[Avodah] Holier Than Thou

[cantorwolberg at cox.net]

> Some people consider basketball or other exercise to be an unwarranted  
> waste of time when youngsters could be learning every moment of every day.   
> Others believe that a break from learning can help youngsters go back to their
> learning later refreshed and healthy, with a new enthusiasm.  I am with 
> the  latter group. 

So am I!  

> I reject completely the validity of this subject line:  "bittul torah  for 
> a talmid chochom's levaya." 

So do I. When I saw the subject to begin with, I couldn't believe
the nit picking. What often lacks in topics such as these is common
sense. Why is it that nobody raises the question of bittul Torah
regarding other mitzvot, such as hachnosess orchim, bikur cholim and
hachnosess kallah? Did you forget that l'vayas hameis is also a mitzvah,
(let alone one for a godol hador)?

What makes me laugh is that there is such irrationality regarding the
subject of this topic and yet you don't see discussions on the aveira
of overeating to the point of slowly killing yourself and the aveira of
smoking due to harming yourself. Also, anything done for your health,
such as youngsters exercising, is a mitzvah and yet there are those who
look upon it as bittul Torah.