Reply To: Going off the Derech

“I agree that kids tend not to go off a derech they are happy with, however I’m sure other factors play a role as well”

I stand by this statement. How else could you explain all the baalei teshuva? Are all the baalei teshuva unhappy with their childhood? And how many girls are ‘happy’ with the halachas of tsnius, yet are they all breaking the rules when they get older? Are we required to be happy with what’s right vs what’s wrong? There are some kids who will do ‘right’ easily bc that’s their nature. And some kids, by their very nature, are more defiant.

“However” means, than is spite of not being unhappy with their childhood, there could be a host of other reasons that a child leaves a derech. Perhaps a role model disappointed them, maybe they are emotionally weak and can’t resist temptation, maybe they were bullied by kids,maybe he has a learning disability or ADD and couldn’t learn as expected of him. It could be that a child made friendships with kids who live a different lifstyle, and they want to fit in. Maybe he just didn’t pass the test Hashem gave him. Maybe, maybe maybe… It’s just not as cut and dry as you make it sound.

The Shabbaton was only Friday night. Saturday he was home, and back to the usual…sleeping late, went to his chevra.

Why do you think I am against college? I am only against his hanging out all day, watching who knows what on a computer with this chevra of kids who are off the derech.