Fakin' it (part one)

As the report came out the other day about welfare statistics and that Kiryas Yoel has the highest rates of consumption and percentage of people on welfare, the conversation has turned to those that sit and learn Torah as their livelihood and take the governments monies. Are they ethical? Should it be this way? What does the Torah itself say? And then the question becomes well then how should it be?

Part one;

I have to preface this conversation by writing about my experiences in my Yeshivah life, and from what I hear I suspect it is the same throughout the ultra-orthodox world.

There are two aspects to Judaism. One is the aspect of conduct; there are strict laws on how to act and with whom to interact. There was and there always will be differing opinions on exactly what that code is. Some a lenient some are more strict. Most people try and stay somewhere in the middle. We adapt to our environment and stay true to our heritage. Then there is a level above that; the extreme way; where every possible “Chumra” is taken upon oneself. Every possible “Hiddur” must be done. Where the people in the community are pressured and harassed to accept a very harsh and difficult religion and creed. Where when in the SA there is ambiguity; E.g Tznius (there is no Hilchos Tznius) they fix that section up in a hurry, and pile the extreme version of every paragraph, refusing to even recognize a rational opinion, or even compromise on their interpretations. And then they call this “Yiras Shomaim”. (Unfortunately when some kids from this community are faced with compromise, in their mind they tell themselves that since this is basic and I must violate them; might as well throw the whole yolk off my back)

Then there is the Torah learning aspect of our community. Throughout our history we have honored and revered the ones who are able and capable to sit and learn. We gave them respect and gave them means to survive. We put a high value on Torah learning. In our history we had little means and we needed the young ones to help out financially. This led to a sort of self selecting group of children who were consensually acute and precocious, to be sent off to learn. Thank the almighty democracy was born, and the standard of living and the education standards has skyrocketed. We have not yet adapted to this phenomenon and till this day; we refuse to abide by the basic ideals of education; which is a universal test, a way of measuring objectively who is bright and who is not. This has led to the reality that every parent can afford to tell his kid that he will be the next Chaim Volozihner or the next Ktzos.

In our school system we know very well and what I mean by “we” I mean the teachers and the students themselves realize that there are elite learners. The elite divide into the conduct categories I stated above. Either they are extreme or they are not so extreme. Or maybe they are even contemplating intellectual freedom. Either way what has happened is this; it has paid off to lie, for the teachers and for the parents and for the kids themselves. Due to our history and the Torah putting such a high premium on learning, who is willing to say that he cannot learn? Which parent will tell a Shadchan that his kid is an “am haaretz”? Which teacher is going to tell the wealthy donor his kid is an ignoramus? None of them will.

So we made up this big lie; “he is not a “Yiras Shomaim”. First it helps the teacher because he does not have to teach, since there is no way in measuring if he is actually teaching. It helps most of the parents; because let’s face it the percentage of elite minds in history in not more than ten percent, and here is the crux of the issue; it helps the kids; because one; it is not possible to change biology but possible to change conduct, and two; it gives them an excuse to sit for years and not work with the added benefit of an excuse; why should that bright “fryak” learn when I am a Tzaddik?

So it boils down to our perspective, our lack of measuring tools, and more so to our laziness. And above all our willingness to live a lie rather than faces reality. That is the world we live in today. And from this comes all ailments in our society; If the idiots don’t know or refuse to recognize the bright ones. Then who has to follow whom? Maybe I am the smart one and you are the foolish one? In OT terms; how do you know? …….Who has to respect whom? Your Smicha paper is just like mine! “ver bizt du”?