I expect a lot of responses to this and I feel most will take Mr.Newman to
task for what on the surface seems like a negative view of the "Yeshivah"
world.
It is clear to me that Mr Newman does not consider himself "Yeshivish".
Well, I do. I, and many of my friends, passed through the "Koslei
HaYeshivah" (walls of the Yeshivah) for various lengths of time. Some
accomplished and grew more than others. Most are "BalHaBatim" these days.
NONE consider themselves (or any other BalHaBos) "failures" in ANY sense of
the word. The ideal of anyone who learns in Yeshiva with the proper
intentions is to make Torah "Umnoso" (his life). For various reasons
(financial, mostly) it just doesn't work out for most of us. So, we go on
to become accountants, factory owners, programmers, insurance salesmen,
etc. Once the reality becomes clear that we cannot make Torah our
livelihoods we have to devote what time we can to Torah and Mitzvos.
Look, I don't see how any orthodox Jew can have respect for anyone more
than for our Gedolim, Roshei HaYeshivah and Rabbonim. I think it would be
an oxymoron for anyone to call himself an orthodox Jew who reveres ANY
BalHaBos more than a Rosh Yeshivah or Godol (great Torah scholar). Having
said that, I emphasize that being a BalHabos is admirable if one ALSO
devotes as much spare time as he can to Torah study. The analogy often
given is comparing Klal Yisroel to an army. Anyone who joins an army for
the proper motives hopes and aspires to be a 5-star General one day. But if
he attains the rank of Major, Captain, Sergeant, etc. he is not a
"failure". He has given it his best shot and G-d has seen to it that his
position is what it is. An army needs cooks, drivers, mechanics,
infantrymen, tankists, etc. Each is a vital cog in the whole machine of the
army. Sure, each one dreams of being Chairman of the Joint Chiefs one day
but that doesn't make them failures if they don't make it.
90 percent of the guys in my shul are BalHaBatim. Most of them are,
contrary to what you stated, "good role models". They work full-time but
still find time to daven with a minyan 3 times a day, learn in the morning
or at night and learn with their kids on a regular basis. Still, I am sure
all of them would agree that when someone asks one of their children what
they would like to be when they grow up, EVERY one of them would like the
answer to be "Tzadik" (completely righteous individual) or "Rosh Yeshiva".
That's just common sense. How can ANY Orthodox Jew aspire to be anything
less than a (Torah) leader of Klal Yisroel (the Jewish people) it's absurd
to think that Judaism respects anything more than Torah, whether you're
Yeshivish, Mizrachi or any other flavor of Orthodox Judaism.
And no Rosh-Yehiva, Kollel yungerman, or Rav looks down on BalHaBatim WHO
MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR FREE TIME. The Yissachar-Zevulan relationship is a
real and necessary one. Both have vital roles in Klal yisroel. Still when
contemplating the two choices, ideally, any Torah-true Jew has to hope to
be the one doing the learning rather than the supporting. If it doesnt work
out, then the support is EQUALLY as important for the relationship to work.
Anyone who makes Torah Umnoso understands these facts.
Mr.Newman wrote that among "the OU (Orthodox Union)/YU (Yeshivah
University)/Young Israel world... more role models exist." What could he
possibly mean by that. Are role models people who make a lot of money? If
so, his statement might be correct. But it's a ridiculous translation of
"Role Model". On the other hand, if a role model is someone who lives his
life for the service of Hashem his statement is absolutely false.
This leads to Mr.Newman's last statement: "This has created the
uncomfortable dichotomy of the Aguda_chareidi world trying to turn to them
(the OU (Orthodox Union)/YU (Yeshivah University)/Young Israel world) to
support financially innnumerable Chareidi institutions, most of which are
inconsistent with their own lifestyles/role models." Who is
"uncomfortable"? Certainly not the yehiva administrators. They are willing
to give anyone the opportunity to fulfill this great Mitzvah. Perhaps it is
those who are being approached who feel uncomfortable in supporting Torah
institutions. If so, it doesn't say much for their educational/Torah
upbringing. And what was meant by "_innnumerable_ Chareidi institutions"?
That has a real negative ring to it. Do people wish there were fewer of them?
In conclusion, I think Mr.Newman's feelings are misguided. Maybe he thinks
those in the Yeshivah world think of OTHERS as failures. But he would be
wrong. Torah-true Judaism believes, by its very nature, in the pre-eminence
of Torah. Anyone or anything who supports and personifies Torah-TRUE ideals
in his daily life is worthy of being called a true role-model.
Ben Helmreich