The Voice of Reason
A friend of mine critiques the grasshopper effect.
The following is a letter written by a friend which was sent to the Voice of Lakewood after their infamous Grasshopper Effect article was published. He was especially upset that the Voice of Lakewood apologized for publishing the original letter questioning the financial stability of the kollel system. It has an ice cube’s chance in gehennim of getting printed in The Voice, which is why I am publishing it here. It is a guest post that does not represent the views of this blog blah blah blah. Who am I kidding!? I wouldn't post it if deep down I didn't agree with it. It's still a guest post though, so all spelling and grammar mistakes are probably the original author’s fault.
Also, you should probably read the article in The Voice of Lakewood before you read this. Slifkin quotes it in full in his blog below:
I will preface my response by saying that I learn in kollel all day and therefore ad hominem attacks that are sure to come about "questioning the system" or "anti the system" are false. I fully believe in the kollel system.
Full stop.
That being said, here are a few points on Y Strauss's article:
THE CHOICE OF KOLLEL
Many (like Slifkin) are attacking Y Strauss's article from the premise that the kollel system is inherently wrong.
I believe in the kollel system. I actively choose every day to learn instead of pursuing a degree or a job. I am choosing to put my family's spiritual future first instead of guaranteeing their financial future. Although (b'“h) my wife has a good job and she is happy to support my Kollel dream, I am aware that if I would take my future expenses into account (tuition, weddings etc.) I should probably leave kollel now to save up for them. I still CHOOSE to live life in the present and build my house on kollel values even if down the road I will have to penny pinch a bit.
You can critique my choice but everyone is entitled to CHOOSE what is important to them. This is important to me.
The problem with so many in the Kollel system today is that they don't acknowledge that they are making this choice. They believe that they will be financially successful despite the fact that they are doing things that are technically financially irresponsible. I don't know why this is. Its almost as if people think that kollel can't be sold on its own merit so they need to claim that you can go to kollel and still live with Lakewood’s high standards.
THE GRASSHOPPER EFFECT
Y Strauss's "grasshopper effect" is sure to ruffle some feathers in the non kollel circles.
There are many problems with it on a hashkafic level - can you base your hashkafah on a story?, maybe that’s only for Reb Chaim? is the story even fully true? etc… I won't delve into any of those problems because I'm sure many will in the frum blogsphere.
I want to point out a problem that still crops up even if we accept that the theory IS true.
So let's say it is true that many times finances dont have to work on paper for Shevet Levi and mysteriously they get less expenses/ divine help. But you cant ignore the fact that most learners will eventually need to go to work to support their family. How come there is no grasshopper effect there?
Obviously, despite there being a special shefa from Hashem, at a certain point finances DO play a role.
(A good case in point is the Shafier family featured in the Shared Accounts a few weeks back which started off this whole kerfuffle).
3. WHAT THE LETTER REALLY SAYS
In the original letter M.F. was advocating for yungerleit to look a a bit down the road and try to stay in learning on some level for longer by starting to think about finances a bit earlier and not wait until you are halfway under water.
Is that against the kollel ideal?
If a yungerman sees, that based on his financial situation, he will need to go out to work full time in two years maybe he should go out to work a bit early part time and preemptively get ahead of his finances so he never had to go out to work full time?
Y STRAUSS clearly doesn’t actually know anyone in kollel who isn’t being supported:
It is factually untrue that yungerleit are not struggling . I know many that are. Please don't argue that taking tzedakah is called divine help.
5. WORK vs Credit Card miles:
I find it quite ironic that the argument against having a side hustle is that because we have divine help we shouldn't occupy our minds with something that might spill into the Beis Medrash. So why is spending time pursuing government programs, credit card miles and other methods of gaining financial benefits on the side better?
There are tons of yungerleit making a lot off of those things. Why are those things better? Because it isn't called " work"?
6. REB AHARON INTENTIONS:
Whenever any conversation about work vs. Kollel comes up, people zealously cry out "but but but… Reb Aharon wanted Torah lishma!"
Although its a nice virtue signal is it accurate? A number of points must be made:
A] Reb Aaron Kotler never guaranteed financial stability for people learning in kollel. He felt that Torah learning needed to be elevated and that a Kollel system was needed to rebuild after WW 2.
B] He definitely didn't guarantee that you can drive late model cars, buy your kids brand name clothing, make over the top weddings and still pay tuition.
Some context is needed here: Lakewood was a small town in Reb Aaron's time and being a teacher, secretary or a babysitter for $7 an hour was enough to set you up to be able to buy a house and live a simple life. Houses at that point went for 60- 80k so despite the low salaries, they were affordable. These days most people barely have the financial resources to afford a house in Lakewood on two salaries, let alone one. Making $7 an hour is closer to a 60k house then $35 an hour is to a 850k house. Do the math.
In conclusion:
Not bringing in pros and cons of financial planning for kollel makes the whole "Shared Accounts" column irrelevant. (I know that you will never publish this response [that’s where I come in - Ash] as you must toe party line and bow to the vocal minority that refuses to have an open discussion about this). You should know that contrary to what you think, many yungerleit grapple with these thoughts. A lot more then you think.
If you want to truly be "The Voice of Lakewood” you should actually write things that represent what many are thinking and have an open discussion about it. Apologozing to a vocal minority instead just virtue signals to a few people that send you emotional letters. The moral majority of Lakewood agrees with the original letter and certainly doesn’t think you need to apologize for publishing it.
 | A guest post by
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i give it a 90% chance that the voice will print the letter. He printed the "apology" from Strauss, because they wanted to receive responses like these. He likes creating controversies. Gotta read between the lines.
This response misses the entire point. As a system with an ideal to be entirely engrossed in torah should not be encouraging side hustles and college courses. This does not mean that there are none who do other things besides sit and learn. It means that as a system it has worked for years with an ideal and there are many who have lived that life without a thought to how they will finance their lives. As the author of the grasshopper effect wrote you can ask how they do it but they nor does anyone else really know. Can one also not question why god has chosen to inject billions of dollars into the hands of frum businessmen in the current generation? I am sure the rational group would say for private Jets and to fund a certain non profit in beit shemesh or dedicate a chair of judaic studies in some random college.Just as a side point to those who deride people who dedicate their their lives to learn and must live from others….that is Rabbeinu Yackov ben R Ashers description of himself in the beginning of hilchos shabbos. (if you dont know who that is stop by BMG and ask)