3471 —הוראת שחיטה ובדיקה לתלמידים ספרדים בישיבה

B"H, 12 Iyar, 5715. Brooklyn.

Hanhala of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Lod, may G‑d be upon them for life.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In continuation to the letter of the Rebbe shlita which has surely already been received, here are some points detailed below in connection with your previous letters, which will surely also be answered in your next letter. They are as follows:

a) You mention in your letter about studying the laws of Shochtim and Bodekim and Yoreh Deah, and surely you also mean the craft of shechita and bedika for later on and learning Yoreh Deah in general. It is understood that this is generally proper, especially for Sephardic students (and it is understood that one must take into account the laws where there are differences from Ashkenazic shochtim), but together with this it must be arranged so that it does not diminish the name of the yeshiva and its essence in deep Torah study—and this is sufficient for understanding.

b) You mention that there are ongoing discussions about the budget from Vaad HaYeshivot; indeed, it is entirely unclear why such a small amount is given to you. Especially after Rabbi Shaar visited here and repeatedly stated in his talks that his attitude toward Tomchei Temimim yeshivot is good and proper, etc., and he has significant influence regarding this Vaad.

c) From the village a letter was received stating that a sufficient plot of land was allocated for the vocational school. Surely you will also inform what has actually been done about this.

d) It would be appropriate to clarify the reason for the lack of approval for the vocational school by the Ministry of Labor. Surely there are ways to change their decision by making some improvements in the vocational school. Of course ^[1] this should not at all come at the expense of sacred studies.

e) For now, we have not received reports or photos of students from the vocational school.

f) Regarding your question about instituting fines for students due to lack of diligence or similar issues: In such matters, one must consider local custom in their country.

g) Regarding the proposal about buildings in Tiberias: There is room to establish a vocational school there since apparently most students will be Sephardic; therefore, it is necessary first to clarify if there is suitable personnel to head administration there (if teachers are not from Anash, it's different than administration—on administration one cannot compromise). Of course, clarification should also be made whether it will be possible to establish a branch of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim there—perhaps even more strongly so. What news is there about the tender?

With honor and blessing,
A. Kuint
Secretary

Summary

The Rebbe writes that teaching practical shechita and bedika skills is especially appropriate for Sephardic students but must not detract from deep Torah study. Administrative diligence and sensitivity to local customs are also emphasized throughout his guidance.