Reply To: Collecting On Purim in a Limousine

I know it feels like all I have to say is negative, but generally, on Purim night, on Simchas Torah night, and on Tikun Leil Shavuos the boys from the yeshivah next door to me are wild, out of control, and loud beyond belief even at 4 AM. I remember having given birth a week before Purim and sending my poor husband out several times to tell the boys to go indoors to their Yeshivah instead of making noise so loud that neither the baby nor I could get any sleep. (and yes, we told them about the baby). Do you think that if even ONE, much less 20-30 bochrum are outside unsupervised by their Rosh Yeshivah or any chaperones, throwing up on my law and disturbing the peace (and there are non-Jews on my block, as well – what a chillul Hashem!), that I care one whit about 300 boys INSIDE who may or may not be getting plastered?

You are way too chauvinistic IMO, to the point that you cannot admit that there is a fundamental wrongness with a system that encourages this type of behavior and calls it a mitzvah. The boys who collect ARE doing a mitzvah, but if their sole reason for collecting is the idea of riding around in a limo and getting served liqour in fancy homes, it kind of shters the intent and makes it a little suspect. Still they credit for the mitzvah of tzedaka, even if it is slightly shterred.

And I would not have to be upset with these bochurim, were their rebbeim with them watching them. But the adults all go home to bed after 11 PM, and these kids are totally unsupervised at their Purim party in the Yeshivah (I know, because I sent my husband in to look for a Rebbie to get the boys under control). I called the Rosh Yeshivah in the middle of the night one Purim, after fireworks were shot off on my lawn, coming dangerously close to my house. Sorry to say, I did wake him up. Well at least one of us was sleeping. And forget about the SMOKING and tossing of cigarette butts all over my yard. Had the lawn been really dry, we could have had a fire. There has to be a better and more meaningful way.I have put up with this for 22 years, and I would like to see a little self-control and a lot of supervision.

oomis-refua shilaima. i do not think the boys outside throwing up on your lawn, throwing theirs cigs on your lawn, keeping you up at night is right. i dont think the ‘sytem’ does either. The yeshivas that I have been to Purim night, simchas torah, and shavuos all have supervision. the one by you may not for some stupid reason. you have a right to be upset at them for those things but as you said its really only 3 times a yr so get over it.