<p>RHS ignored the Israeli reality that not learning in Kollel means joining the army. I can't speak for the RY in question, but setting up the question as one of a) learning full time b) being an eved Hashem ignores the reality of IDF, an institution that was setup and is being perpetuated as a melting pot. </p>
<p>KT, <br>
MSS </p>
<p>Sent from my mobile phone</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Apr 11, 2012 6:43 PM, "Micha Berger" <<a href="mailto:micha@aishdas.org">micha@aishdas.org</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
----- Forwarded message from TorahWeb <<a href="mailto:torahweb@torahweb.org">torahweb@torahweb.org</a>> -----<br>
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:21:00 -- 0400<br>
From: TorahWeb <<a href="mailto:torahweb@torahweb.org">torahweb@torahweb.org</a>><br>
Subject: Rabbi Hershel Schachter -- True Freedom<br>
To: <a href="mailto:weeklydt@torahweb2.org">weeklydt@torahweb2.org</a><br>
<br>
Permanent Link <<a href="http://www.torahweb.org/torah/2012/moadim/rsch/pesach.html" target="_blank">http://www.torahweb.org/torah/2012/moadim/rsch/pesach.html</a>><br>
<br>
During intersession I participated in a special tour of Eretz Yisroel<br>
together with a group of Yeshiva students. The purpose of the tour was<br>
to study various aspects of Israeli society. Among many other places,<br>
we visited a "charedi" yeshiva high school in Haifa. The rosh yeshiva<br>
spoke with us and said, amongst other things, that if ninety percent of<br>
his graduates do not end up learning long-term in a kollel, he considers<br>
himself a failure. We were all stunned!<br>
<br>
Certainly learning Torah is most important! Every morning right after<br>
reciting birchos haTorah we all recite the passage from the Talmud stating<br>
that "Talmud Torah keneged kulam". But still, can it be that anyone who<br>
does not go into full-time learning is wasting his life? Hakadosh Baruch<br>
Hu calls upon all people to be His slaves. The message Moshe Rabbeinu was<br>
to deliver to Pharoh was, "shalach ami veya'avduin -- let My people go and<br>
have them become My slaves." Until Pesach evening, the Jews were slaves<br>
to Pharoh and then, when he freed them, they became slaves to Hashem.<br>
<br>
The Jews in every generation were always at the forefront of fighting<br>
for freedom. Our tradition teaches, however, that true freedom does not<br>
mean that one is free to do whatever he pleases. Only one who is a slave<br>
to Hashem and follows the Torah is considered truly free. In Hallel<br>
we recite, "ani avdecha ben amosecha pitachto l'moseirai", i.e. that<br>
only by becoming a complete slave to Hakadosh Baruch Hu do we feel that<br>
"our shackles have been broken" and that we have become freed!<br>
<br>
Moshe Rabbeinu was described by the Torah as "eved Hashem -- a slave of<br>
Hashem." The Radak explains the use of this expression to describe Moshe<br>
based on the Talmudic principle, "kol mah shekana eved kana rabbo --<br>
everything a slave acquires is automatically transferred to his master."<br>
Just as all that a slave does belongs to his master, so too everything<br>
Moshe Rabbeinu did, all day long, was in the service of his Master,<br>
Hashem. Similarly, when commenting on the passuk, "va'yered Moshe min<br>
ha'har el ha'am" (Shemos 19:14), Chazal highlight the fact that even<br>
though Moshe was returning from being on Har Sinai for forty days,<br>
he did nothing for his own purposes when he came down, rather he went<br>
straight back to serving Hashem's people.<br>
<br>
The Torah calls upon all of us to serve as avadim to Hashem, "ki Li<br>
Bnai Yisroel avadim" (Vayikra 26:55). The Rambam (Hilchos De'os 3:2-3),<br>
citing the passuk (Mishlei 3:6), "bechol derachecha do'eihu" writes<br>
that all of our daily activities -- getting dressed, eating, working,<br>
spending time with our spouses and our children, sleeping, etc. -- should<br>
be done lesheim Shomayim. The Rambam goes on to say that one who follows<br>
this path is in constant service of Hashem! The Torah dictates not only<br>
how we must deal in business but even how we should put on our shoes and<br>
tie them, how we should shower, and how we should go to sleep at night. A<br>
Jew can not divide his activities between the holy and the secular. All<br>
day long we are avdei Hashem, and "kol mah shekana eved kana rabbo". All<br>
of our activities are expected to be done in the service of our Master.<br>
<br>
Our love for Hashem is expected to be all encompassing. We are called<br>
upon to love him "with all of our hearts." Our love for our spouses and<br>
family members is expected to be part of our love for Hashem. He wants<br>
us to raise families.<br>
<br>
After receiving semicha from Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky at Torah V'Da'as,<br>
many of the students would go into secular fields. Rav Kaminetsky would<br>
not rebuke them for the decision not to enter into the rabbinate or<br>
chinuch. He would simply tell them that whatever they choose to do for<br>
a living they must do honestly, and they must always act and deal with<br>
others in a proper fashion to make a Kiddush Hashem.<br>
<br>
The Torah tells us (Breshis 5:22) that Chanoch was a holy tzaddik who<br>
"walked with Hashem". According to the Zohar, Chanoch was an honest<br>
and hard-working shoemaker who did all of his work lesheim Shomayim.<br>
Chanoch's life was one of great success; he acted as an eved to Hashem<br>
by dedicating all of his daily activities to His service.<br>
<br>
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