Rosh Yeshiva HaRav Qaddafi, Shlit"a

The Ohr Yisrael yeshiva in Petach Tikva is well known in the haredi community. It is a top yeshiva, famous for its very strict disciplinarian style. They have developed over the years a name and reputation, and they produce what the haredi world considers the dream of the crop of yeshiva boys and kollel yungerman.

Ohr Yisrael believes in limiting the external influences and potential influences on the boys, so as to minimize any possible distractions and anything that might have a negative influence on the boys. The rosh yeshiva wants these boys learning, and only learning. Nothing else. In Ohr Yisrael, cellular phones are not allowed - not even kosher phones.

The revolutions in the Arab world began when a merchant in Tunisia lit himself on fire after repeatedly opening a pushcart to sell goods and being shut down by the authorities multiple times.

The revolution in Ohr Yisrael began when the rosh yeshiva threw out a boy, two weeks before his wedding, for having a cellphone that he thought would help him have an easier time preparing for the upcoming wedding. Looking back, he probably should have asked permission. After he was tossed, the rest of the yeshiva was upset. As they began to register their protest, the yeshiva took a heavy handed position and tossed 3 of the older guys from the yeshiva. The revolt was quelled. For a bit.

The revolt was reawakened when the rosh yeshiva decided recently to tell the boys they could not use their mp3 players until they turned them in to the office. The office would arrange for all these players to have their functions disabled from any possible outside influence (radio access).

The boys refused to turn over their players, saying that doing so would invalidate the warranty on the devices.

Without going into the whole chain of events, which you can get on Bechadrei, the rosh yeshiva threatened to throw anybody out who is in possession of a player that has not had its external functions disabled. The yeshiva was at large risk of losing a large percentage of its students, when the rosh yeshiva called the elder group of 60 boys in and told them he could not look at them because they are corrupt and if they dont turn in their players by the end of the day they would all be tossed.

The threat did not work, except on a small number of boys. Then, in a dramatic turn of events, the rosh yeshiva announced one evening the other day, before maariv, "I am not Qaddafi, I am not Mubarak, and I am not stuck to my chair. You have learned from "the cousins" to make revolutions. If you want me to go, just say so and I will leave."

The revolt is a surprise, because it is that attitude and power of the rosh yeshiva that attracts the "top" guys to that yeshiva. They learn there for a few years and they come out with reputations as top guys (whatever that means), they get top shidduchim (whatever that means), and eventually if they ever leave kollel they get top teaching positions.

Whether or not I agree with the style, that is the style of the yeshiva, and the boys go there knowing that - not just knowing that, but because of that. For them to revolt against such a level of discipline is a shock. Perhaps it just became too overbearing.