Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz
My son recently completed his engineering degree, but now he wants to go to Israel to study Torah and become a rabbi. I argued that Israel does not need more rabbis, and that he would contribute more to society as an engineer. Which of us is right?
Rabbi Chaim Mintz responds:
With all due respect, your assertion that Israel does not need more rabbis is simply not true. The world — whether in Israel or elsewhere — needs as many rabbis as we can get.
Although not everyone has the ability to study or teach Torah full time, one who does is making the greatest contribution possible to society.
Torah’s Impact on the Entire World
There is a common misconception that one who studies Torah is helping only himself. In truth, Torah study brings Hashem (God) close — not just to the individual studying, but to the entire world.
When the Holy Temple stood, Hashem’s presence drew close to the world through it. As Ramban explains, the Mishkan (Tabernacle), and subsequently the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple), was a continuation of the revelation at Har Sinai. The Divine presence was revealed at Sinai through the giving of the Torah, and continued to dwell above the Holy Ark, which housed the Luchot (tablets).
And today, Hashem’s presence continues to be drawn into the world through the study of Torah, as the Talmud states (Berachot 8a), “From the day the Temple was destroyed, Hashem has nothing in His world except the four cubits of halachah (Torah law) alone.”
When Hashem is close to the world, His blessings and protection are much greater. As our Rabbis (Tanna D’vei Eliyahu Rabbah 18:6) teach, “When one studies Torah, he brings goodness to the world.” People are healthier, and those who are sick are more likely to recover. Livelihood comes more easily, as sustenance flows more abundantly to the world. Soldiers on the battlefield have more protection. A doctor standing over a patient in surgery may be granted greater knowledge and clarity to save that life. This is the immense contribution that every rabbi provides to society through his study and teaching of Torah.
Torah Study Versus Other Contributions
While an engineer can certainly help people through his work and provide a good livelihood for himself and his family, he cannot provide anything near the kind of benefit to the world that the study of Torah can.
When wealthy visitors came to visit the yeshivah (school for Talmud study) in Radin, one of them asked the Chofetz Chaim: “What will become of these students? They’ll end up beggars, going door to door to survive.” The Chofetz Chaim rose like a lion and declared: “You think they are the beggars? You are the beggars! Everything you have is only in their merit.”
The Torah’s View of Torah Scholars
The erroneous attitude that Torah scholars are not contributing to society is nothing new. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 99b) already records those who questioned the value of rabbis and Torah scholars, claiming, “What use are the rabbis to us? All their studying is just for themselves.” The Talmud labels such a person as an apikores (heretic).
And it goes further, saying that this attitude actually constitutes a distortion of the Torah itself. The Torah teaches us explicitly, “If not for My covenant day and night, I would not have established the laws of heaven and earth” (Yirmiyahu 33:25) — that it is Torah study which sustains the entire world. To question the value of Torah scholars is to deny this fundamental truth.
Supporting Your Son’s Decision
So you should be proud of your son and support his decision to study Torah and become a rabbi, because he will be contributing to the world in the most meaningful way.
In Short
Rabbis who study and teach Torah bring Hashem closer to the world, bringing increased blessing with Him, so we are always in need of more rabbis.
Written by Rabbi Aaron Shapiro
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