the Admor and the guy with the small kipa

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about how the local rag "Chadash" had run an editorial about some guy with a small kipa was shopping in Aleph and not Shefa and he did not know about the ban but when he was told he said he supports it because he too is hsomer shabbos. The editorial chose to talk about how ignorant the guy was, citing the size of his kipa as proof, yet he still joined the sentiments against chillul shabbos.

The following week, something very unusual happened. I am a big fan of the "Letters to the Editor" section of every newspaper and magazine. It is my favorite part, and often it is the first section I look for. For the first time that I can remember, Chadash ran a letter that was criticall of the magazine.

Usually people sending letters, to frum newspapers at least, I have noticed, start off saying how you have such a great paper, thank you and here is my comment. This letter blasted them for their attitude, similar to what I wrote, claiming how can they say just because his kipa was smaller that he is less frum or ignorant and the like.

This past week's edition ran a letter someone sent in response to that letter.

The writer attacked the initial writer. He starts off claiming that the writer was attempting to disgrace anybody who wants to live the life of mesirus nefesh. Then he says, "while we do not know in heaven who is considered more important than whom - for example a Jew in Siberia who just got engaged to a Jewess (instead of a goy) might be considered very important and get tremendous reward in heaven, while a talmid chacham might have something held against him for having learned only 12 hours in a day and not 13. But that is in heaven. We hold the talmidei chachamim (i.e. all avreichim obviously) as being the level AAA, those that attach themselves to them as being level A and those that do not as being..."
He adds, "If you don't understand that, let people run for brachos to those with small kipas and that will shorten the lines by the Admorim?"

He goes on for a bit talking about size of kipa and the like, but the main part of it is what I recapped already.

When I was in Yeshiva, I do not remember anything ever beign discussed about who was considered better or more important than whom. I do remember that there was an attitude though that yeshiva guys were better than anybody else.

There was this avreich in the kollel I was close with. He was a big talmid chacham and while hew as an avreich in the kollel in my yeshiva, he also taught as a rebbi in a number of other yeshivas and seminaries. I used to go to his house frequently for shabbos meals.

This avreich had a thing that everybody who came for a shabbos meal was asked to say a dvar torah during the meal. I remember one time I said a dvar torah I had picked out of a sefer - I remember the sefer, but I do not remember what the dvar torah specifically was. I do remember it made some drasha on a passuk and went on to describe how sitting and learning Torah is much more important than anything else and people who d so are much highe ron the food chain than people who do not.

I was a good yeshiva guy and when I saw that vort it seemed great, so I said that vort at the table.

This avreich/rebbe started screaming at me how that vort is baseless and not true. Torah learning is very important but people who do so are not a class above others. the Torah compares Yisachar and Zevulun as equals. Yisachar was not better than Zevulun because he learned and Zevulun was in business. People who work and have good deeds, and are koveia itim and support Torah learning are equally as important and on equal levels with people who dedicate their lives to learning Torah.

The author of the letter above reminded me of that incident in the avreich's house.

As an aside, just like people are not running for brachos to people with small kipas, but run to admorim, they also prefer the admorim over the average kollel guy. Does that mean the average kollel guy is no good and not Level AAA? no. It also does not mean the guy with the smaller kipa is not Level AAA.