How to remain a ben Torah after leaving Kollel

You continue to grow in learning by learning the way you learned in yeshiva. And that is not by going to shiurim where the maggid shiur simply feeds you up the gemora on a platter based on the work on understanding the sugyha that he did. The way to continue to grow in learning is to learn the gemora yourself, and when you don’t understand something to work on it yourself. To learn the tosfos and rishonim and to understand them based on your own work, using the ability to know how to learn that you picked up in yeshiva.

Haimy, now is your chance to actually put being a ben torah into practice. It’s not just about learning it all, it’s about living it all.

Do you work in a Yiddishe company or goyishe?

To remain a ben torah (this includes advice about learning, but also other aspects of being/ remaining a ben torah while in the workforce):

(1) Be kovea i’tem every day, immediately after (or before) the morning prayers, before going to work. Emphasis should be on Halacha. Even if you literally have only one minute.
(2) Be extremely makpid about tefilla b’tzibbur.
(3) Tzitzis out at work. Wear a big yarmulke.
(4) Not to shake hands with women at work under any circumstances. And make it known that you don’t shake hands with women. It will be awkward, but it will give you a sense of Jewish pride and help to create a certain distance between you and the goyim. Also, to be careful about yichud, and not to look for heterim.
(5) Really use Shabbos for learning (and Sunday, as well) – not to waste even a moment of time. Same goes for days off.
(6) Keep in touch with kollel/ rosh kollel, etc.
(7) Learn on the train while traveling to and from work.
(8) To daven in yeshivishe minyanim whenever possible (e.g., on Shabbos), as opposed to baal habatishe minyanim.

There’s an article in Klal Perspectives Winter 2015 that addresses this topic.