[Avodah] Rav Avigdor Miller on The Learning Boy

[Prof. Levine]

At 02:43 PM 7/24/2018, Micha Berger wrote:


>But I find it hard to believe that was R Avigdor Miller's intent. So
>I was reading the answer with a fine tooth comb. And I noticed this:
>
>The question, "What should a girl do if her chosson says that he intends
>to learn forever?" isn't exactly the same as the answer. The question is
>about the chasan's intent, the answer is about a chasan who is determined,
>not matter what. R Avigdor Miller appears to be fine with the aspiration.
>
>So, he isn't so much against kollel as against marrying a man who says
>in advance he won't work even if things aren't working out financially
>at kollel. But it doesn't look like he wrote against life-long kollel
>where someone can find the financial backing (a kollel with a generous
>stipend or a teaching job).
>
>I mean, would you really expect Rav Avigdor Miller's ideals to be that
>far from contemporary Lakewood's?
>
>I say contemporary Lakewood, since I am not clear on Rav Aharon Kotler's
>position. I am told kollel was only for a few years; the stipend was shut
>off -- beshittah, not only for rationing -- after a 5 year or so horizon.

Let me recall a conversation I had with R. Miller many years ago 
after we had finished learning the Gemara in Kiddushin that says a 
father is required to teach his son a skill so the son can earn a living.

I asked R. Miller, "But we don't see today's yeshiva boys being 
taught the wherewithal to earn a living.  Why not?"'

He replied, "Look at my shul.  All of the fathers are 
professionals,  some doctors, some lawyers, some accountants, some 
teachers, and some in business,  but none of their sons will be able 
to do this.  What will happen to them?  How will they support a family?"

Then he paused for a moment and said, "Look at my son Shmuel.  He has 
a wealthy father-in-law,  so this will be good enough for him and for 
his children.  But what will happen to Shmuel's grandchildren?" (R. 
Shmuel Miller has a large family.)

He said all of this to me,  and never said anything like it 
publicly.  But from this I have deduce that he was not in favor of 
"Kollel forever" and felt that a husband was responsible to support 
his family.   Based on this I think he would not have much 
disagreement with my article at 
http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/front-page/the-obligation-to-support-a-family/2015/02/19

BTW,  this was not the only thing he said to me personally and never 
sad publicly.  It was not uncommon for him to make public statements 
which, when I privately "challenged" him about, he modified.

YL


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.aishdas.org/pipermail/avodah-aishdas.org/attachments/20180724/a7b5f0d0/attachment.html>