[Avodah] Torah Study vs. other contributions to soCIETY

[Samuel Svarc]

>From: David Riceman <driceman at att.net>
>Subject: Re: [Avodah] Torah Study vs. other contributions to soCIETY
>
>Samuel Svarc wrote:
>> <me>
>>>  see Tshuvoth HaRama #7.
>>>
>> <RMSS>
>> Um, I looked at it, and it discusses if it's "prohibited". I fail to see
>why
>> you keep on circling back to this point that wasn't in our discussion.
>>
>>
>The purported prohibition it discusses is the permissibility of studying
>Greek philosophy, not of spending time away from Torah.  The Rama told his
>cousin the Maharshal that he spent some of his time studying philosophy,
>even though ikkar zman limudo was halacha, and the Maharshal called him on
>the substance of what he studied, but neither of them thought that it was
>inappropriate for the future gadol hador to spend time away from Torah.
>According to you both of them should have agreed that this was
>inappropriate behavior.

No one thinks learning subjects that will help you in Torah is prohibited.
Let me quote b'shem the Gra, " The Vilna Gaon is quoted by Rabbi Boruch
Schick in his introduction to his translation of Euclid's Geometry, as
follows:
When I was in the illustrious city of Vilna in the presence of the Rav, the
light, the great Gaon, my master and teacher, the light of the eyes of the
exile, the renowned pious one [may HaShem protect and save him] Rav Eliyahu,
in the month of Teves 5538 [January 1778], I heard from his holy mouth that
according to what a person is lacking in knowledge of the ther wisdoms,
correspondingly he will be lacking one hundred portions in the wisdom of the
Torah, because the Torah and the other wisdoms are inextricably linked
together" (Translation courtesy of RYL). So it's no chiddush that this
doesn't fall under the original discussion, as it was clearly meant to
further Torah (in fact, the Rama asserts that he got his knowledge out of
seforim written by gedolie Torah). This is far removed from training for
Zaka. The only relevance this teshuvah has, is to show that learning such
subjects is not prohibited, something, as been pointed out now quite a few
times, was not in our discussion.

KT,
MSS