[Avodah] Torah Study vs. other contributions to society

[Doron Beckerman]

>I think the only problem from a TuM perspective is that he had no
justification for defying the Rambam's ban on living off one's
learning.<

I was not aware that this Rambam still had adherents in any practical sense,
after the words of the Chofetz Chaim (Biur Halachah 231, and Shem Olam,
Shaar Hachzakas HaTorah Perek 11) and Rav Moshe Feinstein (YD II:116 -
especially harsh critique of this approach) on this matter. While I am aware
that these Poskim are not necessarily paragons of Tu"M, I find it surprising
that on a matter of such critical importance, the two most influential
Poskim in post WWII Jewry (though the Mishnah Berurah was written before,
the influence of that Sefer was, I think, primarily post WWII) are ignored
to the point of Tu"M considering their arguments null and void to the point
of "no justification".



R' Micha writes:
> "I'm reminded of the story (urban legend) of R' Chaim Brisker bemoaning
the fact that Einstein didn't go into learning. However, one wonders
how differently WWII would have ended had relativity been discovered a
couple of decades later, and the US didn't get the bomb.

In theory it's easy to say the world would have been better off with
more learning. In practice, it's hard to see how this would be true in
Einstein's case. (Or Szilard, Teller, Simon or Curti, noted Jewish
members of the Manhattan Project.)"<

The whole thing is a bit counter-intuitive. When the Chofetz Chaim expresses
this idea (in Toras HaBayis 5) he says that if we would be asked, we would
say that Hatzalas Nefashos is more valuable, but the Torah tells us
otherwise.


This enters the realm of the unknowable - upon whom would the Korei HaDoros
MeRosh have bestowed the Chochmah of relativity had we had Chiddushe HaGR"A
Einstein Al Shas V'Shulchan Aruch. Or if that would have been how the war
ended.

R' Micha adds:

>The question as phrased is for the A-lmighty's accountant. Our
question is what to choose to do; not the value of a choice once made.
If the person's neti'os are to learn, then he has the most important
quality for learning -- cheisheq. (Not, as implied, intelligence or
memory.)<

I would agree, but it would seem that the choice one makes should depend on
the values of the options out there, and we have guidance that the Talmud
Torah choice is superior to all others, and this was the guidance given to
the Gaon by his father.

My relating to intelligence and memory was by way of questioning what was
meant by excellence.
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