<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV>--- On <B>Thu, 12/10/09, Micha Berger <I><micha@aishdas.org></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid">
<DIV class=plainMail>I just found the following from Revach L'Neshama in my RSS reader.<BR><A href="http://revach.net/article.php?id=4220" target=_blank>http://revach.net/article.php?id=4220</A> (quoted in full, it's short)<BR><BR> When asked why (REW) would read the newspaper on his shtender out of<BR> all places, he said, if I must read the paper then it is because it<BR> is a mitzva and I can read in right here on my shtender. if there<BR> is an issue with reading the paper then I cannot even do it behind<BR> closed doors.<BR><BR>Am I reading too much into this maaseh to conclude that leshitas REW,<BR>either an act is a mitzvah or there is an issue with it -- there is no<BR>true realm of divrei reshus?</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV>---------------------------------------</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I do not find this out of character for REW. He was definitely a Kannoi about certain things - more so than his contemporaries. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>HM<BR><BR>Want <SPAN>Emes</SPAN> and Emunah in your life? <BR><BR>Try this: http://haemtza.blogspot.com/<BR><BR></DIV></td></tr></table><br>