It’s not usually my way to speak about things so directly, but I feel that I can’t remain silent. May my humble contribution to this ongoing conversation be motzei chein b’einei Elokim v’adam. It comes from the heart.
Watch: “Bein Hazmanim Debate” – It’s Time To Wake Up
Beautiful video. I see your talking from the bottom of your heart. I just think that we have to respect mesorah. And just because a mehlach worked for you doesn’t mean its for everyone. I myself learn chasidis but its not for everyone. Breslov especially is not for everyone. Its very important to respect everyone. Also to realize that just because something didn’t work for you doesn’t mean its wrong. I cant figure out why every breslov guy is obsessed with forcing it down everyone’s throat.
The word “mesorah” is a funny one. What does mesorah actually mean? Whose mesorah? Do you know that the majority of chevra who sit in the yeshivos actually shtam from chassidim? And then the rabbeim find them learning a chassidishe sefer that warms their heart and ignites a fire of ahavas Hashem and they say “It’s not our mesorah.” Whose mesorah? Ah, the rebbe’s mesorah, not the bochur’s mesorah. Because it actually is his mesorah to learn those teachings and to make this kind of limmud a focal point of his day as the Baal Shem Tov wanted it to be. Now, if you want to say that the chassidus of the Besht isn’t a mesorah (the only way out of this), then I think we should indeed have a conversation about “respecting the leaders”. (again – which leaders etc.)
I don’t think the speakers point was that Breslov is for everyone, or even that chassidus is for everyone, but that a yiddishkeit of cheishek and ratzon is for everyone and that’s what Hashem wants and that’s what yeshivos need to be giving over more succesfully than they are. He claims to have found that chassidus works in a way that other things don’t. Ok, so let’s look into that claim. Is it true? etc. But this isn’t a disrespect to other paths, it seems to be a comment on all paths – the chassidishe mehalech included. he just wants to make sure everyone has access to all paths so they can make an educated decision instead of having yiddishkeit hijacked by those who claim to be the sole torch bearers of “The Mesorah”.
(just btw maybe “every breslov guy” is obsessed with “forcing it down everyone’s throat” because they genuinely believe there is something there that can transform people’s lives in the most awesome way? just a thought.)
they all shtam from non chasadim seeing as it’s only a 300 year old movement
Agreed. The Baal Shem Tov and R’ Yisroel Salanter z”l both were ridiculed by many. Simply, that element is still around…
It is very interesting that Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim and it’s affiliates are structured exactly how he recommends Yeshivos should be and coincidentally, they don’t have a smoking or drinking problem.
What this man says is EMES
Chofetz Chaim is known to produce bochurim with exceptionally good middos. They focus on self- improvement and teach their students how to live life properly as a frum Jew in the future and are not only focused on the present like many other Yeshivos are. For girls in shidduch, I highly recommend speaking to a shadchan from Chofetz Chaim. I’ve dated boys from many yeshivas and the ones who stood out as the most devoted to Judaism and a Torah lifestyle all learn in Chofetz Chaim. Maybe other Yeshivos should go look at how they run things and follow by example.
First of all, don’t be so sure about that. Second of all you need to listen again. Yaakov isn’t just speaking about “a smoking or drinking problem”. That’s not the point at all. He’s talking about a loss of soul problem, a loss of depth problem. And that pervades every system – case in point I know for a fact many in Chafetz Chaim are learning chassidus these days…
Who is this gentleman?
from his website (https://lpitorah.org/):
R’ Yaakov Klein is an author, musician, and lecturer devoted to sharing the inner light of Torah through his books, music, and lectures. R’ Yaakov is the author of “Sparks from Berditchov” and “Sunlight of Redemption” (Feldheim). His popular classes in a wide range of Chassidic and classical Jewish thought have been played tens of thousands of times by Jews across the globe who appreciate the depth, beauty, optimism, and relevance of the material as well as R’ Yaakov’s honest and engaging style.
In May 2020, R’ Yaakov took his passion for Chassidus and penimiyus haTorah to the next level. Ahead of the release of his seminal work on Rebbe Nachman’s “The Lost Princess” entitled “The Story of Our Lives”, R’ Yaakov founded the Lost Princess Initiative, an educational platform based on the primary messages of the book. Through its many projects and programs, this broad initiative seeks to provide a guiding compass to a generation searching for the “Lost Princess” – a Jewish experience bursting with feeling, connection, depth, beauty, expansiveness, and burning relevance.
50 minutes of nothingness.
everyone knows Bein Hazmanim is made b business people. Cars, hotel, foods travel etc.
Wow, what an intelligent comment. Thanks for enlightening us.
I was in Chofetz Chaim. I have family members in Chofetz Chaim. Only a complete ignoramus (or Chofetz Chaim guy) would say that there no “drinking and smoking problem” in their many yeshivos.
Chofetz Chaim is a GREAT institution and many of their musmachim go out and are marbitz Torah to various cities across the globe.
But please, don’t lie…I saw and lived the drinking and smoking problems with my own eyes
Exactly. Stop hiding the ball. This is an issue across the board.
“Some bachurim shouldn’t be in yeshiva”… I think this is a decision that should be made by gedolim and mechanchim, not someone with a Youtube video. There’s a reason Rivka Imeinu consulted with the Gadol Hador when she was troubled about Yaakov and Eisav in her stomach. She didn’t say “I think this, and I think that….”
One must be extremely careful about accepting opinions from any blogger, writer, speaker etc (even myself), unless he is a talmid chochom, yiraas shamayim etc.
Now of course, there are some bachurim who truly may be better of with a decent job and a chavruso every day, as Rabbi Avigdor Miller has said. However, as a Mashgiach and Rebbe for several years, I can testify that I have dealt with many bachurim who everybody gave up on, and despaired of any growth in Torah and Yiraas Shomayim. Yet with patience, love, and wisdom, they have be”H grown to become true bnei Torah, ehrliche baalei battim, and Talmidei Chachomim. Any boy who seriously wants to grow, can.
Rav Shmuel Birnbaum zatzal famously said that one must fast 40 days (!!!) before throwing a bachur out of yeshiva! Saying a bachur is not “cut out” for yeshiva etc, deserves no less deliberation, and is no less a case of pikuach nefesh. As I said, this is for gedolim and chachomim, not bloggers, writers, speakers, poster on social media sites, or letter writers in magazines. Gedolim and chachomim.
Rabbi M, this was not Rav Yaakov making a decision, it was repeating the opinion of Rabbi Moshe Weinberger (who is a Talmud Chacham, Yarei Shomayim, and Rav for decades who has been dealing with all the issues everyone else wants to cover up), and is a tiny part of this whole video which I urge you to watch in full. RMW’s opinion is exactly the one you quote here from Rabbi Miller — it IS normative daas torah. The problem is, no one really accepts it.
I actually agree with you that all boys can grow in yeshiva – Rav Yaakov says that explicitly; the job of a yeshiva is to show each kid that there is makom for him. You obviously didnt watch the whole video. There is nothing here that goes against the gedolim. Emes is emes. Even (especially?) when it hurts.
oh we all know Yeshivas take throwing a bochur out so seriously and don’t treat it like a business decision. (SARCASM!!)
Those Neo_Hasidic guys believe that Hasidism is the answer to everything.
As the saying goes, the most recent convert is the most zealous convert.
What’s the weather going to be this Shabbos?
How do I watch the video seems like it’s taken down from all major platforms.