Batlun Row

There are a number of seats lined up against the southern wall in the Yeshiva Gedolah beis medrash. At night seder, and during chavrusa time in the mornign, our class sits along this row. There are probably between eight and twelve of us, paired up in Chavrusas along the row. Most of the conversation along the row is not focused on the Gemara. It is a section we call Batlun Row.

It is along Batlun row where I learn to put a lighter in my hand, let the gas out, flick the lighter, and have a fire burning in my hand. There is no topic that is too taboo for discussion along the row. Rabbis, kollel members, older beis medrash guys, girls, sports and music are all fair topics for the row.

One day, while sitting in Batlin row, we find a bag of candy left over from an Auf Ruf. My chavrusa dares me to throw the bag and hit the bima during night seder. We are both amused as the rabbi leaning on the bima is stunned and looks around when the bag thumps loudly into the bima.

The rabbis try to break up our row, but after a few days, we always end up sitting back in the same place.