<html>
<body>
Someone sent me the following:<br><br>
From:
<a href="http://www.torah.org/advanced/weekly-halacha/5765/shemini.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.torah.org/advanced/weekly-halacha/5765/shemini.html<br>
</a> <br>
QUESTION: Is it halachically permitted to read newspapers like the Yated
on Shabbos [and Yom Tov]? <br>
<br>
DISCUSSION: It depends which section of the paper one wishes to read:
<br>
• Business and classified advertisements, business news which bears on
the reader's finances or shopping needs or plans, consumer columns,
gardening and housekeeping advice, recipes and cooking instructions - are
all strictly forbidden to be read on Shabbos.(9) <br>
• Stories of personal or public tragedies, death notices or eulogies that
could bring a person to tears, holocaust stories that sadden a person and
detract from his oneg Shabbos - may not be read on Shabbos.(10) <br>
• Divrei Torah - including all articles pertaining to Torah learning,
essays on the weekly Parashah, Halachah, Mussar, Hashkafah, stories and
pictures of gedolei Yisrael, stories of chizuk ha-Torah, middos tovos and
yira'as shamayim - all of these are permitted to be read on Shabbos,
provided that one makes a conscious effort not to read the forbidden
parts of the newspaper.(11) <br>
• <b>General news</b> - including news, politics or stories of general
interest, and advertisement or business news that have no bearing on the
finances or shopping needs or plans of the reader, are a subject of
dispute among the poskim. We find three basic opinions: <br>
<br>
1. Many hold that reading this type of material is included in the
Rabbinical edict against reading non-business documents and is forbidden
to be read.(12) <br>
2. Others hold that if one enjoys reading these type of articles then it
is permitted to do so. These poskim maintain that the Rabbinical
edict against reading non-business documents does not include enjoyable
reading material.(13) Mishnah Berurah, however, does not support
this position.(14) <br>
3. Some poskim hold that while it may be permitted to read certain parts
of the newspaper, reading a newspaper should be strongly discouraged
since it is extremely difficult to avoid the advertisements or other
parts of the paper which are forbidden to be read.(15) But other
poskim, however, permit the reading of a newspaper as long as one makes a
conscious effort to avoid the forbidden sections.(16) The following
is a free translation of guidelines given by Harav N. Karelitz(17) on
this subject: “While a ben Torah and his family should avoid reading a
newspaper on Shabbos altogether, we do not object to those who are
lenient and read the permissible parts of the newspaper. This is
especially true with regard to women, children and those who do not
engage in the study of Torah [who require a kosher alternative so that
they will not come to engage in idle or forbidden talk or worse]; we
definitely should not object to their reading the permissible parts of
the newspaper.” One should consult his halachic authority for
guidance as to how he should conduct himself in this matter.<br>
<br>
<b>FOOTNOTES:<br>
</b>9 Mishnah Berurah 307:63. <br>
10 Mishnah Berurah 307:3; Ketzos ha-Shulchan 107:43. <br>
11 See Avnei Yashfei 1:76-3, quoting Harav S.Z. Auerbach; Az
Nidberu 9:7. <br>
12 Many poskim, based on O.C. 307:16. See Minchas Shabbos 90:22.
<br>
13 See Magen Avraham 301:4 and Peri Megadim; Ya'avatz 1:162;
Kalkeles Shabbos 33; Tehillah l'David 301:1; Da'as Torah 307:15. <br>
14 Sha'ar ha-Tziyun 301:7. <br>
15 Mishnah Berurah 307:63. <br>
16 See Da'as Torah 307:16, Shemiras Shabbos K'hilchasah 29:46. See
also Igros Moshe O.C. 5:22-3 who writes that business newspapers should
not be read.<br>
<br>
<br>
From the sefer “Piskei Hilchos Shabbos” – A compilation of Piskei
Teshuvos of Rav Moshe Feinstein ztl and <i>Rav Moshe Stern</i>, the
Debrecziner Rav ztl(1914-1997):<br>
<br>
Vol. 2, Chapter 6, Reading a Newspaper on Shabbos:<br>
3. a newspaper that was delivered to one’s door on Shabbos should not be
read on Shabbos.<br>
4. Even a newspaper that was bought or delivered before Shabbos, if the
newspaper also contains business related advertisements or business
related articles, it should not be read on Shabbos.<br>
<br>
The footnote attributes this to both R’ Stern and R’ Feinstein.<br>
<br>
</body>
<br>
</html>