Q: Why do we have so many boys and girls going off the derech?
A: First of all, let's say the opposite. Why are there so many good children on the derech? I always say the same thing. I was once invited to speak to a gathering of frum girls, Bais Yaakov girls. Two thousand girls were sitting there. It was years ago – by this time they're all married and all have children. Two thousand frum girls!
And later people told me it’s nothing, that there’s much more. There are two thousand girls in this place, a thousand there. Boruch Hashem! Boruch Hashem, we have many beautiful schools with children everywhere; everywhere today. So many thousands of people today are raising their children the right way. Here’s a frum girls school. Ten buses are lined up outside! I saw it! A long line of school buses! So let's concentrate on that. Of course it's a pity if some of them chas v’shalom went off the derech; but first of all, let's appreciate the tremendous metamorphosis, the tremendous mahapeichah. A revolution is taking place. The Am Yisroel is increasing and multiplying, and very, very many people are becoming frummer and frummer. Boruch Hashem! We rejoice in them!
When you see frum Jews, give them a brachah. Hakodosh Boruch Hu wants them to increase and multiply. That's His main desire, that the Am Yisrael should increase and multiply. And so, yes, there are certain things that have to be done – now is not the place to talk about it – in order to make the schools more effective in training the boys and girls in yiras shamayim and how to live successfully. Some boys are not capable of learning gemara. They need more mussar, more hashkafah. There are certain changes that have to be instituted. No, everything is not perfect; no. Nevertheless right now we should concentrate our minds and thank Hakodosh Boruch Hu on the great happiness we feel today when you see that the Jewish nation is increasing. By the way, in Eretz Yisroel that's the main worry of the reshaim. The reshaim are very much concerned. They see if they don't do something extreme soon the frummer will take over everything. That's what they're worried about. They’re like Pharaoh; he said pen yirbeh. So Hashem says ken yirbeh.
Rabbi Avigdor Miller
