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Short Summary
Main recommendation: Reach out personally to struggling or at-risk young people, such as a teen who has drifted from learning or a kid with a visibly troubled appearance, rather than looking away, because one caring intervention can change a life. Rabbi Paysach Krohn illustrates this with the story of a young man whom his brother, Rabbi Moshe Shabbos, rescued by funding his move to yeshiva and personally investing in his return.
Key Points
- A young man who stopped learning and briefly enrolled in college was guided back to yeshiva after Rabbi Krohn's brother, Moshe Shabbos, was willing to meet him at 2 a.m. and arrange a ticket and kussa (lodging money) for Mir.
- The Rosh Yeshiva of Mir imposed two conditions: the young man had to learn the Blat (a page of Gemara), and he had to bring any yeshiva needs directly to the Rosh Yeshiva alone.
- When the young man slipped after two months, Rabbi Krohn's brother did not abandon him; he framed his support as an investment and expressed continued faith in him.
- Ten years later, the young man was described as a family man with a wife and children, which he credited to Rabbi Krohn's brother having "picked him up."
- Rabbi Krohn argues that many children with troubled appearances, such as unusual haircuts, are signaling a need for care and attention.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions: The transcript gives no step-by-step program. The actionable advice is to say a caring word to struggling kids who seem troubled rather than looking away, to be the person who "picks up" the phone for a child in need, and to treat a child who appears to be in distress as a sign they want attention and care.
- The Blat condition was a key motivator: the Rosh Yeshiva judged the young man could handle a demanding task, which built his confidence.
- The story is recounted secondhand: the young man called Rabbi Krohn directly to tell him about his experience with Rabbi Krohn's brother, Moshe Shabbos, and the speaker stated he would not use the source's (caller's) name.
- Rabbi Krohn notes the family often does not believe they have a child at risk, so outreach may come from outside the family.
- The speaker acknowledges that not everyone can fund a yeshiva education, but suggests that a personal word is something everyone can offer.
Bottom Line
Rabbi Krohn's core message is that a single personal act of care, such as a phone call or a word of encouragement, can be the turning point for a child who is struggling.
