[Avodah] Torah study vs.other contributions to society

[T613K at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/27/2007 R Doron Beckerman  wrote:   
 
>> ....from which the Gemara
there proves, similar to our issue,  that Ezra did the right thing, and
anyone in the same position should choose  TT over Binyan BHM"K, and,
similarly, over Hatzalas Nefashos, if others will  do it.....


....It means that one who CAN do so, should! And its not  just the BH, it is 
the
Nefesh HaChaim and the Brisker Rav who say the same.  R' Nehorai said that he
will not teach his son any trade, only Torah, since  he wanted his son to
follow the path of RSHB"Y....

....The Chafetz  Chaim said that the person learning accomplishes more 
spiritual
benefit.  Whether that is for himself, or for the world, or something else, I
don't  know.

Someone who can learn but does not, rather chooses to become a Zaka  worker,
is not following any Halachah.<<




>>>>>
The rav of my shul is a major talmid chacham but he is also the rav of a  
shul.  He spends most of his time learning but not every single minute of  every 
day -- since he does have baalei batim who sometimes need his  attention.  I 
can't mention his name because he once found out somehow that  I quote him on 
the internet, and he specifically requested that I not do so  again. (To say he 
was displeased is putting it mildly.)   
 
Anyway, he once said in a shiur that one who works for the tzibbur -- the  
rav of a kehillah for example, or a rebbe who gives shiurim to talmidim  when he 
could be learning on a much higher level by himself -- is compensated in  
Shomayim for the Torah learning that he was not able to accomplish in his  
lifetime.  In Gan Eden, HKB'H Himself teaches this person the Torah he  would have 
learned here on earth had he not devoted himself to the  tzibbur.  I found this 
very comforting because my father z'l once said  in a drasha that baalei 
batim don't appreciate how much a rav has to  sacrifice of his own time for them 
-- when he really yearns to learn  Torah but his time is not his own.  I assume 
my father is now learning all  the pages of Gemara he never got to down here.
 
 
I don't know whether this Heavenly compensation also applies to Zaka and  
Hatzala workers, or to those who do other forms of chessed, but it seems to  me 
likely that it does.
 
As for the person who took time off his learning in order to earn  parnassah, 
my rav says that working for a living is a mitzva and that the time a  person 
spends working is not considered batala.  However, he is very strict  about 
every non-working minute -- every minute not working should be spent  learning 
-- and he would highly disapprove of reading secular literature --  or 
spending time on the 'net.  (He does glance at the NY Times, probably in  the room 
the Gra used to study math, probably because he holds there is to'eles  in being 
an informed person, or possibly because he could not otherwise distract  
himself from having hirhurim of Torah in an inappropriate place.)


--Toby  Katz
=============



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