the following post has some very interesting information that I did not previously know... it was written in response to an article written against the recent women's siyyum hashas daf yomi, which I am posting here:

After a ceremony inaugurating a new yeshiva in Jerusalem that specifically has as its focus the concern for providing a place for the working man to learn in his free/available time, Rav Chaim Kanievsky was asked what working people, with just a little bit of time available to dedicate to learning, should prioritize in their learning.

Rav Kanievsky, reportedly, said that someone with just a little bit of time available should spend it learning mishna brura. Somebody who has a little bit more time to learn, about an hour and a half a day, should divide it up by learning 2/3 of the time gemara and 1/3 of the time mishna brura.
source: Kol Hai News

I'm not really sure what this beis medrash adds, as there are already plenty, in many communities including Jerusalem, that already provide a place for the "working man" or anybody else to learn with a chavrusa or join a shiur. I guess it is a good thing to have a place dedicated to that specifically in which perhaps some people might feel more comfortable than going to a local shul to learn at night or to a standard yeshiva beis medrash and if it actually provides a home for them, great.

I would not have expected this, but it does show Rav Shteinman's broad vision and perception.

In light of the calls by the gedolim to strengthen Torah learning in response to the "decrees", a Friday-Shabbos kollel came up with an idea how to do so. Their idea was to make a set learning time for a certain amount of time on Friday afternoon just before candle-lighting.

After putting together the plan, the initiators decided to go to Rav Shteinman to present the plan and receive his bracha. they probably wanted a good pat on the back for a great idea. as well.

Rav Shteinman's response surprised them, and me as well.

What would you have expected him to say? I think I would have expected him to say great idea, but it must be done only on condition of the wife's approval. Or maybe, only a husband that does his share and has the house ready for Shabbos before going out to learning in that learning period can participate.

But that is not what Rav Shteinman said. He responded that in no way should they establish such a learning session. Why not? Because just before candle-lighting time is a very tense and stressful time in the house. He even said it is the most stressful time of the entire week. It would be cruel to abandon one's wife to deal with that stress on her own.

Rav Shteinman added that one who wishes to learn at that time, and his wife wants him to learn then as well, he may do so. But it is prohibited to establish that time as a set learning seder. At most a person can think in learning while helping his wife in the house.
(source: Kikar)

I am not much of a believer in statistics, as they can be used to show pretty much whatever you want, along with the reader rarely knows what was actually asked, and in what context, of the respondents.

Yet Ladaat, a Haredi website, published a set of statistics regarding haredim in the workforce, and one of the points stuck out in my mind.

For the whole article with all the various stats, see Ladaat.

The one I want to point out is that they say 46% of Haredim who are in the workforce say that if they came into a large amount money and would not need to worry about parnassa they would go back to learning Torah full time.

I was surprised by that number. not by how high it is, as we tend to romanticize the workplace as if ti is so wonderful to go to work, but by how low it is. Considering how the Haredi community romanticizes the kollel I would have expected more than 46% to say they would go back to it if they could.

46% saying they would go back to learning full time means 54% are saying even if they hit the jackpot they would not go back to learning full time.

I like to think that if I hit the jackpot I would want to go back to learning full time, but I know I would not. I don't have the ability to sit and learn for that long, for that amount of time and at that level of focus and concentration to really go full time learning. Perhaps half day, but I know full day would not work out well.

46% saying they would return to it means that a lot of people are going to the workforce not just because they need the parnassa (parnassa is the overriding factor that finally pushes someone out of kollel and into the workforce), but because they also realize that they are not cut out for full time learning. It is not easy.

Before Purim, my shul, Beis Tefilla Yona Avraham, in conjunction with the Pirchei Shoshanim Shulchan Aruch Learning Program, made available to the public a collection of questions and answers asked by soldiers as to how to deal with certain situations that arise while serving, and answered by the Rabbonim of Pirchei Shoshanim.

BTYA and Pirchei Shoshanim have again come through with an interesting compilation of questions and answers for soldiers and how they can halachically deal with situations that will arise during the fast of 9 Av. Issues such as; fasting during operations, putting on a clean uniform, wearing leather shoes for operations, and more..

It is very interesting, so thank you to BTYA and Pirchei Shoshanim, and take a look...

bluke at The Jewish Worker scanned in an advertisement from today's Yated Ne'eman.



You can see it here:

The ad basically announces for all daf yomi learners with the start of learning masechet Moed Katan, which much of the masechet deals with the laws and mourning, the Hatam Sofer supposedly said (the ad says "it was said in the name of the Hatam Sofer") that one learnign moed katan should be concerned because of the topic of mourning he is studying and therefore should protect himself by giving tzedaka.

Rav Chaim Kanievsky is then quoted as saying that the tzedaka you give should be to a specific organization called Kupat Ha'ir of Bnei Brak and it posts the contact info. Obviously this organization has sponsored the advertisement.

So, does somebody learning masechet gittin have to be concerned he will be divorced in short order? Is there some precaution to take against the vibes of that masechet?

What about someone learning masechet makkot which deals with the laws of the lashes beis din would meet out to those deserving of them? Would someone learnign Makkot be under increased threat of being beaten in an alley? Is there some sort of protection one can take against the threat?

What about learning masechet avodah zara? will one be taken in by the occult and end up receiving the punishment of kares?

And how does one protect himself from drought when learning masechet taanis? Do his chances of death increase when learning Yevamot, requiring his wife to fall to yibum? I do not even want to think about what a person should be worried about when learning masechet kritot!

Conversely, if a single person learns masechets ketubot or kiddushin, does that increase the chances of his getting married? would learning the various masechets of kodshim dealing with the sacrifices increase a persons chances of enjoying a good bbq dinner?

Why would the ammoraim compiling the gemara have written down a masechet that threatens the well-being of anybody who learns it.

And as bluke says from his rebbeim, Moed Katan and Hilchos Aveilus are just as much Torah as Bava Kama, Zevachim, etc. You are מקים the same mitzva of talmud torah. There is a chiyuv to know all of Torah and Moed Katan and Hilchos Aveilus are part of that. Therefore, it is inconceivable that a person would come to harm by learning Moed Katan and Hilchos Aveilus when by doing so he is fulfilling his chiyuv to learn Torah.

What a ridiculous manipulation for money!