4855 —זהירות בשינויים בתכנית הלימודים של ישיבת תומכי תמימים

B"H, 21 Marcheshvan, 5717

Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In answer to your letter of 13 Cheshvan, in which you write that you proposed to the administration of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Lod to introduce changes in the curriculum^[1], and you write the reasons.

Now, it is known how careful one must be about changes in a curriculum that has been followed for many years, and by which hundreds and thousands of students were educated, who proved the soundness of the program and how well it fits the inner aim — to raise up temimim students at home and outside, and to make them strong and firm against the unusual winds now blowing in the world. These things are said regarding all the students; how much more so regarding students who excel in their studies under this program — that is, success comes to such a student more than usual. For human beings are not something on which to carry out experiments to see whether the change will succeed and add something or not; especially since a change of situation is, for the most part, closer to loss than to gain, for through it one connects the student not only to the subject studied but also to a new environment, with regard to books and also to people, whose influence is to a certain degree contrary to the outlook on life in which one wishes to educate the students. And in addition to all this: when the change is noticeable in the yeshiva's program, it gives a stamp of approval to that study and the things that follow from it; and this is easy to understand.

And although I do not know you personally, my advice — and my hope that it will be accepted — is that for as long as you are able to keep your son, may he live, in the tent of Torah and complete fear of Heaven, he should learn in the yeshiva, and you should take care not to disturb the joy of his heart and take part of his time for new and different matters. For this is not merely a question of losing a few hours of holy studies, but a question of the student entering another world.

As to what you write, that certain knowledge is necessary because of the demands of this world — unfortunately, such things are absorbed far more easily by young people than holy studies. Therefore, within a short time after they leave the walls of the yeshiva, and after they have received sufficient immunity against harmful influences, it will be easy to acquire the things truly needed for getting settled and for a livelihood in the plain sense. May it be Hashem's will that you derive much true nachas — the nachas of a traditional Jew — from all your offspring, may they live.

With blessing,

On behalf of the Rebbe shlita

Secretary

Notes

[1] Changes in the curriculum (publisher's note): the study of the Hebrew language.