The Lubavitcher Rebbe's View on College

Motek ↓

Sun, Jun 19 2005, 9:08 pm

From a letter of 1 Adar 5722 (1962) originally written in English:

I am in receipt of your letter in which you ask my opinion about the advisability for graduates of a Yeshivah to continue their sacred studies in conjunction with college attendance. By way of preface, let me state at once that my views on the subject apply not only to students of Yeshivos, but to all Jewish youth, since all are children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the souls of all were present at Sinai and received the Torah and Mitzvos. This is, indeed, the basis of my view that will be outlined below, after some introductory observations.

Jews have always been a "minority among the nations", even in the best of times. At the same time "their laws differ from those of any other people", and they differ not only in regard to special occasions, or special aspects of life, such as Shabbos, or Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, but they differ in their way of life and in every aspect of the daily life. For the Jew, the Torah and Mitzvoth are the guide of daily life and the source of life and true happiness, and this is the simple meaning of "Toras Chaim" - Law of life, and the definition of the Mitzvoth as the essence of Jewish life, "whereby Jews live".

It is clear that being in the minority, Jews must have special reinforcement from childhood on, in order to be able to hold their own in the face of overwhelming odds.

If it was difficult enough to live as a Jew in countries where Jews were persecuted, confined to Ghettos, etc., there was one redeeming factor at least, namely that under those circumstances Jewish adherence and loyalty to the Torah and Mitzvoth was not put to the test. An individual Jew could severs his ties with his people, but that involved a sudden and complete break; it was therefore rare and extreme. But in the free countries, and under present economic and social conditions, there are no outside barriers separating Jew from gentile; the road to assimilation is wide open, and the danger is all the greater since the process is a gradual one. No sudden break with tradition is entailed, but gradual deviation, step after small step, leads in that direction. There is a well-known parable for this, about the boy who strayed from the road and later found himself in the midst of the woods. He got there by making a small false step off the road, which led to another, and yet another.

The conditions and environment in a country such as this call, therefore, for an even greater spiritual reinforcement of the Jewish boy and girl than ever before and elsewhere. This reinforcement must be of such strength and duration that the Jewish child. will always be conscious of the fact that no matter what the environment is, he is the bearer of the sacred tradition of the Divine Torah and Mitzvoth and belongs to a people that is holy and different. For this, it is essential that right from the earliest childhood to adolescence the Jewish child should receive the fullest possible Jewish education, throughout his formative years.

(cont. in next post)

↑ Motek ↓

Sun, Jun 19 2005, 9:08 pm

cont. from previous post

Hence, when a Jewish boy completes his compulsory education, it is an absolute must that for a couple of years, at least, he should dedicate himself to the exclusive study of the Torah and sacred subjects, in a most conducive atmosphere of a Yeshiva, without distraction of secular studies, all the more so as the teen-age are crucial and formative and of lasting effect, in the crystallization of the character.

This would have been my opinion even if the college entailed more that the distraction of secular studies. Actually there is much more involved. Theoretically a college and its faculty should not try to impose any particular views, much less a way of life, on the students. Actually however, the student cannot help being impressed, on the conscious and subconscious level, by the views, outlook and way of life of his professors. These, as well as the whole atmosphere of a college, are unfortunately, not comparable with the Jewish way of life, and frequently if not always quite contradictory to it. This is so even in colleges which are theological, or having so-called religious studies.

Needless to say, the whole atmosphere of college is in violent conflict " with the Shulchan Aruch way of life, whereby the Jew is totally committed - in every detail and aspect of his personal daily life - to the Torah and Mitzvoth and the service of G-d, as is written "You shall know Him in all your ways", to which a whole chapter in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim (Ch.231) is devoted: note there.

In other words, the Jewish boy (or girl) entering college, yet desiring to retain the Jewish way of life in accordance with the Torah, finds himself tossed about in the raging waves of conflict between two contradictory worlds. fie is at a further disadvantage in finding himself in the minority camp, since those sharing his views and convictions are few of the college campus, while the forces pulling in the opposite direction are overwhelming; forces he must confront at every turn - among the student body, faculty members, text books, newspapers and periodicals. It is very doubtful whether even an adult and mature person who is subjected to such "shock treatment" day after day, would not be shaken; how much more so a teenager.

Needless to say, I am aware of the argument that many Yeshivah boys attending college, or even college graduates, remain loyal to the Torah and Mitzvoth. The answer in simple. The number of such students and graduates who have not been seriously affected is relatively small indeed, much smaller than imagined. They are so exceptional that he wonder of it attracts attention, since those that go astray under college influence are taken for granted, while the one that still puts on Tefillin calls forth amazement. One may use the analogy of the shoe-shine boy who became a millionaire and everyone talks about him. it is not because he was a shoe-shine boy that he attained success, and no one will suggest that in order to become a millionaire one should start in the shoe-shine business. The greater the exception and sensation, the greater is the proof of the rule.

Some people ask, if there is really such a conflict between attending college and remaining an observant Jew. I can speak from experience and personal knowledge, having attended various colleges and seen the painful inner upheavals of Jewish students, and having for many years been the confidant of Jewish students who are otherwise reluctant or ashamed to open their hearts, I can therefore state with the fullest measure of conviction and responsibility that he who sends his child to college during the formative years subjects him to shock and profound conflicts and trials and invites quite unforeseen consequences . . .

To put the matter in bolder relief, by way of illustration. Take the general attitude to polio, G-d forbid, and the precaution taken against it. Fortunately, the incidence of polio is not widespread, and where it strikes, it cripples only a part of the physical body; yet though the odds are farfetched it would be reckless not to take the necessary precaution. Unfortunately, the victims of college education are numerous indeed and most widespread, by far in the majority, and the harm is even more far-reaching.

Another point which is often the subject of misconception - the importance attached to a college degree from the economic point of view. Statistics show that the majority of college graduates eventually establish themselves in occupations and business not directly connected with their courses of study in college. The moral is obvious.

↑ Motek ↓

Thu, Jul 07 2005, 6:34 pm

From a letter of the Lubavitcher Rebbe dated 28 Cheshvan 5715 (1955)

It is surely unnecessary to explain to you at length that every Jew and Jewess, young and old, has a purpose and task to accomplish in his or her life. The task, broadly speaking, is to illuminate the world with 'Ner Mitzvah v'Torah Or' in every-day life. After so many Jews lost their lives in recent years, among them the best and choicest of our people, the responsibility of those whom G-d in His mercy has spared is increased many-fold. It is therefore more obvious than ever that no Jew has a right to give of his time, and even mo a so of his heart and mind, to matters which not only do not help t are very likely to hinder in the fulfillment of his sacred task and purpose. One of these matters would be to spend several years in college, and especially in a college environment. While it is true that in recent years, in certain colleges, especially in New York, there are groups of orthodox Jewish students, young men and women - and may G-d help them to come out of it unharmed, at any rate not worse than they were when they entered college - we have a rule not to rely on miracles. It is certain, however, that college will not help fulfill the true and inner desire of the Jew to carry out his abovementioned task and purpose in life, so that even at best it would be an irretrievable loss of time and energy.

It is therefore my sincere hope that you will discard the idea, and do so not only because - as you told your father that you wish to be guided by me but also because you will recognize that the idea does not represent your own true thinking and desire. I hope, moreover, that you will use your good influence in this direction with your friends who might entertain a similar idea in the mistaken belief that it might be a good idea.

↑ Motek ↓

Thu, Jul 07 2005, 6:35 pm

From a Letter of the Rebbe, reprinted in "Der Rebbe's Kinder" page 455:

It is not my custom to engage in polemics, least of all in the columns of the press. However, in view of the importance of the issue and the widespread attention which it has received, I consider it in the public interest to clarify my position in regard to certain points raised by your correspondent.

(1) 1 have not made what our correspondent calls "scientific surveys" relating to college education and its effects on Jewish students, However, I have had sufficient contact, over many years, with Jewish undergraduates and graduates of a great many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, as well as abroad, to speak from personal knowledge of the problem.

There is no need for statistics on this subject. The facts speak for themselves. Let anyone visit several colleges or universities (outside of New York City) and he can easily find out for himself how many colleges have a kosher canteen on the campus, or even nearby, and how many students strictly observe kashrus in their three meals a day, or two meals, or one. Of course, theoretically speaking, it may be possible for a Jewish student to go through the four years of his academic life without a hot meal. Theoretically also, it may be possible for a student, after a day's work, to go out to do his own shopping and cooking. But we are not dealing with theories. The undeniable fact is that a negligible proportion, if any, of Jewish students attending colleges and universities go through their academic training without making concessions in basic matters of Yiddishkeit in their daily life.

I mentioned only the matter of kashrus, but the same is true of Tefilo b'Tzibbur, even on Shabbos and Yom Tov, and other areas of the religious life. It is painful to go into detail, and I am most reluctant to do so, since it is not in keeping with the Torah spirit, much less with the Hasidic approach, to speak ill of anybody. However, we are dealing with a situation where the Torah dictates that it is a time to speak. I shall therefore cite one actual illustration:

Some years ago I was asked to intervene in behalf of several Jewish students whose examinations had been scheduled to take place on Shabbos. The difficulty stemmed from the fact that the university authorities claimed that they had never before been confronted with such a demand by Jewish students. Such a situation is surely more eloquent than any "scientific survey."

(cont. next post)

↑ Motek ↓

Thu, Jul 07 2005, 6:36 pm

(2) In his defense of college education, your correspondent uses the "economic" argument. He maintains that no one should be denied the opportunity of a better or easier Parnosso that a college degree offers, Now, aside from the fact that this argument can easily be refuted from the Torah viewpoint, by simply reducing it to its logical consequence which would subordinate the spirit to the flesh, I submit (from personal knowledge of many cases) that the economic factor is of greater significance to the parents, especially to the mother, rather than to the would-be student. The motivation for college education is generally much more "idealistic," at any rate in the case of many Yeshiva boys. But this only aggravates the problem, for it indicates that a Yeshiva boy, having been successful in his Talmudic studies, and having earned the diploma of not only "Yore, yore" but also "Yodin, yodin," still feels that he is not complete without a secular college degree! The destructive implications of such an attitude are not less serious than the environmental influences of the college itself. It is indeed most unfortunate that Rabbis and Roshe-Yeshiva, generally speaking, do not sufficiently imbue the talmidim and youths who are entrusted to their influence with that age-old idea which every Jewish mother used to impart to her baby in the cot as she was rocking him to sleep with the lullaby "Torah is di beste s'chorah."

(3) I am not unaware that there are congregations which prefer a Rabbi with a college degree, and Baale-battim who consider that a Rabbi is not yet fully qualified as a spiritual leader by merely passing a Yeshiva Smicha, until and unless he also has the stamp of approval of the gentile world in the form of a college diploma.

This is an unfortunate symptom of certain Jewish circles which are suffering from an acute form of a chronic inferiority complex. This malady is expressed in a variety of symptoms, all of which are characterized by the urge to curry the favor and approval of the gentile neighbors. With true consistency, such Baale-battim evaluate a candidate for their pulpit also by his qualifications as an entertainer, by the store of jokes at his disposal, by his ability to review the latest best-seller immediately following Kerias haTorah as a preparation, no doubt, for Musaf; and if he is to have real influence on the children and youths, he must be able to answer questions as to baseball stars; movie stars, etc. etc. Now, granting that there are congregations and Baale-battim with such a tendency, let us ask ourselves, Should a tendency which degrades the Torah, the Synagogue and the Rabbi be catered to and fostered by a right-thinking Yeshiva boy who aspires to become a true Jewish spiritual leader?!

cont. next post

↑ Motek ↓

Thu, Jul 07 2005, 6:37 pm

(4) Your correspondent recommends that American orthodoxy adopt the system which Rabbi Shimshon Refoel Hirsch (Zal) introduced in Germany several generations ago. I cannot go along with this recommendation. The system had its place in Germany more than a century ago, but it would be quite out of place in American orthodoxy -- for the following reason, RSRH designed his system with a view to saving a generation who were already in the universities and who were already absorbing the secular culture. He attempted to provide for them the dimension of the Torah, so that they would not be completely lost to our fold. Our American orthodoxy is quite different, and more fortunate, thank G-d. The situation is, in fact, reversed. For the issue of college education under discussion is not concerned with those who are already in the colleges, but with the question Should Yeshiva bochurim be encouraged to attend college? Those advocating college education for Yeshiva bochurim are moving in the opposite direction to that of the Hirschian approach. Were Rabbi Shimshon R. Hirsch with us here today, he would consider it ludicrous (to say the least) to see his name used as a means to drag Jewish boys away from the Torah and Torah atmosphere of the Yeshiva into an atmosphere and education which is more often than not in violent conflict with the Torah.

(5) One of the serious dangers that are inherent in college education has to do with its influence on the thought process of the college student. The college student is trained to think in secular terms and categories. In all courses (except theology) G-d is banished from the classroom. This often leads to the tendency of leaving G-d out of the Torah study as well. When, and if, the college student returns to the Gemoro, he is likely to approach it with the same mental process. He may still admire the wisdom of the Torah, and may still derive pleasure from its study, but he will not be able to recapture the sense of awe and holiness with which he had once approached G-d's Torah. Hence if he had picked up some apparent discrepancies between secular science and the Torah, he is inclined to solve the difficulty by simply taking the words of the Torah or of ChaZaL out of their meaning in order to harmonize them with the college text-books, or even those used in High Schools or public schools. Unfortunately, this tendency has made inroads even among Talmidei Kolelim, who sit and study Torah at great personal "sacrifice," yet whose Hashkofo had been contaminated by the secular Hashkofo of the college.

One is reminded of the comment of Rabbenu Yona Ha-Chosid on the maamar ChaZaL "Why was the Land destroyed? Because they did not precede their learning of the Torah with the blessing ('Who has chosen us from among all the nations and has given us His Torah')". Rabbenu Yona observes that although they engaged in the Torah constantly, it was of no avail because they did not the Torah with the full recognition that it was G- 17' Torah, and that we Jews chosen people and are different. (See Rabbenu Yonah on Nedorim 81a, and at greater length in the BaCh on 7'ur Orach Chayim sec. 47).

(6) Incidentally, if any proof is needed as to how beclouded one may become in one's thinking when one is carried away by one's own subjective partiality to college education, suffice it to quote your correspondent: "Of necessity, time spent on secular study takes away time from Torah learning. The same would apply to time spent on studying Chassidus." To equate secular study with the study of Chassidus! What a sad commentary it is on college education, and what it does to a Yeshiva boy. (I presume your correspondent is, or was, a Yeshiva boy.) This clearly bears out the point I made earlier regarding the dangerous effect on the thought process of Yeshiva boys who expose themselves to the college atmosphere and the distortion of values that it can cause.

↑ Motek ↓

Mon, Jul 11 2005, 6:57 pm

carrot wrote:

honor and respect ARE given to those with secular degrees.

no, the honor is given to those who PARTED WITH THEIR MONEY

In other words, if someone had no college degree, but inherited a large sum of money, and he donated it to an institution, they might choose to honor him. Get it?

ditto for someone with no advanced degrees who built a thriving business and made large donations

and as I mentioned earlier, roshei yeshivos are honored too - I haven't noticed comments knocking that ...

Quote:

or people saying "she must be really smart - she has a doctorate."

considering the work it takes to produce a dissertation, that's a logical remark to make

it's a comment about brains, not necessarily one that expresses admiration for what she used her brains for

I might think someone is smart but I don't admire what they use their brains for.

Quote:

or, about a certain bt, "it's such an amazing story. she was so successful, and so intellectual, she was a (whatever), and she still decided to become frum!"

what's amazing is that the person, who seemingly had it all going for her, decided it WASN'T ENOUGH

I am trying to show you that you are mushing it all together when they are really a number of separate issues.

re schools and certification - I agree with you

↑ carrot

Mon, Jul 11 2005, 7:34 pm

Motek wrote:

carrot wrote:

honor and respect ARE given to those with secular degrees.

I'm not talking about people who give money and are honored for that - like official honorees at a dinner. I'm talking about the way people informally relate to or talk about those with advanced degrees. I have noticed that it tends to be with more respect.

Quote:

or people saying "she must be really smart - she has a doctorate."

1) people don't usually think that way, although maybe you do. so there still ends up being that aura of respect around those with advanced degrees, which was my original point.

2) it happens to be that a profession that requires an advanced degree is one of the few things that allow you to get respect for your brains. even being a teacher of an advanced high school class will not do that in the same way. (I'm not saying respect is a reason to get a degree.)

3) there are not that many opportunities for brains, if you don't want to teach. and for women, there are even less opportunities than there are for men.

4) and I can't help but add this.... but where are we supposed to get all the frum, even lubavitch, therapists from if we can't go to school for it?

Quote:

or, about a certain bt, "it's such an amazing story. she was so successful, and so intellectual, she was a (whatever), and she still decided to become frum!"

what's amazing is that the person, who seemingly had it all going for her, decided it WASN'T ENOUGH

I see what you are saying, but I still think it is evidence of mixed messages. how can we say these kind of things while simultaneously trying to communicate the idea that that kind of success is a bad, or should I say unnecessary, thing?

btw you do not hear the same sort of thing about people who seem to have had everything going for them in other ways. let's say, she had a lot of friends, a great relationship with her family, a pool in the backyard, and she ran a really successful hot-dog stand, and still "decided it wasn't enough," and decided to become frum. there is just not the same amount of awe, for whatever reason.

Quote:

I am trying to show you that you are mushing it all together when they are really a number of separate issues.

I see your point but I still think there tends to be a natural respect for those with advanced schooling. maybe it is jewish cultural thing, respect for learning.

Quote:

re schools and certification - I agree with you

cool! we agree. Tongue Out