[Avodah] sports and leisure

[Michael Makovi]

>From [Areivim] sports

>For more on the rabbinical attitude towards sports please see
>http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/exercise.pdf
>
> I have never understood those that prohibit sports based on bittul Torah.
> I have seen similar teshuvot that outlaw chess on the grounds of bittul Torah
>
> The facts are that except for a few rare people (Gra?) most people
> cannot possibly think intensively for long periods of time. One having
> asked RAL about similar issues he responded that the Brisker Rav would
> take long walks to clear his head.
>
> Thus some sort of break be it walks or chess or other entertainment is
> necessary to learn intensively.
>
> kol tuv
> R' Eli Turkel

You've only established that IF the person needs a break. As one rabbi
of mine at Machon Meir put it, if you take a nap to rest for study,
but you nap one moment more than you need, or if you play sport to
rest for study but play one moment more than you need, it's bittul
Torah.

What about stam for fun?

My major rabbi at Machon Meir (not the previous one above) said that
one in fact does NOT have to do everything leshem shamayim, i.e. with
the kavana of having fun to rest for study. Now, obviously, to do so
is a lofty and meritorious thing. But, he said, to do something
"'l'shem Wooh!" (his exact words; read with your hands in the air like
you're going down a waterslide) is not an averah; it isn't a mitzvah,
but it isn't an averah either.

So the point, he said, is that it's not mitzvah or averah; there IS a
neutral area in between.

Anyone know a source?

The question then, is what exactly is bittul Torah if you can
permissibly spend your whole day having fun? Perhaps it is a judgement
of reasonableness by G-d; perhaps if I play soccer for an hour or two
l'shem Wooh (not l'shem shamayim to rest for study) is mutar, but
several hours, is bittul Torah? How much time to permissibly devote to
enjoyment would then be a subjective judgment call for us all, as to
how much leisure is reasonable to have in a day. For example, maybe
you need to rest for one hour to study; but instead you play for two
hours (mutar); but had you played for more than two hours, it'd be
assur.


Mikha'el Makovi