smr, what point am I missing?
If any percentage, however small, of talmidim in BMG or the Mir would benefit from a smaller Yeshiva, with more Kesher between the RY and Talmid, that’s too huge a number to ignore. No one would lose, they would all benefit. There are few if any benefits to huge Yeshivos, from age 3 to adulthood. Would R’ Aron be happy with Lakewood of today? The increase in numbers was a gradual change.
IMHO, where the Talmidim are less involved with their RYs, they become more involved with their peers, and keeping up with the Grosses brcomes more of a problem. It’s more of a buddy keeping up with buddy lifestyle, rather than focusing on the RY’s lifestle.