[Avodah] Torah Study vs. other contributions to soCIETY

[Daniel Eidensohn]

R' Samuel Svarc wrote:
>
>> If so, how do you justify the Rama's behavior?
>>     
>
> He learned these subjects as a preparation to better understand Torah. The
> Maharshal held that these subjects are forbidden to study and the Rama
> disagreed with him. The same way, like today, there are machlokes haposikim
> on certain subjects if one is permitted to learn them, they too argued about
> this. But none of them held that one can't study permitted subjects to
> enhance Torah.
>
>   

I apologize if my comments are irrelevant - I simply haven't been 
following this thread.

If you are saying that the Rema studied philosophy but the Marshal held 
that it was forbidden. The Rema refers to this in his respone to the 
Maharshal noting that the Maharshal also knew philosophy. The dispute 
seemed to be whether one can utilized secular understanding to explain 
Torah issues and mix them into psak. Rema felt it was appropriate and 
Maharshal felt it was not. The exchange also included the criticism that 
Rema was ignorant of grammar.

Daniel Eidensohn