One of the great things about the Litvak Yeshiva world is the emphasis on a few basic points. Not to speak lashon hara, to be very careful about monetary issues--to never touch that which does not belong to you, and above all --to learn Torah which is in itself the highest commandment and brings one to fulfill all the rest of the commandments.
Add to this the musar ideal of Rav Israel Slanter of trying to gain Fear of God and good traits, and you have a very potent combination.
The system does not however work for just anyone. And I myself have encountered people, not just on the Litvak path, but even founders of famous kollels that leave a lot to be desired when it comes to being decent people.
My reaction to this is to try an concentrate on areas where I know I need to repent. I figure that in spite of everything, what ever I or anyone has suffered must be connected in some way to my own faults.
And finding my own faults was easy. It was easy to identify areas that I messed up. This is brought in the words of the sages when a person sees problems coming on him, he should check out his own deeds. If he finds nothing he should know it is from Bitul Torah.[Bitul Torah is a sin. It means not learning Torah when you can.]
But nowadays it is hard to go through the entire Oral and Written Law as one is required. We live in the fast food age. To go through even one Tosphot thoroughly is like eating raw steak. You have to chew and chew until you get something. But learning Rav Shach's Avi Ezri is like going to Mconald's. You get the same calories and even more with the least amount of effort.
Add to this the musar ideal of Rav Israel Slanter of trying to gain Fear of God and good traits, and you have a very potent combination.
The system does not however work for just anyone. And I myself have encountered people, not just on the Litvak path, but even founders of famous kollels that leave a lot to be desired when it comes to being decent people.
My reaction to this is to try an concentrate on areas where I know I need to repent. I figure that in spite of everything, what ever I or anyone has suffered must be connected in some way to my own faults.
And finding my own faults was easy. It was easy to identify areas that I messed up. This is brought in the words of the sages when a person sees problems coming on him, he should check out his own deeds. If he finds nothing he should know it is from Bitul Torah.[Bitul Torah is a sin. It means not learning Torah when you can.]
But nowadays it is hard to go through the entire Oral and Written Law as one is required. We live in the fast food age. To go through even one Tosphot thoroughly is like eating raw steak. You have to chew and chew until you get something. But learning Rav Shach's Avi Ezri is like going to Mconald's. You get the same calories and even more with the least amount of effort.
