[Avodah] R' Baruch Ber Leibovitch (Prof. Levine)

[Prof. Levine]

At 06:39 AM 4/15/2018, Marty Bluke wrote:
>Again against the wishes of the Charedi Gedolim. 
>R' Steinman called Charedi colleges for women, a 
>pig with a streimel (see 
><http://www.kikar.co.il/216994.html>http://www.kikar.co.il/216994.html 
>). That same article quotes R' Yitzchak 
>Zilberstein (author of a widely read series on halacha) as saying:
>
>" Rachel Imenu sat on the idols and didn't burn 
>them. She wanted to denigrate the wisdom of the 
>other nations, she didn't want to burn them, 
>rather to teach the Jewish people, I don't need 
>any outside wisdom and therefore she was 
>priviliged with having Yosef who astounded the 
>world with his wisdom which was solely torah based.Â
>
>We have to instill in our daughters: A jewish 
>home that is free of any trace of non-Jewish 
>wisdom and learns only Torah will never be hurt."

Too bad this statement does not differentiate 
between un-Jewish and non-Jewish. as RSRH did. I 
agree that we do not want un-Jewish influences in 
the Orthodox world.  However,  there is no problem with non-Jewish influences.

I wonder if they are against the use of, for 
example, modern medicine or electricity or 
running water,  and countless other things that 
are "non-Jewish wisdom and come into Chareidi homes.


>>There is no question that the simple reading of 
>>the Rama is like R' Baruch Ber. The Rama writes:
>>
>>"But it is not for a person to learn anything 
>>but Torah, Mishna and Gemara and the halachic 
>>decisors that come after them and through this 
>>they will acquire this world and the world to 
>>come. But not with learning any other wisdoms. 
>>In any case, it is permitted to learn through 
>>happenstance all other knowledge as long as it 
>>isn't a book of heresy.  This is what called 
>>by the Rabbis a trip in the Pardes, A person 
>>should not take a trip in the Pardes until he 
>>has filled his belly with meat and wine [Torah] 
>>and he knows the lasw of issur v'heter and the laws relating to mitzvos"
>>
>>The Rama clearly writes that secular studies 
>>cannot be learned on a regular set basis. Not 
>>only that, but he writes that even happenstance 
>>secular studies should only be done AFTER you know shas and poskim.
>
>Yet the GRA studied mathematics in his youth.
>
>
>The Gra was sui generis, when he studied 
>mathematics in his youth he already knew shas and poskim.Â

Can you verify this assertion?





>>And how many people are capable of capable of 
>>learning "anything but Torah, Mishna and Gemara 
>>and the halachic decisors that come after 
>>them."Â Â  as I pointed out earlier the Meddrah 
>>in Koheles as well as the Mishna Brurah make it 
>>clear that only a very small percentage of 
>>people are capable of studying Torah all day.
>
>Also, have not times changed since the time of the RAMA?
>
>
>Is halacha not timeless? Is the value of Torah 
>less in 2018 then it was in 1518?

Halacha evolves with the times.  It is not 
static. If it were,  there would be big problems, 
thus the values of Torah remains supreme.

YL


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