What is YESHIVISH?
I was talking to my little (single) sister, who said that she and her friend from school, who happens to live near me, was talking about us, I dont know in reference to what, and mentioned that she didnt think our family is as yeshivish as hers.
SO, I think to myself - based on what?
Is Yeshivish-
Minhagim? (ultra orthodox behavior)
Hashkafa? (the ideal that learning Torah is of prime importance)
Lifestyle? (That typical image of a bashed up station wagon...)
In terms of minhagim and hashkafa, her family and mine are about equal. I dont think they would do anything we wouldnt do. as in, going to movies, etc. Both husbands are formerly in kollel and now work, but devote as much time as possible to learning. Both wives cover their hair completely, and follow all the other rules. Okay, maybe their kids go to schools that are a little more on the right of my kids schools. But that's about it.
The last option, lifestyle is different. They are loaded- megabucks and live a very lavish lifestyle while we are not loaded at all and just live a rather modest lifestyle. The image of a Yeshivish family with a bashed up station wagon they are not! In fact I do not drive a bashed up station wagon, but my minivan is a tad disreputable. So is YESHIVISH more of the first two, or is it a combination of all three components ?
If someone is very frum and has hasagos to learn as much as possible, but is living a lavish lifestyle, are they still considered yeshivish? Are they kicked out of the "group"?
And of course, does it really matter?
At this point in my life since I am not trying to get into schools, and my kids are too young to get married, it probably makes no difference. But I would like to know how to define a Yeshivish family.
Anyone?
10 Comments:
to be considered yeshivish these are the rules;
1) ur pants have to be enough shiny that the guy behind u in shul can check his tefilin by looking at them
2)1 or 2 rips in pants, & at least one hem should be coming down
3) a nice coating of dandruff on collar a kezays worth bechdai achelas pras
4) messy eyebrows & some tuna coming out of his nose (thats not miakav but a bonus)
5)tzitzit strings must reach the knees & part of the garment must be hanging out of pants with the strings
6)must have payos nice if they are going in different directions
7)every 5th word should be in yiddush with a heavy accent on the raaaaash
8)shoe lace to short to make a full tie
9) no buttons on the jacket, ok u can have 1 button if its loose, absolutely no starched shirts
As it states on your header, "Sometimes I think too much..."
Unless you just want to get the natives, such as pea soup restless...
labels! everything today is about labels! giving labels is a form of judging! I disagree with the whole notion. Nobody (besides god) knows if a person is good or bad. what's the point in labeling everyone and everything we see?!
Mega,
Since you asked so nicely I'll let you know the secret.
Being Yeshivish is like they used to say about buying a yacht "If you have to ask you can't afford it." If you have to ask you aren't Yeshivish.
Being Yeshivish has nothing to do with Frumkeit.
E.G.
The guy rushing on his bike to Yeshva is NOT Yeshivish.
The smoking outside the coffee room IS yeshivish.
PEA SOUP and LV making predictable jokes and self righteous politically correct comments - Not Yeshivish
Some guy surfing the internet making sarcastic jokes - Yeshivish
Yeshivish is a cultural thing. Every culture has their norms and eccentricities, for example
1. Americans shower/Europeans not so much
2. Italians like plastic flamingos sitting on their lawns/ we think their crazy
It all amounts to cultural conditioning. If you aren't a died in the wool Yeshivish person you will never catch on to all the cues (nor should you).
At the risk of sounding not Yeshivish - It doesn't mean you aren't a good person
There is a tremendous difference between people who are culturly yeshivse and people who are idealogiclly yeshivshe.The former as the name implies is primarally a cutural prefrance and a few as well as usually adhering to most ideals yesivhsekeit demands...The latter group(which I'n not a member of, though I wish I was)consists of people who are sincerely bnei aliyah who live or least try to live thier lives exclusivy in accordance with thier perception of ratzan hashem.The latter group is very demanding of themselves in personal standards etc.With that comes certain cultural atitudes and dress but they are not the prime focus of that group.It goes without saying that due to its nature that group has little if any blog representation.
pea - ha
lakevent- nice vent!!
however, "giving labels is a form of judging"- we are not talking about whether its good or bad, but rather where you fit in the greater scheme of things. labels can be handy at times. Like if I try to redd you a shidduch and I say just " this is a great girl." and you go out and then come back and yell at me, why didnt you tell me she was a satmar girl from Monroe? Well, I would say, you dont like labels!
and this conversation is about what we consider ourselves, not other people's opinions
everyone else: nice points, but no one is answering my question - can you still consider yourself yeshivish if you are living a very very fancy lifestyle?
If your voluntary involvment in communal affairs and giving of tzdokah is equally proportioned to your lavish lifestyle then you can be yeshivshe and live a lavish lifestyle.IMHO
oy! this is the problem with the frum society. who cares what is considered yeshivish! oy oy oy!
I agree with Chaverah!
chaverah - you must be joking.
I can think of some major problems with the community at large, and this is not it!
Post a Comment
<< Home