[Avodah] Reading Newspapers and Other secular Literature on Shabbos

[elazar teitz]

RMicha Berger wrote:

>>And yet, the Netziv spen[t] Friday night reading the haskalishe
newspapers.
>>One of the things in My Uncle the Netziv, a translation of excerpts from
>>the Torah Temimah's Meqor Baruch, that got BMG to recall a mailing of
>>them a couple of decades ago.

To which RDYitzchok Levine responded:

>I have  been told that R. Baruch Epstein was not known for the
>accurateness of his writings.

Even granting RDYL's source, there is quite a difference between accuracy
in the quoting of sources and accuracy in conveying an eyewitness account.
The former would attribute carelessness and imprecision to R. Boruch
Epstein; the latter would accuse him of being an intentional liar. Even
granting the inaccuracy of his writing, it has no bearing whatever on the
accuracy of what he attests to having seen.

However, even if the N'tziv did read the newspapers, it is may have no
relevance to the current discussion.  As RMB cited, it was the haskala
press. The Netziv may have been reading it for the purpose of "v'da ma
shetashiv," which I believe would render his reading permissible on Shabbos.

EMT
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