Last week dozens of roshei yeshivos gedolos gathered
at the request of HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, HaRav Michel
Yehuda Lefkowitz and HaRav Gershon Edelstein for a special
meeting at HaRav Shteinman's home to discuss acceptance and
enrollment of talmidim at yeshivos gedolos.
Opening the discussion, HaRav Lefkowitz said, "Based on
experience during this time of year talmidim enter a
state of stress to properly prepare themselves for the
admission exams for yeshivos gedolos although this is
not justified. If a talmid listens carefully to the
shiurim and reviews the material several times, as
practiced at serious yeshivas, this is enough to pass the
exam. But the reality is that talmidim do not accept
these simple points, but go into a state of stress.
"Human nature is that when an individual is in a state of
tension, after he is released from it he relaxes completely
from all the tension he had. As a result we receive numerous
complaints from various places of talmidim in Shiur
Gimmel at yeshivos ketanos who, following the exams
for yeshivos gedolos, throw off the yoke of learning
and sedorim, causing bitul Torah and great
laxity among them and the rest of the talmidim at the
yeshiva. In fact in some cases during this period they lose
all they achieved during their studies at the yeshiva
ketanoh.
"Furthermore, the yeshiva gedoloh where the
talmid will be admitted and where he will learn also
stands to lose because although at the time of the test he
was fit for acceptance there, during the period following the
exam his level [of learning] decreased due to the period of
prikas ol and he arrives at the yeshiva in a lowered
state and, Rachmono litzlan, who knows how much he
will succeed in raising himself up again to go back on track?
And his entire future depends on this, as it says in
Chagigah 11 on the verse, `Tov acharis dovor
meireishiso,' meaning the good that comes to light in the
end depends on the beginning. If the beginning involved
kabolas ol Torah and kabolas ol rabosov then
the end will be good, but sometimes a lacking becomes
apparent in the end.
"Unfortunately experience shows there are talmidim who
lodge complaints against themselves after a year or two for
not understanding the shiurim and not reaching the
level on which the rov speaks. They lost all they had in
their younger years and no longer take pleasure in their
learning. All this depends on their condition when they
entered the yeshiva gedoloh.
"In light of these reasons [our] proposal is to hold the
tests for yeshivos gedolos at a later date, based on
allowances the roshei yeshivos gedolos shlita can
make, and certainly everybody is aware of and recognizes the
great responsibility [we have to address this situation],
therefore everything possible should be done."
HaRav Lefkowitz went on to discuss the typical efforts to
persuade talmidim to attend one yeshiva or another and
the preparation needed to make the transition from a
yeshiva ketanoh to a yeshiva gedoloh. "It is
not like the transition from one year to the next, but rather
one goes from dependence to independence; [now] one must toil
on his own to prepare the sugya in all of its detail
and one no longer has the help to the same extent he had
previously at the yeshiva ketanoh. This preparation
demands that the talmid realize it was not easy to
gain admission to the yeshiva and only through hard work and
hasmodoh and serious efforts will he be worthy of
acceptance, for only then does he receive the yoke of the
yeshiva when he enters. But if he knows that he is wanted and
people try to convince him to become a talmid at their
yeshiva, he will lack all of the necessary preparation and
the acceptance of his authority of his rabbonim at the
yeshiva he joins.
"Therefore all those involved in the task of enrollment must
be very prudent in their ways, their affairs and their
speech. They must speak only with the ramim and the
parents, not engaging in conversation and persuasion with the
talmidim, and should make every effort to ensure their
manner of speech remains within the bounds of what it fitting
and permitted, and besiyata deShmaya, if we strive
toward all these aims, it will strengthen Torah and
strengthen the beneficial influence on the
talmidim."
Afterwards the roshei yeshivos offered their ideas and
discussed various technical arrangements.
HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman closed the gathering by reading a
summary of the decisions agreed upon by the participants (see
sidebar), adding, "We have merited salvation through
extensive consultation. Certainly everybody has the best
interests of the talmidim in mind and nobody thinks
otherwise, but each of us has to face various difficulties.
We hope all of the roshei yeshivos shlita of the
yeshivos ketanos and the yeshivos gedolos will
fortify themselves to strengthen the bochurim for
Torah and yiras Shomayim and certainly everyone does
all they can in this area.
"Special vigilance and leadership of the general population
of talmidim is required and then inevitably there will
not be a spiritual decline during times of laxity, for if
their conduct is worthy and through constant chizuk,
then even later, in times of weakness and laxity, they will
not decline, chas vesholom. But if over time their
conduct is not worthy, who knows what will be the outcome
during the period of laxity during bein hazmanim?
"And in addition to vigilance over all of the talmidim
attention must be given to each and every individual. Often
people think a certain bochur is at the proper
dargoh and does not need shmiroh. But this is
not true for even such a bochur needs shmiroh.
Everyone has yetzer hora. In many cases we see that
those who were considered perfect and elevated, are liable to
fall as well, chas vesholom. Therefore careful
attention must be given to every bochur as much as
possible, then b'ezras Hashem all of them will grow to
become yirei Shomayim and talmidim chachomim
and will bring much nachas to all of Klal Yisroel."
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Decisions Reached at the Gathering of Roshei
Yeshivos
A. The examinations will begin starting on the morning of
Thursday, 24 Tammuz. Any prior [exams] (including during
interviews and early exams) constitute a breach.
B. The talmidim must provide a response within 48
hours of the time they are notified of acceptance. The
yeshiva management should completely refrain from pressuring
for immediate replies.
C. It would be a tikkun godol if those involved in
enrollment who work to persuade talmidim, instead
speak only to the ramim or the parents, and present
them only with the positive aspects of the yeshiva and not
come to the point of prohibitions and unfortunate incidents,
chas vesholom.
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