[Avodah] [Areivim] Hanheg Bahen Minhag Derech Eretz

[Doron Beckerman]

Again on this Gemara, as per the Shulchan Aruch Harav in Hilchos Talmud
Torah this Gemara is talking about how to achieve greatness in Torah, and is
not necessarily a general guideline for what path one must take in life. It
is a Machlokes on what is the better path to achieve greatness in Torah. The
multitudes are better off following RY, concludes the Gemara. Someone who
does not think about Torah constantly, but is a good Jew who is koveia Ittim
in whatever sources he can hack, and is Nosei V'nosein BeEmunah, is on
neither path to greatness in Torah, as per the Nefesh Hachaim's explanation
of  Rabbi Yishmael, but he may very well be a very fine Jew.

[ Reminds me of the story about the Netziv, who said that had he not begged
his parents not to turn him into a shoemaker's apprentice he would have been
asked after 120 "where is your Haamek Sheela/Beracha/Davar etc. I forgot who
it was, but a Rosh Yeshiva once told someone who was frittering his time
away in Yeshiva - after 120 they'll ask you - "where are your shoes"? ]

I'll add something from Sefer Binyan Olam (the Mussar Sefer on the
importance of Torah study), page 62. He quotes from Sefer Menuchah
UKedushah,who, after quoting R' Chaim Volozhiner (he says it is actually
from the GRA), writes - "Know my sons that I have already stumbled in
interpreting the Gemara as its simple meaning, and I went away from
permanence in Torah study after I had already clung to it well, as is
appropriate, for two consecutive years, and I merited then the pleasantness
of its sweetness. And after the two years (which was my initial intent when
I left my home) and I searched through the Gemara and all the Poskim, and I
saw them unanimously say that one should be involved in Derech Eretz along
with Torah, and they wrote it without elaboration, and I did not understand
their interpretation that they also meant like Rav Chaim (Volozhiner)
because the Sefer Nefesh Hachaim had not yet been published then, and had I
seen it I certainly would have listened to him and I would have been a big
Talmid Chacham and a Tzaddik etc. Maybe Hashem will see my impoverished
state and will grant that my descendants listen to my advice to them in this
Sefer of mine, revealing to them my error so that they will avoid it, and to
choose the path of truth, etc."

(This may run counter to the Shulchan Aruch Harav and says that R' Chaim
means it for everyone Mamesh, but it isn't Muchrach. I'm not sure).
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