Apr 29, 2010

Bittul Torah

Bittul Torah was in the Haredi news twice yesterday:
  1. One of the reasons given for not making a vort.
  2. The reason given for allowing anyone to go up to Meron on Lag B'Omer
Rav Shteinman said the first, and Rav Kanievsky said the second.

Rav Shteinman is a supporter of finding ways to cut down the expenses the parents take on when marrying off children. Way too much money, money that the parents usually do not have, is being spent.Rav Shteinman wrote against the vort, or engagement party, saying that no party should be held, rather just have a small vort, usually in the kallah's house. (source: Bechadrei)

Rav Shteinman gave three reasons:
  1. The expense is too great and there is no need
  2. ayin ha'ra - anything that is "public" does not bring good fortune and success.
  3. bittul torah is caused by these parties, as the friends of the chosson all have to stop learning and participate in these parties.
Regarding Lag B'Omer, Rav Chaim Kanievsky was approached by a group of hassidim who asked him a number of questions about going to Meron. Rav Kanievsky said kohanim could go to meron and can daven from wherever they can see the tziyun, there is no need to actually get into the room and be by the grave itself, but anywhere in the complex is called being by the grave.

When asked if there is any reason to go to meron, Rav Kanievsky said "if you are not learnign anyway, so go to Meron.".
This prompted a further question that it is brought down that the Arizal himself went on Lag B'Omer.
Rav Kanievsky responded with a rhetorical question - "Are you the Arizal?" and that it says the Arizal himself went to the grave. It does not say he told other people to go. (source: Haredim wap site)
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4 comments:

  1. Neil HarrisApril 30, 2010 3:45 AM

    Funny that it's bittul Torah to go and remember the Torah revealed by R Shimon Bar Yochi.

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  2. AnonymousApril 30, 2010 3:53 AM

    Rafi - Rav Shteinman gave three reasons:
    1. The expense is too great and there is no need
    2. ayin ha'ra - anything that is "public" does not bring good fortune and success.
    3. bittul torah is caused by ...

    Hopefully he also applies these 3 items to public demonstrations as well.

    Mark

    ReplyDelete
  3. MenasheMay 02, 2010 6:34 AM

    Why are chasidim going to Rav Kanievsky for a psak din?

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  4. LitvakMay 06, 2010 5:53 AM

    "Neil Harris said...
    Funny that it's bittul Torah to go and remember the Torah revealed by R Shimon Bar Yochi."

    Neil, how much Torah learning, from R. Shimon or others, do many of the Meron revelers actually do, between the long trip, heat (even before the fires are lit), singing and dancing, chai rotel mashkeh, etc.?

    You claim they go and remember it there. What does remember mean? I note that you didn't say that they studied it. Can they not do that at home?

    I understand that you may be under the sway of the Hassidic hype about the day, but Rav Chaim Kanievsky is above that. His shver (father-in-law), Rav Elyashiv shlit"a, famously remarked a few years back (in an article in the Jerusalem Post where it was reported that he never went to Meron!) that he feels closer to R. Shimon bar Yochai learning a blatt gemara.

    The way these great gedolim see it, if you want to be close to R. Shimon spiritually, want to 'get into his mind' so to speak, studying his teachings is the primary way to go, not just taking a day off and going on an outing up north.

    Lag Baomer for Litvaks is not the same as it is for Hassidim.

    ReplyDelete