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"The Idea of a Yeshiva University" Though the Rav Has and His Philosop an Excerpt from a Drasha of Rabbi Joseph B

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P_a~g:...-.e_8 ________________ 1 ~4e Qrn:mmenhdnrll-___________M_a_rC_h_2_2,_1_99_<1_ The 18th of Nissan m Rabbi Yosef Dov Solo Torah knowledge an RAV thousands as s "The Idea of a Yeshiva University" Though the Rav has and his philosop An Excerpt from a Drasha of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchick zt"l The following essay is an edited transcript complete my twenty-ninth year as a questing - and that is exactly what all and women not only live Jewish lives, of the second part of a drasha delivered by teacher here. The Yeshiva has musmachei ha-Yeshiva have. I can testify but think in Torah categories and talk Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zt"l on April accomplished something which is that the level of the shiurim delivered at the language of the Torah, and are 12, 1970 at a S'micha luncheon held at unknown in Jewish annals since the the Yeshiva reached great heights which committed to our tradition, is due Yeshiva University. The first part of the Golden Era in Spain; namely, the no other Yeshiva delivered here in directly or indirectly to our yeshiva. drasha was an exposition on the revelation combination of a talmid chacham with an America, or in Eretz Yisroel attained. Could I ever have dreamt twenty-five to Moses after the Golden Calf, and the third academician, a person trained There are boys in our institution who are part was devoted to the Rav's misgivings committed to Torah, bekollibam u-vekhol and fears regarding decisions taken by nafsham, with a fire and a passion which Yeshiva's Administration in response to is unmatched in the history of yeshivas. "If chas v'shalom, the various crises they were facing at the time. "The Yeshiva has When I see sometimes, I am reminded of The second part of the drasha is a vigorous Bialik's Ha-Masmid. They are bright and Yeshiva will close, not presentation ofthe role ofYeshiva University accomplished something sharp, and their precision and skill are only will we lose a great in American Jewish life. Minor changes of which is unknown in simply admirable. I can tell you that I sit institution that has style and syntax have been incorporated into Jewish annals since the up studying days and nights sometimes. the text in order to facilitate the reader's Many a time my son finds me asleep changed the face of understanding. However, the basic oral Golden Era in Spain; over the Gemara and it is late in the American Jewry from the presentation and style has been retained. namely, the combination of evening -- Why? It is not so much my This essay was transcribed by a young diligence, but I am afraid of my pupils. top to the bottom, but we Musmach ofRIETS and verified for aceLi racy a talmid chacham with an If I come into the class unprepared, they will lose an idea, a vision, by a nllmber of prominent Mecltanchill1. academician." will t ar m apart, and it happ ns quite oft n. Atth amctim ,a farasmodern and a faith. Orthodoxy Yeshiva University is an institution education is concerned, they are itself will be lost!" which has been opposed and challenged academically well trained on par with ~o: a~~~g',I:g ~::!: Thi o~,~p._c .....s l~·ti. ~o...n -,,,",i s~_ ..... =~':::.:2,, ~~::.....:t.:..:h :.....:t=c:h.:.:.n::..o:.::lo~g~ic:::a:..:.l --.:.a:.:n:..:,y~b:.::o: !y.:s ...:..:fT..:o~m~I.:.Ia:.:r:.....:v...:a~T ::.d ~, .-.:Y...:a:.::,.l :..:,---.:;.or:...... _______________..... ofl n. Allh sam tim ,asfarasmod 'rn ano a lann. UrLnouoxy Yeshiva University is an institution education is concerned, they are itself will be lost!" which has been opposed and challenged academically well trained on par with for a long, long time. This opposition is scientifically in all the technological any boy from Harvard, Yal, r a result of the uniqueness it has in its skills. I lived many years in G rmany lumbia. And, in addili n t singular contribution to American and you probably have heard about th cholarship and know] dg , th Y hav a y ars ago that a bunch of boys from our Jewish Life. You will ask me, in what revolution which R. Samson Raphael sense a commitment to Klal Yisrael the yeshiva and oth r y hivot would does this uniqueness express itself? The Hirsch precipitated there (he was likes of which is hard to find. occupy the quarters of the Federation of uniqueness is an idea; if you wish, it is followed by R. Azriel Hildersheimer When I came to Boston thirty years Jewish Philanthropies in New York, the faith; if you wish, it consists of an zt"l) and it was a very interesting ago, I found six young men who were sanctum sanctorum of Reform Jewry and adventure. What is it? The three words, accomplishment. However, the Sabbath observers. The rest did not make demands boldly and proudly! You "It is possible" which is the motto of accomplishment consisted of combining observe the Sabbath, or observed it also will see those "priests" of the sanctum Yeshiva. Whatis possible? To be a Jew, academic training with piety. I had a on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday sanctorum giving in to those young boys professor at the University of Berlin, Oigen -- and the same thing is happening in Mitvoch, who was an ehrlicheryid. He used Boston. All this is due directly or to come on Tish'ah B' av to the Oriental "I am afraid of my pupils. indirectly to our Yeshiva. It is responsible "The uniqueness is an Seminar at the University of Berlin (and for the renaissance of Orthodoxy, and I idea; if you wish, it is Berlin was not New York) in sneakers! Yes, If 1 come into the class am not exaggerating. For the Yeshiva is in Germany I witnessed the combination of unprepared, they will tear not just an institution or a s~hool; it is a faith; if you wish, it merger of academic modem training with movement, an idea, a challenge, it is a consists of an adventure. piety, with legal observance. me apart, and it happens faith and an assurance that Torah can What is it? The three However, what the Yeshiva did is quite often. At the same blossom and flourish in the Western something else. The Yeshiva was more time, as far as modern hemisphere, close to the skyscrapers of words, "It is possible" ambitious and more bold. It had New York. The Torah can be cultivated, which is the motto of proclaimed the higher goal, the education is concerned, taught and propagated in all societies combination of academic modern they are academically well and eras, no matter how staggering the Yeshiva." training with lomdus, with rigorous task, no matter how powerful the scholarship at the highest level. The trained on par with any opposition, and no matter how alumnus of the Yeshiva, whether he is a boys from Harvard, Yale, unfriendly the circumstances may be. a loyal committed Jew, living a Jewish rabbi or a merchant, a lawyer or a doctor, or Columbia." If chas v'shalom, the Yeshiva will close, life, to be a talmid chacham, a scholar, a is a talmid chacham in the sense (and I am not only will we lose a great institution Jew committed to Torah she-be'al peh, very careful and cautious about my that has changed the face of American and Torah she-bichtav, a Jew committed statement) that he is interested in Kezos Jewry from the top to the bottom, but we to the past, present and future of Jewish or a Rambam, in a Hiddeshei Rabbenu because they were octogenarians. I must will lose an idea, a vision, and a faith. history, a Jew committed to the Hayyim Halevi. He has the curiosity. tell you that three of those young men Orthodoxy itself will be lost! Many eschatological vision of acharit ha-yamim The sign of a scholar is not so much the are now my brothers-in-law. Now, schools and high schools will close their and, at the same time, to be a member of amount of knowledge he has, but the Boston which was called an ir ha­ doors for the simple reason that there modem society, a useful member trained inquisitiveness, the curiosity, the quest, nidahasas far as Orthodoxy was will be no inspiration for them to in all skills, able to live in the midst of the interest, the commitment. I saw concerned is today a stronghold of continue. The Yeshiva is the loadstar modem society, not to retreat, but to many scholars with almost unlimited Orthodox living and questing. In my which our boys and girls of the third, take pride in the singularity and erudition but I have always doubted shul, at Maimonides, the average age of fourth, and fifth generations will follow. uniqueness of Judaism. It is that idea their scholarship; they were similar to the worshipers is twenty-one! I am the If, chas v'shalom, disaster will strike and that the Yeshiva has proclaimed in three that the Ramban called, chamor nosay oldest, the oldest in years. I mention the Yeshiva will cease to exist, then words, "It is possible," and it is to that seforim -- a donkey loaded with lots of Boston simply because I live there, but Orthodoxy will be destroyed. Yes, you motto that we especially cling now. books. The real criterion of a scholar is you will find the same is true in New will have Orthodox groups, "sects" as I have been a teacher at Yeshiva for commitment, curiosity, inquisitiveness, York, which is a much larger city as well.
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