I received the following comment in an earlier thread:
”I live in Israel and find it difficult to make ends meet and my kids are little. I was curious to know how is it that so many fathers are still learning full time and then they marry off children who are as well learning full time and they all for most part are making it. Perhaps you can find us a guest blogger who can explain this phenomenon. I imagine you are worried about your grandchildren how are they going to make it but I assume your son has bitachon and is not consumed by worry. I my self I am very concerned about making a living and it botheres me no end that I am overdrawed in the bank by over 15000 shekel and I am worried how I am going to get out of this situation.”
This is but one letter of several I have received on this subject and demonstrates quite clearly one of the major problems facing the Torah world in Israel. I have addressed it several times but I have as of yet not offered any solutions. And the truth is that I really don’t have any realistic ones. The problem is so entrenched in the Charedi system that it would take an upheaval of major proportions to even begin to solve it. There are several thing which contribute to this crisis… and it is a crisis.
There is a complicating factor which Israeli Charedim have that those in the US do not: the draft. This is a real obstacle to those Charedim who might otherwise work. But, the problem is not with the draft. It is with the Charedi attitude toward the draft. But, as I said this is only one factor, albeit a big one. This particular problem can be solved in one of two ways: 1) Eliminating the draft and making an all volunteer army, or 2) Taking advantage of the Tal Law which entails some basic training courses after the completeion of one's full time learning... and then integrating into the work force.
The problem is that the first solution will not fly with the gvernement and the problem with the second solution is that it does not fly with the majority of Charedi leadership. But the draft is not the real problem. It is only an obstacle, albeit a big one.
The real problem is that Charedism in Israel has led Klal Yisroel astray. I’ve been through all the details as to why that is the case in the past and am not going to repeat them here. The fact is that Charedi rabbinic leadership has succeeded in their goals of creating a Makom Torah beyond their wildest dreams. It has created and nurtured a system that produces tens of thousands of Talmidei Chachamim. But it produces absolutely no Baalei Battim. It reinforces the mentality that a Baal HaBos is a substandard human being... one who “didn’t make it in learning”. Of course no Charedi leader would say so and when asked they would deny it. But it is an unmistakable truth. Given this mindset it is no small wonder that the writer of this letter and others I have received letters from privately feel that way too.
The system is therefore only a partial success. If producing a Torah nation in all of its component parts is any measure… then it a failure. I say this full well knowing that it is near blasphemy to say so in certain circles. But it is a failure none-the-less. The current system cannot continue without totally imploding at some point. In the meantime there must be hundreds if not thousands of people like this letter writer who are in dire straits.
He asks how it is possible for other full time learners to survive and even do well in the system. First I would tell him that outward appearances can be deceiving. But admittedly there are quite a number of Avreichim who seem to manage. I can’t really speak for all off them but in every case there are unique circumstances that enable them. Some of the wives have good jobs. Some have rich fathers or father-in-laws. Others go to every G’mach in the city and are always in debt. Still other max out every credit card and just don’t worry about it in the short term. And still others live far below the poverty line and struggle to put food on the table. And any combination of these and other factors combine for some to make ends meet.
But obviously this cannot work for everyone. Some, like the above letter writer cannot stomach the debt. If my relatively limited readership has generated a few letters asking for advice, I can imagine there are many others like this who haven’t written. Multiply that by the actual number of the vast majority who don’t read my blog and it is quite clear the problem is of epic proportion.
And it doesn’t end with the inability to make ends meet. Somewhere down the road these Charedim will have to come up with additional yet non-exsistent funds for Diros to marry off their children. And it is not uncommon to find famiies with 8 or 9 children or more. And what about the future of their children and grandchildren who will be facing the same problems further on down the road. If not solved, this problem will only multiply exponentially.
One might at this point say that we just need to have Bitachon. That God will not forget His people and will provide for their needs. In fact Bitachon has always worked for me. I had to marry off four children and I did not know where I was going to get the money. But when the time came, the money was there. God did not forget about me.
But one cannot rely entirely on Bitachon. One cannot eat Bitchon. One needs to do his Hishtadlus. Ein Somchin Al HaNes. I did did my Hishtadlus. I worked for my bread and butter and when I needed more than my income provided, God was there to help me out.
Though communism is anathema to me and one of the worst ideologies to ever present itself on humanity, there is one very famous line that line from Marx’s Communist Manifesto I would paraphrase: “Charedim of the world unite.” It is time for some organized movement within the Charedei system to buck this trend of eschewing work at all costs in favor of learning full time. Of course I realize that asking Charedim to do that is tantamount to asking them to violate Daas Torah. And all my protestations to the contrary... that learning for a Parnassa and working is not against Daas Torah... will fall on deaf ears. Their Daas Torah says don’t study for Parnassa, don’t go to the army, don’t leave learning full time… Who are we, they will say, to contradict the Gedolim.! "I should leave learning when they say no?! ...Oif Meine Plaitzes?! No way!"
But, to paraphrase Rav Dessler. “That is the price!” The future of Klal Yisrael depends on it. There has to be a legitimate and recognized track for learning a Parnassa in a field of one’s choosing. Charedi leadership has to be literally forced into it or it will never happen. The only way is for there to be a groundswell of people like this letter writer who cannot take it anymore.
How does one force entrenched Charedi thinking about learning Torah? One way would be to just leave the system and take your lumps from your peers, Rebbeim etc. Another way would be to actually change Hashkafos and leave Charedism. One does not have to become Modern Orthodox. One can try to the best of his ability to retain the Hashkafos he has been inculcated with. But he will have to have the courage to go it alone.. unless he can convince others in similar circumstances to join him.
Another solution is to simply leave the country! I realize that this too is anathema to many. Israel needs people. And Yishuv Etetz Yisroel is an important Mitzvah. But if the alternatives I suggest above are not viable for whatever reason, what alternative is there other than settling for a life of poverty which can precipitate clinical depression and put so much pressure on a marriage? I know of one such case in Israel right now where an idividual in full time learning who suffers from depression and is undergoing a divorce.
I would put into a category of Pikuach Nefesh. There has been more than one suicide in the Charedi community that resulted from the kind of severe depression that is more than exacerbated by such circumstances.
If every Avreich that suffers the way the above letter writer does would opt for one of these suggestions, it would impact the system... perhaps enough to change the Charedi mindset to see that learning full time for the rest of one’s life is not for everyone.
The solution to leave the country and go back to the US is the most sensible if one is concerened with remaining a Charedi in good standing. There are plenty of Charedi communities here that do not eschew Parnassa training. Going to college, technical schools, becoming apprentices, learning a trade... are far more of an opition in the US than they are in Israel. There are plenty of opportunities to make a living here without feeling shame. One can be a Charedi in good standing here and still be working.
True, there is an anti-work, pro full time learning mentality in the US too. But it is far less severe. With respect to work, Charedim here are far more accepting. Going to college, while frowned upon is still relatively acceptable in most Charedi communities if it is done solely for Parnassa and after some years of learning in a Kollel.
I know it will be hard. Having made the decision to make Alyiah was probably tough enough. And getting acculturated to the Israeli life style could not have been easy. But it was certainly worth it to be able to live in the spiritually elevated atmosphere that is Jeruslalem. And anywhere in Eretz Yisroel has greater Kedusha than anywhere in the US. There is no doubt that there will be a Yiridah on that level. But the price for living in such an atmosphere is way too high for all too many people.
As of right now, with very few exception, Charedi leadership in Israel refuses to address the problem. And it will only get worse. Unless there is a major impact on ithem, things will not change.
Leave the country. Even if you are the only one, at least your problem will be solved. If enough people do it, then it will impact for the better on everyone else. So, I again say, Charedim of the world. Unite! For those of you in dire straits, you have noting to lose but your chains.
