[Avodah] Newspapers and REW

[Harry Maryles]

--- On Thu, 12/10/09, Micha Berger <micha at aishdas.org> wrote:


I just found the following from Revach L'Neshama in my RSS reader.
http://revach.net/article.php?id=4220 (quoted in full, it's short)

    When asked why (REW) would read the newspaper on his shtender out of
    all places, he said, if I must read the paper then it is because it
    is a mitzva and I can read in right here on my shtender. if there
    is an issue with reading the paper then I cannot even do it behind
    closed doors.

Am I reading too much into this maaseh to conclude that leshitas REW,
either an act is a mitzvah or there is an issue with it -- there is no
true realm of divrei reshus?
---------------------------------------
 
That would be my take from this excerpt. He did not thin k it proper to read about the news of the day unless there was a Toeles of some sort. IOW just for informational purposes he probably felt it was Assur.
 
I do not find this out of character for REW. He was definitely a Kannoi about certain things - more so than his contemporaries. 
 
His attitude about YU for example. As related by Rav Rakeffet in his book on Dr. Revel REW refused Dr. Revel's request to give a Shiur at  YU because of his Shitah about college. This is in contra-distinction to other Gedolim of his era who did give a shiur at YU, including R' Aharon Kotler. 
 
I believe almost all other European Gedolim of that era were persuaded to give a Shiur at YU while they were visiting to raise funds for their own Yeshivos. One of them even accepted a post as the RY at YU - R' Shimon Shkop. Only REW refused to even tread on YU's soil - as I recall.
 
HM

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Try this: http://haemtza.blogspot.com/




      
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