In recent weeks there has been much confusion, doubt, and concern over the New York State Education Commissioner’s new guidelines for non-public schools. Will New York State impose and enforce this new law requiring yeshivos to teach seven hours of secular studies daily? What if the state does in fact implement this new policy, and a yeshiva does not comply? What will happen to the parents of children who continue to send to the yeshiva? What will be with our children’s chinuch if this is in fact enforced?
These are all real questions and concerns that every resident of New York should be have. It is an intrusion by the government into our sacred yeshivos where our future generations are being molded. It is something we should all fear.
But step back for a moment, and look at the greater picture, I think it will reveal another motive behind this new assault. Who runs the world? Who is behind every decree that is made whether for good or the contrary? We all know it is Hashem. So, now ask yourself why did Hashem do this? Why did Hashem make the Commissioner of Education in New York State, the state with the highest Jewish population, decide to pick a war with the yeshivos? Could it be because Hashem is trying to convey to us that we do not belong in New York? Could it be because Hashem wants us to be more cognizant that we are in galus and our home is in Eretz Yisrael under the reign of malchus beis David?
I think we can all agree that these points are all accurate, and consequentially we should all agree that this could be the reason why Hashem had to poke us once again to wake up and had to remind us of our mission and goal in galus: yearning for the geulah.
I am not suggesting that we do not have to fight the government to get them off our backs; we surely need to oppose and contest any such intrusions with all means necessary. But we should not lose focus of the greater picture, and what the orchestrator of every event is conveying to us through these current events.
May we be successful in protecting and preserving our children’s chinuch in a manner that has been passed down through mesorah for generations, and at the same time heed the overall message that this campaign has been sent to convey.