 
Yeshiva Madreigas HaAdam Awards Semichah
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Published on Thursday, December 11, 2008 -
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The moment was dramatic. A moment frozen in time, for all time. One that marked the culmination of an extraordinary undertaking and a validation to those who believed in their endeavor... despite the skeptics who said it could not be done
It began nine years ago, when Rabbi Moshe Faskowitz, together with Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Berman, opened Yeshiva Madreigas HaAdam with a hope and a philosophy that was both bold and novel. A full-time yeshiva that welcomes students who incorporate their day or night college schedules into their learning programs. The talmidim could arrange their sedorim to fit their various classes and schedules in Queens or Touro College, both a mere five minutes from the yeshiva, which further allowed the flexibility in fashioning their Torah program, maximizing each talmid’s learning potential.
In the past, bnei Torah who chose to learn full time, had yeshivas that could offer the best pure Torah environment; making this choice indeed deserved the loftiest and most eminent Torah atmosphere. However, the young man who chose to pursue his secular aspirations toward a career path, committed to making a living and supporting a family, had great difficulty finding a serious ‘yeshivish’ environment that gave him the opportunity to learn as much as he could in the time afforded to him.
This leads us to what is unique about Yeshiva Madreigas HaAdam. No yeshiva can offer college-bound students the flavor of Mir and Lakewood or the combination of Torah and Musar in as refined and authentic a form as does Yeshiva Madreigas HaAdam. Whereas other colleges offer a wonderful learning program, Yeshiva Madreigas HaAdam is not a college. Rather, it is a yeshiva that offers a wonderful opportunity for its talmidim to pursue a fine college education.
The philosophy is simple. The biggest privilege a person has in the world is to learn Torah full time. Whoever has this privilege is most fortunate. That, however, is the biggest privilege, but not the biggest responsibility. A talmid’s biggest responsibility is to grow into a man, to get married, to create a family, and to support that family; to be a self-sufficient provider and a contributor to K’lal Yisrael. That is everyone’s duty.
Maharshah in Kiddushin points out that even the talmidim of Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the classic promulgator of full-time learning, worked to provide for their family’s needs, at the very least. Making a living is not a sin, nor something to be ashamed of. Indeed, the princes amongst us dedicate their entire lives and all their time to learning Torah. We should applaud and admire them and consider it a privilege to support them. At the same time, we must recognize the beauty, gallantry, and sacrifice made every day by those who seek the working and learning alternative. These young heroes make daily sacrifices upon the altar of Torah in order to make Torah a mainstay of their day-to-day existence.
We live in a new age. Jobs are no longer available through the good-old-boy network. Positions of prominence are not offered casually, and a decent income is hard to attain. Today we find ourselves in a skill-oriented economy where outsourcing and downsizing is the norm, jobs are at a premium, and expenses are at a maximum. The chance of finding gainful employment without a good secular education and the skills that it engenders is remote. Many young bnei Torah understand the current predicament and desire a fine foundation and education in their chosen fields. These sincere young men must be given every opportunity to continue learning Torah in a wonderful yeshiva environment.
Enter Madreigas HaAdam. Five years ago, in addition to their formal yeshiva curriculum, they introduced a semichah program. Norman and Frances Giller of Miami Beach, Florida, established the semichah/ordination chair. Rabbi Yakov Tzvi Nierman, a musmach of Tiferes Yerushalayim was brought in to teach Yoreh Deah. Subsequently, HaRav Feivel Wagner, zt’l, taught dinim of basar v’cholov, up until his untimely passing two years ago. The yeshiva then had the good fortune of being joined by Rabbi Yosef Eisen, the head of kashrus of the Five Towns Vaad Harabbonim.
With tenacious dedication, enduring patience, and determined focus, the first four musmachim concluded a comprehensive semichah program, which in addition to the standard melichah, basar v’chalav, and ta’aruvos halachos, also demanded a keen familiarity with a wide range of halachos from all over Even Ha’Ezer and Choshen Mishpat.
On Wednesday evening, November 26, in Hillcrest, Queens, more than 400 people gathered at the Electric Building Hall to pay tribute to the yeshiva’s first four musmachim: Rabbi Binyomin Grossman, Rabbi Doniel Gutlove, Rabbi Oren Moshe Kagan, and Rabbi Gilboa Merdinger. The rosh hayeshiva, Harav Moshe Faskowitz, shlita, noted that a rebbi is supposed to place his hands upon a talmid when conferring semichah. He suggested, “It is because the rebbi is making a statement. Until this moment all of you were leaning on me, but now K’lal Yisrael and I can lean upon you.” (see Iban Ezra, Devarim 34) “These young men,” said the rosh hayeshiva, “will lead by example, contributing rather then receiving. They will embrace the difficult challenges in life with courage and fortitude. They will be eager to serve their community in a dual role, as skilled laymen, contributing to communal needs, and also as rabbanim who disseminate Torah to those willing to join their pursuit of spiritual aliyah.” Yes, indeed, we can lean on them and on the future musmachim of Yeshiva Madreigas HaAdam with great confidence.
That is why the moment was so special. How wonderful it was to have finally reached the top of the mountain. The achievement speaks for itself, and the musmachim and participants were so proud and will always remember the moment.
The yeshiva continues to grow rapidly with more than 20 new talmidim having joined in Elul, with many more already registered for the January semester. In these troubled financial times, the students appreciate the fact that the tuition is the lowest offered by almost any yeshiva. The dormitory is superb, and the warmth and sense of pride that permeates Madreigas HaAdam makes it the most desirable yeshiva for those who have chosen the path of the “learners and earners”.
For information call 718-969-8501 or visit www.yeshivamadreigashaadam.org. Ask for a short CD describing the yeshiva. ♦
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