What Would You Give Up?    

How much is a year in yeshivah worth to you? How much would you give up in order to learn and grow, day after day, week after week, month after month? What would you be willing to pay to go to yeshivah, even if you had never gone before? Even if your family and social circle weren’t behind your decision?

Now let’s reframe the question. What would you be willing to give up in order to influence someone to go to yeshivah? Would you push off an amazing real estate or health care opportunity? What would your family and friends say?

Many of us who grow up frum never have to grapple with these types of questions. Learning in yeshivah is simply assumed and encouraged. If you didn’t have the funds for tuition, you could probably raise the money or find a sponsor to cover the costs. And if becoming a rebbi or maggid shiur isn’t for you, the next step is to find a great parnassah that will help you pay for a frum lifestyle. This is pretty much the extent of the life choices we face.

Some of our fellow Jews face a different range of life choices.