This thread is getting to be downright ridiculous.
I held my tounge but can’t any longer.
First off. I am a chofetz chaim guy. Brainwashed from birth. (But then again as they say – don’t you want to be brainwashed? It’s filthy. It should be washed.)
WhyNotMe – I don’t know who you are or what you are trying to do but it’s not to find out and do research about different Yeshivas. (Correction – I do know who you are, but that’s a different story.) Maybe it was an honest mistake but the YWN Coffeeroom, while I love it, isn’t exactly the place to get accurate information in regards to different Yeshivas. Proper research entails speaking to people, Rabbiem (from other Yeshivas also) about the Yeshivas they know and recommend. Not in a comparative way but have them discuss different options. Preferably find someone to talk to who knows you. Which Yeshiva to go to is based 100% on the guy that’s going there. There is no one Yeshiva that’s for everybody.
Take a look in your own family. (I did the answers for you in parentheses) Do you have older brothers? (yes) Are they different? (yes) Did they go to different places after high school? (yes) Even if they graduated from the same place in the same year? (yes)
Point being that everyone is different. Coming as a no name person with no information other then “I’m in a CC branch” is not exactly enough criteria to recomend a Yeshiva that fits your needs.(I should really just come over to you in person, but I’m in a different state.)
I am constantly pushing people to go out of Chofetz Chaim to other Yeshivas that are better for them. And btw – your principal does the same thing. (Ask him. He’s your Pal.)
With regard to Rabbi Cohen. All I can say is lol. You should hear more of his vaadim and you will begin to appreciate his style more. He is very radical and purposely takes things out of proportion. Ask any of the Bais Medrash guys in your branch. After Rabbi Cohen left the Rosh HaYeshiva gave a vaad specifically to “counteract and explain” rabbi Cohen. And everything he says should be taken with a grain of salt. Don’t get all hung up on his words.
As for the comments above by the other unnamed people above – I’ve heard some smart things and some really dumb things.
(in nor particular order)
mraven and jothar – while mraven didn’t specifically compare lakewood to michalel shabbos, it was implied. mraven – don’t say things like that when they WILL get misconstrued and Jothar – you know what he meant.
yehudaj – thanks for that last paragraph – I was getting sick.
volvie – your points A B C D E and F are exactly the same – in a few words – they waist their time overemphasizing things they believe in. – That’s a haskafik difference between CC and the “Yeshiva Velt”. It’s not ain l’davor sof – there is a line – it;s just further then yours. As for point E specifically, I’m not sure how it’s possible to over emphasize Harbatzas Torah. Maybe I’ missing something but isn’t talmud torah k’neged kulam? Isn’t that what a person should do? And don’t say they push guys who should be in harbatas torah to be in harbatzas torah. Walk into any branch into any shmuz or discussion on this topic and the line you will always hear is “being a Rebbe is not for everyone”. There are other ways of doing what ever you can in harbatzas torah even if you are a regular working guy. I’m not a Rebbe. I have a regular job. Except I channel it for harbatzas torah. (WhyNotMe – we can discuss that point in person if you’d like.)
As for the white shirt thing, I’m not sure which CC Rebbe you are misquoting but I’ve never heard that and I was born knee deep in CC. They didn’t make the guys dress spiffy. That’s how people dressed. And look at any pictures from any Yeshiva in Europe you will see colored shirts and suits. It’s not just Slabodka. It’s funny how you sticked in the Gadlus Hadom thing because you made a complete cholent out of it. (If anything because of Gadlus Hadom you should wear a white shirt.) Wearing a white shirt is more choshuv. The more important a person gets the more likely it is he we wear a white shirt. It’s more dressy. That’s why even blue shirters wear a white shirt on Shabbos. CC is specifically against that as it gets a person to feel more choshuv then he really is. A regular Yeshiva guy constantly needs to work on getting better. Wearing a white shirt when u aren’t on that madreiga can potentially be harmful to certain people if they aren’t careful. Therefore the Yeshiva discourages wearing white shirts. First reach that madreiga then put the white shirt. (As for chitzonious meorer as hapnimius – that’s beyond the scope of the coffeeroom – ask your local CC Rabbi.) Being the fact that CC emphasizes gadlus hadom, they stress you should dress nicely. Of course if you are not limitted t white shirts you can dress more “spiffy”.
I’m done for now as I can’t type anymore – I hope I helped explain a bit.
And WhyNoTMe – let me know if you want to talk. I don’t push CC. 😉 (And I’ve known you for a while.)