A day before the yearly conference of Ichud Bnei Hayeshivos that was held on Tuesday evening, the head of the Ichud, HaRav Yehudah Weisfish, and the Mashgiach of Yeshivas Beis Medrash Elyon, HaGaon HaRav Yosef Shlomo Koralansky, asked a number of shailos b’inyanei chinuch to HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein.

HaRav Koralansky: In all the shuls in Eretz Yisrael, there are yeshivos bein hazemanim and there are avreichim who arrange shiurim and other activities. If an avreich finds out something about a bochur that may be important to relay to his yeshivah, should he do so, or perhaps not?

Rosh Yeshivah: Something that the bochur needs to fix?

HaRav Koralansky: Yes.

Rosh Yeshivah: The question is whom he should speak to and what they’ll do. He should speak with Rav Moshe Blau, without telling the yeshivah. Why should he tell the yeshivah? Who knows what they’ll do? It’s impossible to know.

HaRav Koralansky: If he sees, for example, a bochur that has a non-kosher device?

Rosh Yeshivah: He should find someone who can influence him. Reb Moshe Blau knows all the experts.

HaRav Koralansky: And when an avreich sees a bochur that needs attention, is it worthwhile that he should turn to the yeshivah, to the Rosh Mesivta or Mashgiach?

Rosh Yeshivah: Yes, yes. For that, there’s no problem.

HaRav Koralansky: On the other hand, perhaps the bochur will see that the avreich suddenly has a kesher with the yeshivah and it will lead him to distance himself from the avreich – if he’s scared that he’s relaying information about him to the yeshivah.

Rosh Yeshivah: He shouldn’t know. The bochur shouldn’t know that the avreich spoke with the yeshivah.

HaRav Koralansky: Only with the condition that the bochur doesn’t find out?

Rosh Yeshivah: Right, the bochur shouldn’t know about it.

HaRav Koralansky: The avreichim are asking – when they bring people to deliver shiurim or sichos to the bochurim, should they speak about the issue of emunah, for example, or leave that topic to the yeshivos?

Rosh Yeshivah: It’s important, very important. Emunah is very important. Definitely – emunah, that there’s Gehinnom and Gan Eden and everything is in the hands of Shamayim, with Hashgacha Pratis.

HaRav Koralansky: Often, bochurim enjoy learning late at night. However, the Rosh Yeshivah said that bochurim must make sure not to miss Zeman Kriyas Shema. We’re careful with this but we see that often the bochurim have more of a pull to learn at night and we can take advantage of it by making a seder. The question is should we refrain from doing so due to the fear that they’ll get up late and miss Zeman Kriyas Shema?

Rosh Yeshivah: “If it’s certain that they won’t miss Zeman Kriyas Shema, if someone will wake them. Zeman Kriyas Shema is d’oraisa!

HaRav Koralansky: There’s a phenomenon of smoking that is also infiltrating the yeshivos ketanos…

Rosh Yeshivah: We need to influence them. It’s gaivah and afterward, it’s taivah. Somone said once – it begins with gaivah and at the end it already becomes taivah. It’s also not healthy and it’s also stam a waste of time and money.

HaRav Koralansky: During bein hazemanim, the bochurim often confide in the avreichim all types of problems – and sometimes doubts and difficulties. Afterward, the father comes and wants to know what his son said. The avreich knows that the son only confided in him because he trusted him but on the other hand, the father davens with him in the same shul, the same Beis Medrash. Does he need to tell him?

Rosh Yeshivah: “The question is if the father can be relied on. It’s better not to tell the father but to consult with Reb Moshe Blau, or there are other experts. We don’t know about the father, he can ruin things by coming down too hard on his son.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)