ZD, It was my yeshiva experience, admittedly some 50 years ago, that it was actually “the best of the best” who were most likely to go OTD. It’s not so much the kids who can’t keep up, although they are one demographic of kids who drift away, It’s the kids who get bored waiting for the rest of the kids to catch up to them. The vast majority of yeshiva mechanchim are simply not capable of dealing with genuine illuim. They’re the ones who ask the questions that the Rabbeim can’t or won’t answer. Yeshivas, despite their protestations, really only want to deal with nice bachurim of average intelligence (for Ashkenazi Jews). They are not prepared, nor are they willing, to deal with kids who are smarter than they are.
Menu