tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post8005101619221099761..comments2024-03-02T03:29:09.759-05:00Comments on SerandEz and Friends: The Chareidi View? "Sub-Par"Ezziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12494592434522239195noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-91252576696145405982007-05-18T10:54:00.000-04:002007-05-18T10:54:00.000-04:00The scary thing is that I think I may know who the...The scary thing is that I think I may know who the Rav B. is and can see him saying all that. The thing is he doesn't realize that the working men aren't looking for mega bucks (though some are). They're looking to make ends meet, to pay rent, to buy food and clothing (not even fancy/expensive), to pay tuition. Tuition in Israel is a joke, so people in Israel have a hard time understanding....He talks about rabbanim who are learning full time, but what about the rabbanim of old who worked and learned(shoemakers, etc). The answer may have fit to the writer, though I don't know him so I don't know, but such an answer cannot be for the general yeshivish guy who's working.LittleBirdieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05532161424217457972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-57973446135997709792007-05-16T23:15:00.000-04:002007-05-16T23:15:00.000-04:00I also commented on Moshe's original post, so I'll...I also commented on Moshe's original post, so I'll just add that does this rabbi think he's G-d? Cause he sure acts like he knows <EM>exactly</EM> what He wants.the applehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04756184353010645018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-67271275528945009192007-05-15T20:35:00.000-04:002007-05-15T20:35:00.000-04:00I think you have to letRabbi B.name to be known.He...I think you have to letRabbi B.name to be known.He is misleading many easily influenced young adults through his blog and e-mails.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-42173105896577930282007-05-15T16:20:00.000-04:002007-05-15T16:20:00.000-04:00humn, I wonder if sofers and shochtim are also sub...humn, I wonder if sofers and shochtim are also sub-par.Leah Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16546935038863589318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-10505637526920815742007-05-15T12:20:00.000-04:002007-05-15T12:20:00.000-04:00Erachet - I agree.G - :P as usual. There's so much...Erachet - I agree.<BR/><BR/>G - :P as usual. There's so much that comes as a prerequisite to learning.<BR/><BR/>Anon - Well put. I would stretch that from then until... now.<BR/><BR/>Ram - Excellent, thank you.<BR/><BR/>Scraps - <I>I'm absolutely nauseated after having read the complete post. However, having encountered the attitude before, I'm also not at all surprised.</I><BR/><BR/>That was my response as well. Part of what bothers me most is how he said it more than what he said.<BR/><BR/>Elie - <I>But it will never happen as long as there are gullible people who can be guilted into subsidizing a lifestyle of able-bodied adults not working under the guise of "tzedaka".</I><BR/><BR/>I think we actually are closer to a collapse than in the past, simply because more and more people are getting fed up and/or finding alternatives for their tzedaka where this is not done. We'll see, though.<BR/><BR/>Anon - See my previous post regarding my own cousins (regarding your second point).<BR/><BR/>It seems rather clear from his comments that he is directing this to all those who work, single or not, and that he feels that all should be learning full-time.<BR/><BR/>Anon - <I>the rabbi tells him that he is "sub-par" because he is not pushing himself the way he could.</I><BR/><BR/>No, that's clearly NOT what he said. Read the whole conversation. He is clearly calling him sub-par for planning a life where he will work vs. learn.<BR/><BR/>a) That's ridiculous. Every person must gauge for themselves what makes the most sense for them. Those are not different goals, but different ways of serving Hashem.<BR/><BR/>b) I didn't really see that point made, nor do I agree with it, if the person is busy with other aspects of life.<BR/><BR/><I>If you can't take mussar don't open yourself up to it by writing to a chareidi rabbi and get a thicker skin.</I><BR/><BR/>That's utterly stupid. As one of my Rebbeim said, "A Rebbe must be a ba'al mussar." This has nothing to do with "thick skin". After this, should the talmid find another Rebbe? Perhaps. But that's because of the Rebbe, not the talmid. Moreover, you seem to imply that a Charedi rabbi is more entitled to bash or put down ["don't open yourself up to it by writing to a chareidi rabbi"], which is not only wrong and foolish, but also degrading to Charedim.<BR/><BR/>Ram - <I>The rabbi could have also been wrong in general, not knowing what actually prompts most people to work for a living. We see many examples in Tanach and the Gemara of even top-level scholars having jobs outside Jewish education. Who let the future David HaMelech out to tend the sheep?</I><BR/><BR/>I think this is the more important point. Lots to say on this, but too much for a comment.<BR/><BR/>Anon - <I>as one who knows the rabbi in question, I think he is very aware of what prompts people to work for a living and encourages people to do so.</I><BR/><BR/>I also know the Rebbe in question. I'm not sure 'aware' is the best word - he may be aware but he does not necessarily relate well to it. Moreover, I don't recall him encouraging people to work.<BR/><BR/><I>The hysteria over these comments is that he dared to tell a young man that he could do better and that young man rather than taking the advice to heart decided to get others to side with him via blogs rather than doing introspection</I><BR/><BR/>That's a completely skewed version of what the talmid asked, what he responded, and what happened. You have no clue what you're saying.Ezziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12494592434522239195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-48828100397268439522007-05-15T11:52:00.000-04:002007-05-15T11:52:00.000-04:00as one who knows the rabbi in question, I think he...as one who knows the rabbi in question, I think he is very aware of what prompts people to work for a living and encourages people to do so. The young man called the Rabbi "rebbe" implying they had a previous relationship<BR/><BR/>The hysteria over these comments is that he dared to tell a young man that he could do better and that young man rather than taking the advice to heart decided to get others to side with him via blogs rather than doing introspectionAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-59272468489214957422007-05-15T08:32:00.000-04:002007-05-15T08:32:00.000-04:00Commenters are making many assumptions, but there ...Commenters are making many assumptions, but there are things we don't know. <BR/><BR/>For example, did the rabbi in this case actually know that this specific Jew was looking at a tradeoff between riches and Torah study, and was capable of doing more and deeper Torah study? If so, the personal advice could have been generally on the mark. However, if the rabbi was reacting instead to a false stereotype, the advice could have been useless or harmful. This Jew might have needed to work just to put bread on the table. This Jew might have had poor Gemara comprehension and needed tutoring to improve that if possible, or needed to study other material in another setting. And so on. <BR/><BR/>This is all a good argument against putting out one-size-fits-all advice on this topic via the Web or other public channels. <BR/><BR/>The rabbi could have also been wrong in general, not knowing what actually prompts most people to work for a living. We see many examples in Tanach and the Gemara of even top-level scholars having jobs outside Jewish education. Who let the future David HaMelech out to tend the sheep?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11088882748518758064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-4740853579277570142007-05-15T01:06:00.000-04:002007-05-15T01:06:00.000-04:00The rabbi clearly says the man will be a good husb...The rabbi clearly says the man will be a good husband, G-d loves his hour of learning and he is not tainted.<BR/><BR/>However, when the boy says that he doesn't like being called subpar. the rabbi tells him that he is "sub-par" because he is not pushing himself the way he could. I think that is sub-par by most definitions. not living up to one's potential. <BR/><BR/>The rabbi makes two main points<BR/> a. the goals of one learning full time are differnt than one working and learning one hour. (his hint may have something to do with the fact that they chose different lifestyles.)<BR/><BR/>b. One hour is not enough learning for a boy in this age bracket and still single. <BR/><BR/>AL took offense to this comment - <BR/>If you can't take mussar don't open yourself up to it by writing to a chareidi rabbi and get a thicker skin.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-4155608816473111022007-05-15T00:39:00.000-04:002007-05-15T00:39:00.000-04:00Um... he called him Sub par, or was that just a jo...Um... he called him Sub par, or was that just a joke.Holy Hyraxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17704030181702087485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-3363473864781301532007-05-14T20:34:00.000-04:002007-05-14T20:34:00.000-04:00oh please, he was talking to a single bochur who w...oh please, he was talking to a single bochur who was trying to defend learning for one hour a day vs. getting rich. He was not saying every married man needs to be in kollel. If the same question had come up about a married man, then I think the answer would have been different. He might have said his learning would be different but he has to do it for other obligations. After all, this rebbe is working isn't he?????Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-89704681560559866122007-05-14T18:06:00.000-04:002007-05-14T18:06:00.000-04:00eh, Chareidim, what can you expect.eh, Chareidim, what can you expect.Holy Hyraxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17704030181702087485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-35639217981832453322007-05-14T16:53:00.000-04:002007-05-14T16:53:00.000-04:00Good for you! But far too many, I fear, still buy...Good for you! But far too many, I fear, still buy into to the notion of adults living off others (or the government).Eliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15979263918394127210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-44639188079931499602007-05-14T16:46:00.000-04:002007-05-14T16:46:00.000-04:00elie: I can tell you that the Tzedaka that my husb...elie: I can tell you that the Tzedaka that my husband and I give does not go to kollel families. We won't give for "hachanas kalla" in the sense of "buying a house for the new couple." We don't own a house, why should we give tzedaka for someone else to?<BR/><BR/>It seems like that's becoming more and more common among the working folks. I'd rather give to divorced mothers or people who are underemployed, unable to find employment, old & under-pensioned, etc. Though, on the subject of hachnasat kalla, I do plan to give a few months' maaser to the gemach where I got my wedding gown.Leah Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16546935038863589318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-84353706247817809372007-05-14T16:35:00.000-04:002007-05-14T16:35:00.000-04:00How disgusting. I also am at a losst for (printab...How disgusting. I also am at a losst for (printable) words on the article, but I have one addition to a previous comment:<BR/><BR/><I>I assume reality will have to catch up at some point...</I><BR/><BR/>I used to hope so too. But it will never happen as long as there are gullible people who can be guilted into subsidizing a lifestyle of able-bodied adults not working under the guise of "tzedaka".Eliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15979263918394127210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-63926774034821230402007-05-14T15:23:00.000-04:002007-05-14T15:23:00.000-04:00This snippet of the email conversation reminds me ...This snippet of the email conversation reminds me of when a high school teacher of mine used to say, "Not to compare myself to G-d, BUT...."<BR/><BR/>I'm absolutely nauseated after having read the complete post. However, having encountered the attitude before, I'm also not at all surprised. This is a large part of the attitude that feeds into the feeling of entitlement that has become prevalent among bnei yeshivah (or those who consider themselves such) that they deserve rich in-laws who will fully support them, cover all their expenses/luxuries for the next x-many years, because THEY are supporting the whole world through their Torah learning and therefore they should have all they ever wanted handed to them on a silver platter. This "Rabbi B"'s attitude towards guys who are working (whether or not they even want to!) says it all...and I'm disgusted.Scrapshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15911315552965685448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-90558008027835969262007-05-14T15:11:00.000-04:002007-05-14T15:11:00.000-04:00See:http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/06...See:<BR/>http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/06/15/to-serve-with-honor/Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11088882748518758064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-4099352254840006942007-05-14T14:43:00.000-04:002007-05-14T14:43:00.000-04:00In the times of the Shoftim, what percentage of Je...In the times of the Shoftim, what percentage of Jewish men was sub-par in this sense? Obviously, many were fighting against Canaanaites or Philistines, farming, raising livestock, making things, buying and selling, etc., for a significant part of their day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-11453759787244762282007-05-14T14:00:00.000-04:002007-05-14T14:00:00.000-04:00I have not been this truly offended in a very long...I have not been this truly offended in a very long while. I mean honestly who does this person think he is. Sub-par!?...Because I do not devote all of my time to Torah learning? Let me tell you something right now, there are many reasons that I qualify as being sub-par, we could be here all day if a list was to be provided. Not learning, HA!!, that does not even make the top ten. If I am going to branded at least it should be for things that are real.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-61193656816199931762007-05-14T13:01:00.000-04:002007-05-14T13:01:00.000-04:00Wow. And anyway, what gives this Rabbi the right t...Wow. And anyway, what gives this Rabbi the right to assume he knows how Hashem sees things, just because he learns all day? That's quite presumptuous.Erachethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00660802321998349072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-45479882875773398342007-05-14T12:51:00.000-04:002007-05-14T12:51:00.000-04:00Trilcat - Mind-boggling.Strongbad - I'm just copyi...Trilcat - Mind-boggling.<BR/><BR/>Strongbad - I'm just copying from the original post. Ask Moshe.Ezziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12494592434522239195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-92140630552904915572007-05-14T12:18:00.000-04:002007-05-14T12:18:00.000-04:00I am not sure why you feel the need to mask this R...I am not sure why you feel the need to mask this Rav's identity (and the yeshiva[s] he teaches at for that matter) seeing as how this is from a mass email list, not private correspondence, which he also posts on his website.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13326001.post-18369533692169605862007-05-14T11:10:00.000-04:002007-05-14T11:10:00.000-04:00commented on the original post... Absolutely sicke...commented on the original post... Absolutely sickening situation.<BR/><BR/>I assume reality will have to catch up at some point...Leah Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16546935038863589318noreply@blogger.com