importance of assisting the kollelim; were this to be given top priority among donors and the community at large both here and abroad, vast sums would surely reach the kollelim, preventing their collapse, chas vesholom.

It Would be a Terrible Disgrace to Torah

We have had past occasion to quote the following lines, which never fail to strike a highly contemporary note. Eitz Chaim is the title of a booklet that was first published in Vilna in 1926 (and republished three years ago in a new edition on the initiative of HaRav Yaakov Chaim Sofer, by his son HaRav Emanuel Sofer). It contains the calls of the Chofetz Chaim and Reb Chaim Ozer zt'l, under the heading Kol Torah, to rally to the support of the yeshivos.

"Now, in our many sins, the number of yeshivos has dwindled, for they cannot exist in view of the great expenses and their sources of income have also dwindled greatly. Several yeshivos are about to close chas vesholom for lack of support. Their directors do not have the means to support the students, even on plain bread. Several great yeshivos that have labored until now to the limit of their strength have become enmeshed in great debts from which it is beyond them to escape. If we willingly abandon them now, with our own hands, what disgrace to Torah this involves. If the tyrants that have left religion have become Torah's pursuers and have resolved to abolish it, shall we chas vesholom also abolish it with our own hands? No! No! This would be a terrible disgrace to Torah.

"We ought to be very afraid of Chazal's comments (see Medrash Hane'elom, Bereishis ma'amar 2) on the posuk (Malachi 3:19), `Behold, a day approaches, burning like a furnace and all the villains and evildoers will be like straw and the approaching day will scorch them . . .' Chazal say that this will be the day on which Moshe Rabbenu will take us to task over Torah's disgrace. Of course, everyone will give the excuse that there was nothing he could have done -- but this is actually a mistake. Although it might be difficult for an individual to help, if we all try together to strengthen ourselves, we would certainly be able to bring salvation, be'ezras Hashem."

These words of the Chofetz Chaim and Reb Chaim Ozer seem to be addressed directly to us. Shall we allow those who hate Torah to see their plans fulfilled chas vesholom? If those who have abandoned religion want to see Torah abolished, should we chas vesholom be a party to their efforts? What a disgrace to Torah this would be!

The only way to fight is by marshaling the entire community. Admittedly, it is hard to make demands on individuals but if we unite in common cause against those who wish to destroy us on the one hand and take emergency steps to raise funds to support Torah on the other, we will be able to grapple with the wickedness and cruelty of Torah's enemies. As the Chofetz Chaim and Reb Chaim Ozer wrote, "Of course, everyone will give the excuse that there was nothing he could have done, but this is actually a mistake. Although it might be difficult for an individual to help, if we would all try together to strengthen ourselves, we would certainly be able to bring salvation, be'ezras Hashem."

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