The aim of Yeshivos – education of the individual – how to approach this

Reaction to the Yeshiva crisis in Eretz Yisroel

The world is going through a difficult time. Eretz Yisroel is suffering, and the Olam Hatorah, even more so, as Yeshivos find themselves under attack from government gezeiros.

However, the Borei Olam talks to us through these events, and the message must make sense and be actionable.

On the one hand, we certainly need to establish the financial continuity of Yeshivos. We need to make it possible to learn. To that end, the Gedolim embarked on a massive fundraising trip to secure the funds for Yeshivos to survive. But it is clear to everyone that this is not the whole picture. Hashem’s message to us might include this directive, but it is not exclusive. It is obvious that change must be made within the Yeshivos themselves.

When facing overwhelming challenges, we often think that the solution must contain an upheaval of grand proportions. That we must tackle the entirety of the problem and create radical change. However, this is a severely misguided approach. The goal of achieving a 180-degree change is unattainable and will always result in failure. The study of chinuch shows us that for change to take root, it must be done in small, committed doses. The focus on small actions will actually change us and our children. It can even change our institutions and communities.

The action we need to take in addressing the current crisis is not a 24/7 solution. We would like to propose a solution which takes a small investment of time, but a directed and purposeful investment, nonetheless.

But first, we must ask ourselves, which area within the olam hayeshivos is being neglected? It is safe to say that the quantity as well as the quality of learning in our Yeshivos are at high levels. We are learning Torah in Yeshivos with hasmoda and with seriousness.

So…what’s the problem?

When we look at the way Yeshivos used to be mechanech, and compare that to today, we will immediately notice a stark contrast. Where, in the past, Yeshivos strived to establish the development of the unique Talmid and be mechanech to his individuality, today it seems the Chinuch towards uniqueness is gone. Instead, we are being mechanech with a mass-market approach. The growing sizes of the major Yeshivos compound the problem, as Yeshivos aim for enrollment in exceeding 700-800 talmidim, leaving little to no room for individuality to develop and thrive. Yeshivos seem to have lost focus on their original intention: to be mechanech to the uniqueness of the Talmid. It is this critical issue that demands a solution.

We must be clear here. Our message is not to be confused with the modern tropes found in popular magazines and articles, extolling individuality of learning, activities, and hobbies within our Yeshivos. We are not advocating here for extracurricular pursuits for those who don’t fit the mold of the typical talmid hayeshiva. We are not discussing the bochur who cannot handle the rigors of three sedarim a day, and find the need to express themselves outside of the sidrei hayeshiva.

Furthermore, it is an unfortunate belief that individual growth and unique development are borne solely from a person’s difficulties and struggles. It is assumed that where one doesn’t fit in, can’t keep up, or experiences spiritual or emotional challenges, is where one’s originality develops. This widespread fallacy was on full display several years ago at a kinnus for mashgichim. The featured speaker was considered a successful Mechanech who worked primarily with struggling bochurim. In his presentation, he described how the davening and learning performed by those who struggle have a quality of uniqueness by the Ribono Shel Olam, and each act of avodah is special because of what they must overcome.

He was so entrenched in this way of thinking, that when challenged to find the uniqueness in the average bochur who does learn three sedarim a day, does come to davening, and in general “fits the mold,” he very publicly refuted the possibility of individuality there!

A person’s uniqueness is not determined by where they don’t fit in. It isn’t only the byproduct of issues and problems. One’s individuality is connected to the healthiest and most positive parts of a person. Our yetzer horah must be dealt with, but it isn’t the sole definer of our uniqueness.

A second challenge is that many people are under the impression that a Yeshiva with several hundred unique individuals will cause the Yeshiva to fall apart. They say that such a Yeshiva will lose cohesion and organization, with each talmid engaged in his own pursuit.

In reality, this fear is unfounded, because the changes we need are not massive shifts causing vast disruption to the structure of the Yeshiva. Rather, we seek to institute a small tweak that can have extremely positive effects over time. In fact, the more pinpointed the change, the more effective it will be. Like water gushing from a wide-open hose, it will flood the area around it, but the stream will not go very far at all. Only by narrowing the opening and directing the flow, can you force the water much further out, and direct it for maximum effect. Pursuing a 24/7 change will not accomplish anything, but a small, targeted change, for a half hour a day, can be very powerful.

When our beis hamussar and Kollel was created with morning and evening sedarim, it was established on condition that there would be no formal seder mussar! It was clear to us that the traditional seder mussar could not be successful, and we refused to invest in an endeavor that had no chance of working. There are several reasons for this, one of which is rooted in Rav Yisroel’s shitta that the learning of mussar must be able to be expressed with unrestricted physical movements and vocal expressions. This can never happen in a standard Beis Medrash setting, and the seder mussar loses its potency entirely.

In any event, the half hour normally reserved for mussar in Yeshivos is available to be used in a powerful way that can build the talmid and develop their uniqueness in Torah and within the system.

How does this work?

There are people for whom their entire avodas Hashem is built around one or two central limudim. There are some chassidim who connect deeply with the sefer Tanya. It certainly isn’t their only limud, but it is integral to all aspects of their ruchnius. In earlier times, the teachings of the Sh’la Hakodosh were the focus of the Baal Hatanya’s disciples. They were known as “Sh’la Chassidim” until the Baal Hatanya developed his own teachings, leading to the formation of Chabad.

From a personal perspective, there are three seforim which I have learned hundreds of times and are central to me in all areas of Torah and avodah. They are Daas Tevunos, Ohr Yisroel, and Nefesh Hachaim. They do not make up the majority of my learning time, but they are a daily focus for years and years. Each review brings chiddushim, revealing deeper, and sometimes shockingly obvious new ideas that are eye opening, enlightening, and life changing! The more I learn them, the more alive they are, opening up entirely new messages that I’ve never seen before! Years after publishing a sefer on Nefesh Hachaim, we are in the process of writing a brand new peirush, unlike anything we’ve written before!

How does this work? Because the Torah that is central to a person is alive within them, and it becomes an unlimited source for growth, sophistication, and revelation. It is through the pursuit of this type of learning that individualism in Torah is manifested. And it does not take more than a half hour a day. The sidrei hayeshiva will remain intact. The z’manei tefillah will be unchanged. The limud b’iyun of Bava Basra and Yevomos will go on. But the talmid will be fundamentally changed and find his uniqueness through Torah, not through his yetzer horah.

The particular limud that resonates with the individual can be anything! Even “dry” Halacha can be the limud that serves as the lifeblood of the person, as long as it is meaningful to them on a larger scale. There are people who fancy themselves “Poskim.” But if you ask them a question, challenging a premise in their shiur halacha, they are unmoved by the issue. They might give a cursory acknowledgement of the problem, but they will go on with their day without a second thought! If Halacha is meaningful to you, a challenge to your understanding of the Mishna Berurah should make a difference to you in your life! If, once the shiur ends, you are not intrigued, disturbed, or even curious, to delve deeper into the matter, how much does Halacha really mean to you?

This work can even be applied outside of talmud Torah per se. Chesed is one example of this. One can be involved in chesed on a superficial level, or one can become connected to chesed through its impact on them and their avodah. These people will see chesed in the way it is connected to Torah. They will find messages within the “esek” of chesed, and not simply see it as an action to be performed. Chesed as it connects to Torah and ratzon Hashem will begin to talk to them, to inform their outlook, to influence their thoughts. The esek we work on as a centrality of their avodas Hashem, will be ultimately life changing.

A typical seder mussar will not do the trick. We need to use the small snippet of the day – not more than half an hour – to connect with an area of Torah that can become, over time, central to our entire life. To be sure, it takes patience. We cannot hope to see results in a short amount of time. It is an endeavor for life, with change emerging after months, even years. But the change will be extraordinary. And as we keep coming back to that limud, turning it over, seeing it again and again from different angles, taking notice of ideas, patterns, and messages, the change will be deeply personal and unique to us.

We need to develop ourselves to be unique individuals, not because of problems, but through our strengths, and not by coloring outside the lines, but by connecting with Torah as central to our very beings. We need this now more than ever.

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Prepared for publication by Rabbi Moshe Sonnenschein