Q&A: Yeshiva Before the Army
Yeshiva Before the Army
Question
Hello Rabbi, I’m a 12th-grade student looking for a yeshiva before the army (whether it’s a pre-army academy is less relevant; hesder or a higher yeshiva are both possibilities), and I’m looking for a yeshiva with faith studies at a high level, similar to the Rabbi’s style of learning, while also having Talmud study at a high level. Does the Rabbi know of a yeshiva I could go check out?
Thank you
Answer
What is usually called “faith studies” is generally really not anything like what you see from me. I don’t know of a place that teaches in that way.
As for a yeshiva, are you talking about learning for a year and then enlisting? You won’t reach a reasonable level in one year in any yeshiva. There are good hesder yeshivot, each in its own style, and you can study in them.
Discussion on Answer
In yeshivot they usually don’t deal with grounding faith as such (pre-army academies do that, but usually at the level of kindergarten). Good learning exists in quite a few places. So I don’t have a specific recommendation.
My recommendation is to treat the yeshiva as a framework that allows you to learn and deepen your faith and Torah study. The rabbis there will help you, but there are other platforms too for Torah study and for grounding faith.
You’re looking for something in Rabbi Michi’s style? Take his books and learn them slowly, listen to his lectures, and make use of the fact that you have a framework like this that gives you time to devote to it.
I seem to remember that in similar questions in the past, the Rabbi answered that he recommends Gush, Yeruham, and Ma’ale Adumim. What has changed since then?
Nothing has changed. I simply didn’t get into specific yeshivot here.
Even so, here https://share.google/CFFbs8ITm3dgHFAsV you said this:
“…By contrast, in a good hesder yeshiva like Ma’ale Adumim, the learning is, in my estimation, a bit less intensive, but that depends on you. There you’ll also get additional things that you won’t get in Mercaz or in a Haredi yeshiva. Ways of looking at things, thought on a good level, and the like…”
I see I didn’t manage to explain myself properly, so I mean some kind of framework between high school yeshiva and the army (a higher yeshiva is an excellent option for me, and hesder too). I’m looking for a place that will ground my faith in the Holy One, blessed be He, but that on the other hand will do it in a somewhat rational and philosophical way, while also having Talmud study at a high level. Does the Rabbi know of a similar place that would be worth checking out?
Thank you very much