Ever wish that you could say what you really feel about something going on in Klal? Ever wonder just why Klal acts/thinks the way it does? Here members of Klal can have the conversations they should be having but that aren't happening elsewhere, except, perhaps, in whispered conversations in dark corners. Say what you mean here, and let us hope that some conversation now will lead to changes later, some changes that are long overdue in Klal.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
A History Quiz
Here's a history question for you to ponder. What is the relationship between the Vietnam War and the boys who sit and learn today? Anyone who thinks they know the answer please leave a comment.
6 comments:
Anonymous
said...
The boys who learn today weren't even alive during Vietnam so I'm sure the reason isn't obvious. And it is?
The boys who learn today couldn't find Vietnam on a map if you gave them one with only 2 countries on it. Tell them you come from Denver and they sort of know it's out there somewhere. Tell them Colorado and they think you're from Europe. Today's boys have no relation to Vietnam.
Some boys willingly volunteer to be 'drafted' into learning, because that is their life's dream, and they want to fulfill it, (and for them, they probably should join those who learn) while others are forcibly 'drafted' even though their time might be better spent (if they are not learning for real anyway) pursuing something else, like supporting Torah through working, or raising children who support Torah.
I was born after the war, but I'm a history happy kind of gal. In truth, the bensch-kvetching society we have today owes a lot of its existence to the Vietnam War (something the frum community doesn't exactly go about publicizing).
Sitting in learning wasn't all that fashionable (most men in Europe actually worked for a living, and learned when they could) until it helped you evade the draft. Heck, most of the sitting-and-learning spots opened up specifically to help men of the right (or wrong, as it were) age avoid U.S. military service during the Vietnam era. They were actually known as draft-dodger yeshivas. What, you all thought it was for hashkafic reasons?
6 comments:
The boys who learn today weren't even alive during Vietnam so I'm sure the reason isn't obvious. And it is?
The boys who learn today couldn't find Vietnam on a map if you gave them one with only 2 countries on it. Tell them you come from Denver and they sort of know it's out there somewhere. Tell them Colorado and they think you're from Europe. Today's boys have no relation to Vietnam.
Comparison to the Vietnam War? The draft.
Some boys willingly volunteer to be 'drafted' into learning, because that is their life's dream, and they want to fulfill it, (and for them, they probably should join those who learn) while others are forcibly 'drafted' even though their time might be better spent (if they are not learning for real anyway) pursuing something else, like supporting Torah through working, or raising children who support Torah.
Sorry to be so pessimistic.
how about the clergy draft exemption
I was born after the war, but I'm a history happy kind of gal. In truth, the bensch-kvetching society we have today owes a lot of its existence to the Vietnam War (something the frum community doesn't exactly go about publicizing).
Sitting in learning wasn't all that fashionable (most men in Europe actually worked for a living, and learned when they could) until it helped you evade the draft. Heck, most of the sitting-and-learning spots opened up specifically to help men of the right (or wrong, as it were) age avoid U.S. military service during the Vietnam era. They were actually known as draft-dodger yeshivas. What, you all thought it was for hashkafic reasons?
Bingo! Someone got it right. You might just want to read the posting "What the Yeshivas Owe the Army" to see how right.
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