A Bochur’s Job is to Learn

By Anash.org staff

The Rebbe saw it as a bochur’s responsibility to be completely dedicated to learning Torah. When the Rebbe was told about a bochur who went on a trip, the Rebbe wrote:

I’ve never heard of such a thing. That a bochur, and a tomim at that, should suddenly stop his learning and travel to see the world!

Even when bochurim were involved in positive things, the Rebbe reminded them that their job was to learn and that other activities must not infringe on their primary focus. In response to a bochur’s letter in which he asked a question related to his work in printing seforim, the Rebbe wrote:

What I have always heard is that bochurim in Tomchei T’mimim are supposed to learn niglah and Chassidus with diligence and persistence, work on davening and fulfilling Mitzvos. What do they have to do with questions that are relevant to Kehos?

Have you already learned everything else that has been printed, and it is only the knowledge in that sefer that you are missing?

Are you careful about learning Chitas? Did you finish learning the ma’amorim in Likutei Torah on parshas bereshis?

Another time, when a bochur sent in a Duch (report) about his Mivtzoyim, without mentioning anything about his learning the Rebbe asked:

There is no mention in the entire letter of learning Torah with diligence and persistence. How many Dafim of Gemara did you learn? How many ma’amorim of Chassidus ?