Sunday, February 26, 2012

What price Torah?

Thirty-forty years ago, there were those who predicted that the frum world would crash and burn.  And we're still here.
Or, are we?
Yes, we have infrastructure.  Yes, more children than ever are enrolling in yeshivas.  But at what price? 
Is it worth it to teach Torah when our community leaders are going to jail?  When financial crimes, mistreatment of labor and even arson and assault can be attributed to our rabbis?  When the rebbes are accused of horrible crimes?  When hardworking teachers can go up to a year without being paid?  When schools adopt such strict rules that parents teach their children to lie in order to get them in?  When families become welfare cheats?
The Torah was given to us so that we could improve our natures.  The same Torah that commands us to keep the laws of kashrut also commands that we pay our workers on time.  The same stone tablets that command us to keep Shabbos command us not to steal or lie.  If we must violate the Torah in order to teach it, how much value do we place in it?  Eventually, we will be left with something that is only the barest bones of a Torah life.  Unless we can act honestly, all of our Jewish institutions are vanity.

3 comments:

  1. The only thing I would say about people doing "schtick" to get by is that the same ones doing it when they have 10 kids would do it if they had one or two. And those who don't, will not pull schtick even with 15 kids.

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    Replies
    1. Absolutely. But what message does it send to the next generation?

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  2. Jews do not do well with money.
    Money is a great way to show off your bein adam l'makom. Fancy tefillin, fancy yeshivos, fancy sheitls, etc. Not so good for your bein adam l'chaveiro.

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