[Avodah] Torah Study vs. other contributions to soCIETY

[David Riceman]

Zvi Lampel wrote:
> It is not so poshut to go from the classical cases of temporarily 
> interrupting one's learning for doing an immediately necessary deed 
> that required no training, to the kind of training and more permanent 
> time commitment that preparing for Zaka requires, and certainly to 
> the time and effort needed to become a medic in preparation for 
> situations not yet in existence (although of course predictably they 
> will be). In the first case, Talmud Torah remains the kevius, as 
> opposed to in the other two cases.
The Shulhan Arukh requires (YD 245:1) kvias ittim day and night.  It 
recommends (ibid. 21, especially in the Rama) that in order for divrei 
Torah to be "miskayymim" that one make them ikkar and other occupations 
tafel.  It is this second form of kevius that you are recommending, yet, 
as far as I can tell, there's no halachic requirement for a person to 
ensure that his divrei Torah be "miskayymim".

Furthermore the prohibition of interrupting Talmud Torah is expressed as 
"hayah l'fanav" (ibid. 18). which seems to mean interrupting ittim 
kevuim rather than any potential opportunity to learn.

As an example, my own doctor, in addition to working at a teaching 
hospital and running his private practice manages to be president of the 
shul and to be kovea ittim.  I've never understood the halachic meaning 
of the phrase "not so poshut" (I hope RZL will translate into Rabbinnic 
Hebrew), but I think his behavior is not only unobjectionable, but even 
admirable.

David Riceman