Sunday, January 26, 2014

How would you like to be called the "בדיעבד Ideal"?

The Mishpacha newspaper (Hebrew) had a long article about the American Aguda Yarchei Kalla in Yerushalayim. They interviewed one of the organizers who called himself a simple baal habayis. The newspaper described him as the ideal b'dieved, that if chas v'shalom you have to work (בדיעבד) and not sit in Kollel then he is the ideal as someone who works but learns seriously.

This is so typical of the Israeli Charedi hashkafa that anyone who is not sitting in kollel is בדיעבד.

The newspaper went on to quote Harav Asher Weiss who said that Israel needs more Baal Habatim like these from America, who work but also learn seriously. IMHO this will not happen if you call them בדיעבד. Once you give someone a negative connotation it is then very difficult to then ask them to try to grow spiritually as they feel that they are בדיעבד so there is no point.

1 comment:

Expatriate Owl said...


I work, and I also have a learning gig at my shul. I will say that the learning gig has given me an additional -- and very salutary -- perspective to my work.

Now I don't particularly mind sending my tzedaka dollars to those who learn full time, but I certainly would object if I knew that they considered me a בדיעבד.

If I'm not kosher, then why should my money be?