I am not a Talmid of Yeshiva University. I never attended. But I am an adherent of their Hashkafa of Torah U’Mada. That said there is much room for improvement in the school. And there is much dispute by their Roshei Yeshiva as to where and what that improvement should be. Needless to say the same thing can be said about any Yeshiva.
But that is not the way a certain Rosh Kollel and popular advisor to young people seeking to get married thinks. He believes that one must hate YU. And he says this in the name of Daas Torah. Here is an excerpt from an e-mail exchange from a young woman seeking his advice that is making the rounds on the internet. Ezzie posted it on his blog, SerandEz:
Q: Ive found that with the majority of boys that Ive dated, they often focus just on learning and not on middos. For example, several boys Ive dated have spoken pure lashon harah onthe date about different sects of klal yisrael. Often, boys bash YU. Im not AT ALL the YU hashkafah, but even if I dont agree with the hashkafa I would never speak lashon hara, and bash a sect of klal yisrael.
A: Who paskined for you that it is lashon harah to speak against YU? YU goes against the accepted Daas Torah of Gedolei Yisroel and there is no issur at all to speak against them! You simply aren't adequately familiar with the halachos of lashon harah!!
Q: To me its pure sinas chinam and bashing yiddin, no matter what their hashkafa, drives the shchina away.
A: TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY WRONG!! Rabbeinu Yona writes very clearly that anyone who isn't willing to HATE those who go against HaShem, is a bad person!! YOUR hashkafa here is way way off.
We’ve heard from this fellow before. I wrote about him last year. His comments then were bad enough. As Ezzie points out, he considers those who do not stay in learning to be lesser human beings – sub par.
Now we have this fellow saying it a Mitzvah to Hate Yeshiva University - a Mitzvah to speak Lashon Hara against it because it goes against what he believes is his Daas Torah. In the name of Daas Torah he considers YU’s Hashkafos comparable to hating God!
It completely sickens me that this fellow is still around giving advice on a medium that his own Daas Torah has forbidden. I guess if one bashes YU than one is exempt from that ban.
Based on the tenor of the questioner in this e-mail exchange he seems to command quite a bit of respect. That sickens me even more. How on earth does a fellow like this rise to any level of respect? Can you imagine how many people he has turned against YU? He takes people who are already opposed to YU’s Hashkfos and tells them that’s not enough. One must HATE YU.
This young woman in this e-mail exchange had an honorable approach. Although she did not agree with YU’s Hashkafos it bothered her that her ‘dates’ bashed YU so much. But that wasn’t good enough for this fellow. One must BASH Yeshiva University. One must speak Lashon Hara against it. Not doing so is against Daas Torah - comparable to hating God!
I don’t know what to do about people like this. I know they exist. Some of them post here. But this fellow has a huge following and a good reputation for giving good Shidach advice. He influences vast numbers of young people to think along these lines. Even to lie about them in negative ways!
I do not believe that is the current Daas Torah in the Charedi world. I know they do not agree with the Torah U’Mada model. I know that they oppose it as Krum. I also realize that they do everything in their power to discourage attendance there. But I seriously doubt they think it is permissible to say Lashon Hara about them or that they equate it to hating God. I have heard many negative statements by them about YU. But never anything like this.
There are apparently a few individuals who take it that far and this fellow is one of them. Unfortunately he is in a position of great influence. .
It is evident that Yeshiva University suffers greatly from this fellow and others like him. Their venom has spread and continues to spread rapidly. It does great damage to the already serious Shidach crisis.
I know many young women who are desperately looking for Shiduchim who will not date young men who attend YU, no matter how Frum or even if they are Masmidim in YU’s Beis Hamedrash. I know far too many young women who went to YU’s Stern College for Women, whose are as Frum or even Fummer than any Bais Yaakov graduate. They both seek the same type of Shidach. But they can’t even get t fist base. No Lakewood boy will even look at a young woman who went to Stern. If it ever does happen it’s rare. In one case I know, the young woman was made to quit Stern before he would consider the relationship seriously.
These are quality people. But this Rav thinks the school that was Mechanech them is worthy of hatred. HATRED!
And he is not alone. In one case I know from a few years ago, a young man who learned Lakewood – a nice young man who did not impress me as overly zealous or extreme in any way turned down a Shadchan’s recommendation to date the daughter of one of the top Roshei Yeshiva in YU. Why? Because her father was a Rosh Yeshiva at YU!
People like this fellow are responsible for this attitude. One must ask, for every successful Shidach he facilitated how many others were ruined? And in so many other ways much damage is caused to Klal Yisroel by people like him!
People like this fellow are responsible for this attitude. One must ask, for every successful Shidach he facilitated how many others were ruined? And in so many other ways much damage is caused to Klal Yisroel by people like him!
