Yeshiva Students Shun Election Night News for Torah Study
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
The 'Avnei Nezer' yeshiva in Beitar Illit organized a special program for its students on election night, encouraging them to focus on Torah study instead of election results. Students took vows of silence and pledged to avoid all election news and discussions until the following evening. The initiative, led by Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Zamir Cohen, aimed to prioritize spiritual and academic pursuits over political preoccupations.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Yeshiva 'Avnei Nezer' in Beitar Illit focused students on Torah study during election night.
- Students took vows of silence and avoided all election news and political information.
- The initiative was led by Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Zamir Cohen.
- The program aimed to prioritize spiritual and academic growth over political news.
- Students extended their pledge to avoid election results until the following evening.
During the recent Israeli elections, the 'Avnei Nezer' yeshiva in Beitar Illit organized a unique initiative for its students, encouraging them to focus on Torah study rather than election results. While the general public was glued to media coverage of exit polls and election updates on Tuesday night, the yeshiva hall was filled with students enthusiastically engaged in religious studies.
The initiative, conceived and implemented by Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Zamir Cohen, aimed to reinforce the importance of Torah study, especially during times when the outside world is preoccupied with politics. Students who traveled to vote in their hometowns returned to the yeshiva for a special study session that ran from 9:30 PM to 12:30 AM. During this period, they committed to a vow of silence and pledged not to listen to, inquire about, or consume any news or political information from the media.
This commitment extended beyond the initial study session. The students also pledged not to engage with election results or coalition formations until 6:00 PM the following day, Wednesday. This created a stark contrast between the yeshiva, which remained a "holy of holies" devoid of political discussions, and the outside world consumed by vote counts and government formation.
Yeshiva officials explained that the initiative was designed to help students reclaim their night and the following day for study and spiritual elevation, preventing the "vanity" of speculative political news from consuming their time. The program also served as a profound educational message about the role of a yeshiva student, emphasizing that while voting is a duty, their primary focus should remain on spiritual and academic growth, developing self-control and deferring curiosity.
"The tremendous success of the initiative proves that the message was conveyed beyond expectations," the yeshiva stated. "The yeshiva sanctified God's name, no less, and perhaps more so than the activities on election day itself, and the students received a thousand-fold Torah 'training.'"
