[Avodah] Torah Study vs. other contributions to society

Doron Beckerman beck072 at gmail.com
Thu Apr 19 14:38:39 PDT 2007


R' Akiva Miller writes:

Yes, TuM does accept this approach, namely, if Torah
study is what you excel at doing, then go for it. There's nothing in
TuM which would want to prevent the world from having excellent
rabbis. TuM simply acknowledges that there *IS* value in other
studies, but chalilah that it would put them *above* Torah.

R' Akiva,

Is the Torah study in which the subject is engaged in only superior to other
contributions if he "excels" or will be an excellent Rabbi?

Let us take a hypothetical of an 18 year old of average-ish intelligence who
seriously learns Torah B'Taharah, decent Hasmadah, with no Parnassah
concerns, and with no aspirations of becoming a Rabbi.

This person could be a great medic if he would train, but he does not want
to give up the time needed for that course because he wants to continue
learning for  the foreseeable future.

He has no plans to go to college,  though if he would, he could be a great
psychologist. That would rob him of alot of time from Torah study. He will
live off of a Kollel stipend and his parents' considerable help, which they
will gladly give.

By age 40 or so, he'll be a Baki in a good few Massechtos, and he'll have a
good knowledge of Halachah, but he has no Rabbinical skills. There are
people aged 25 in Yeshivos who know far more than he does.

Has this person fulfilled his mission in life from a TuM perspective?
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