Feb 18, 2011
Buffalo Mesivta Fights Drinking
Many young bochurim are exposed to peer pressure to drink, and unwittingly start on the road to a terrible addiction. In Buffalo, Mesivta Menachem has taken pre-emptive action.
Recent studies have determined that alcohol ranks “most harmful” among a list of 20 drugs, according to an article on the study released by The Lancet Journal last November. Yet in many yeshivos Adar ushers in a month of fabrengens, and of course L’chaims!
Many young bochurim will be exposed to tremendous peer pressure to take a sip, and unwittingly start on the road to a terrible addiction. In Buffalo, Mesivta Menachem has taken pre-emptive action.
As part of its innovative Yahadus Sheli program, Mesivta Menachem just concluded its newest course, Alcoholism: An in-depth analysis of the Rebbe’s takana on Mashka and its physical negative effects.
The course consisted of three parts. First, the bochurim learned the Rebbe’s sichos on mashke with the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Yosef Munitz. In the second class, the bochurim watched a video presentation on the dangers of drinking Alcohol produced by the Yehuda Mond Foundation. The course culminated in a lecture from noted Rabbi Dr. Pinny Young. On Motzai Shabbos Parshas Tetzaveh he delivered a convincing Power Point presentation on the facts and myths of alcohol consumption.
Mixing hard facts with first hand emergency room accounts, Rabbi Dr. Young clearly defined the dangers of drinking and how quickly it can lead to Alcoholism. He demonstrated scientifically how even one drink physically affects your decision making process and pointed out the long term negative effects of even a few drinks.
The discussion on binge drinking was a real eye opener. "No one starts drinking with the intention of becoming an alcoholic" he said. However, "the fact that you so desire alcohol and think it is so cool, if that's what defines cool for you, then every opportunity you have to do it, you do it". The bochurim listened intently, repeatedly interrupting with pertinent questions to which Dr. Young patiently answered.
The class not only left an impression on the students, but on the Hanhola as well. "Dr.Young was amazing", said a thankful Rabbi Mendel Munitz, the creator of the Yahadus Sheli curriculum. "Not only did he give generously of his time just for the class, he stayed on much later, speaking to the bochurim and answering any further question that they had.”
In thanking Rabbi Dr. Young for the class one student remarked, "In 45 minutes you totally changed my perspective" on drinking. The success of the course was perhaps summed up best by another student who wondered, "why don't they teach this in all Yeshivos?"
The student quoted at the end is correct "why don't they teach this in all Yeshivos?" Unfortunately, not only do they not teach it in all Yeshivos, but in many they indeed encourage the bachurim to drink under age, regularly, and without limits. This is breaking the Rebbe's decree, halacha, and the law of the land.
Dovid
NO bochurim should be given alcohol under the age of 21.
Are you sure maybe it was the pickles that made you Frum.
i am so happy to see that in the buffalo yeshiva there is something drawing the bochrim other than mashke!
I just dont get it.
A frustrated collive reader
those of us been through the system know that they are 3 types of Bochurim:
1. Doesn't drink more than 4 lchaims out if respect to the Rebbe
2. Doesn't drink at all unless a mashpia/shliach urges him to say l'chaim
3. Drinks to his heart's (dis)content
Us parents are primariy concerned with the type 3 bochur and with Bochurim on the road to becoming a type 3 bochur.
Now let's honestly ask oursleves what would happen to the type 3 bochur if yeshivos would ban/restrict alcohol?
Possibility 1. The bochur will continue drinking secretly and will thus stop to associate drinking with becoming inspired
Possibility 2. The bochur (with his great need to escape his realit - after all he is only on yeshiva to please his parents) will turn to other forms of escape e.g. Pot and will probably stop or reduce the amount if his drinking.
If he is busted with Pot, he is thrown out of yeshiva and will likely not get accepted to other yeshivos. If he busted drinking, he gets a warning frOm hanhalah and life goes on
So i ask you my dear fellow parents, what are the alternatives?
If we were perfectly honest with ourselves we will realize that a child who is content in yeshiva will not look for escapes and therefore will abide by the rebbe's takana. Let's hope that roshey yeshivos will take this to heart and create a new system in which Bochurim strive to reach a specific goal and lay out clear and achievable steps to achieve that goal. (smicha programs have almost accomplished this, hence their low dropout rate)
Lchaim
Go Buffalo
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Simcha Poreitz Geder! Simcha does break through many barriers. But…does it have to break through the barriers of propriety, of common decency, of common sense___ and of self-control advocated by the ideals of Chassidus?!
This past Simchas Torah a young mekurav of mine who has been living in Crown Heights several years now went to 770 with his son. The simcha was palpable; everyone was in a great mood. Drinking a bit more than usual enhances the simcha, but does not generate it__understandly. But why were some irresponsible individuals passing around 192-proof , 96% alcohol content Spirytus (recently approved for legal sale in New York State). Worst of all, they did not identify this strong drink to unsuspecting “drinkers” for what it really was. My friend was such an unsuspecting drinker and one gulp knocked out his breathing. In addition, there was no water given him to wash it down. He ran out of 770 with his son in tow, trying desperately to catch his breath as he made his way through the thick crowd. He luckily was given oxygen by the Hatzala personel parked in front of 770. What if this would have taken place elsewhere? How many minutes can a non-breathing person remain without lasting damage to his brain etc…
I did some research and found this quote in a June 18, 2010 Daily News article about this Spirytus: "It's incredibly sharp. It takes your breath away," said Levi Pekar, 22, a Brooklyn student who has sampled the swill. "It's like getting punched in the solar plexus." This article included another quote: “"This sounds like it has tremendous potential for doing a lot of harm to people," said state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Queens)."It sounds like moonshine."
I can’t help but ask: what have been some dire consequences of excessive drinking upon our young men and bachurim over the past 5 decades? I venture to say that those who know won’t tell.
Besides my personal macho-oh, which I am making through the medium of this letter, I believe that it is high time for all those in leadership positions within Lubavitch to state unequivocally that they oppose such practices, and that these are contrary to true Chassidic ideology and teachings. In doing so they would be reiterating and strengthening that which the Rebbe has stated around 40 years ago about this matter.
They would also be paraphrasing Yeshayahu Hanavi: “Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink” (5:22) with the commentary of Metsudas David: “To drink wine: they show feats of strength by drinking lots of wine”.
In direct contrast to the Mishna (Avos 4:1): “who is strong, the one who conquers and restrains his yetzer tendencies…”
Let the rabbanim’s silence not be interpreted by the “unrestrained green-light-seekers” as either tacit approval or hopeless giving in and giving up (“no one will listen any way”). Leadership demands giving direction and directives. Expectation of authority-recognition vested in rabbanim by the Torah can actually become a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is one area in which a united statement can be signed by all rabbanim and leaders within Lubavitch!
Rabbi Yeheskel Lebovic, Maplewood NJ
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Yes, 4 cups etc etc. Everyone knows what the Rebbe meant. No one wants to obey.
The Rebbe wrote to Horav Hachossid Hadogul Rabbi Peretz Motchkin that in America unlike Russia drinking is not called for. This was the Rebbe's to an old mashpia!!!
How about sixteen year olds????!!
Help!
please send to: chanoch@chabadbrisbane.com
thank you.
However, it is NOT a joke to be given out to unsuspecting people. I usually inhale while drinking it and I drink it very fast. It needs to be followed with a few, not one but a few, glasses of water, and some farbeissen.
Anyone who gives it out without telling people what he is handing out is one step above a rodef, and anyone doing that in 770 should have their bottles confiscated.
luv ur phone owner!
# 23 if you are a shliach your first order of things should be to spell words correctly. no one takes seriously advice and information from such a badly written comment. besides you are off the wall and probably a 19-24 year old bochur
Way to go Buffallo. Wish we had your curriculum throughout Chabad.
There are boys who are drinking too much BECAUSE they have a very real problem. Simply telling them of the dangers of drinking, is NOT going to help them. My question is. Are the Mashpiim aware of this and what, in heavens name, are they doing about it? it's time we address this at the core.
I have attempted to talk about this subject for years and I have also worked with the bochurim that have gone too far. I have heard what the outside frum world that Chabad and alcohol/drunk are one in the same.
At what point do we get back to the basics as to what a farbrengen really is. A spirtual connection to a higher power not the bottom of a bottle. Would it not be nice to see bochurim collect sichas from the Rebbe not empty vodka bottles.
Why is this so hard for people to understand?