Bitul Torah: Difference between revisions

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# In a case where a person has the opportunity to either learn torah or do a different mitzvah; if the mitzvah can be done by someone else, one may not interrupt his learning. If the mitzvah can not be done by anyone else, one should go do the mitzvah and then return to one's learning.<ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Talmud Torah: Chapter 3, Halachah 4</ref>
# In a case where a person has the opportunity to either learn torah or do a different mitzvah; if the mitzvah can be done by someone else, one may not interrupt his learning. If the mitzvah can not be done by anyone else, one should go do the mitzvah and then return to one's learning.<ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Talmud Torah: Chapter 3, Halachah 4</ref>
# The sin of bitul Torah is committed when a person forgoes his allotted time to learn in order to do a fruitless action. If one became obligated in a mitzvah, or some other necessary action for life(restroom, hygiene, breath of fresh air, etc.) during his time for learning, it is not bitul Torah as long as he is doing those actions to enhance his learning or maintain his spiritual well being.
# The sin of bitul Torah is committed when a person forgoes his allotted time to learn in order to do a fruitless action. If one became obligated in a mitzvah, or some other necessary action for life(restroom, hygiene, breath of fresh air, etc.) during his time for learning, it is not bitul Torah as long as he is doing those actions to enhance his learning or maintain his spiritual well being.
# One who learns Torah correctly, should notice his knowledge and wisdom expanding as he grows. If one notices his learning is weakening not due to the toil of daily life, he may attribute it to some degree of bitul torah(not enough time spent learning, not enough mental and/or phsyical involvement, etc).<ref> Berachot</ref>
# One who learns Torah correctly, should notice his knowledge and wisdom expanding as he grows. If one notices his learning is weakening not due to the toil of daily life, he may attribute it to some degree of bitul torah(not enough time spent learning, not enough mental and/or phsyical involvement, etc).<ref> Berachot 5a</ref>


==Not forgetting Torah==
==Not forgetting Torah==

Revision as of 17:52, 30 April 2013

Not losing time from learning Torah

  1. Even though one learnt one’s daily amount of learning, one is not exempt from learning if one can do so fruitfully. [1]
  2. Wasting time, when one could learn Torah, is a grievous sin and there are many punishments mentioned by Chazal for this sin. [2]
  3. In a case where a person has the opportunity to either learn torah or do a different mitzvah; if the mitzvah can be done by someone else, one may not interrupt his learning. If the mitzvah can not be done by anyone else, one should go do the mitzvah and then return to one's learning.[3]
  4. The sin of bitul Torah is committed when a person forgoes his allotted time to learn in order to do a fruitless action. If one became obligated in a mitzvah, or some other necessary action for life(restroom, hygiene, breath of fresh air, etc.) during his time for learning, it is not bitul Torah as long as he is doing those actions to enhance his learning or maintain his spiritual well being.
  5. One who learns Torah correctly, should notice his knowledge and wisdom expanding as he grows. If one notices his learning is weakening not due to the toil of daily life, he may attribute it to some degree of bitul torah(not enough time spent learning, not enough mental and/or phsyical involvement, etc).[4]

Not forgetting Torah

  1. There’s a Mishna (Pirkei Avot 3:8) that states that one who forgets Torah is responsible for his soul and violates the prohibition of “רק השמר לך ושמר נפשך מאד פן תשכח את הדברים אשר ראו עיניך” (Beware and take caution for your soul very much lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen). However, the Mishna continues that if one learned more than one was able to remember then there's no violation committed. Some understand the prohibition as including someone who was inadvertent and exempts only the true extenuating circumstances. [5]However, others understand that the prohibition only applies to someone who's negligent and actively forgot Torah. [6]
  2. The foods that Chazal specify as causing one to forget Torah such as food from which a mouse or cat ate from are permissible to eat, however, it’s preferable not to eat them. However, there’s no issue for a women to eat it. [7]

Sources

  1. ↑ Menachot 99b, nedarim 8a says that one exempts oneself from Talmud Torah daily with reading Kriyat Shema. However, Ran (Nedarim 8a) and Ritva (on Rif Nedarim 8a) say that Kriyat Shema isn’t an exemption except for someone who doesn’t have any free time because of business. Similarly, Tosfot (Brachot 11b D”H Shekevar) writes that one doesn’t make new Torah Brachot the whole day because one’s mind is on Torah since one’s obligated in it all day. [Bet Yosef 47 uses the reason that one’s obligated all day to explain why there’s no bracha after Brachot HaTorah.] Yet Sh”t Radvaz 3:416 and Rashba (Nedarim 8a) explain the gemara that literally one exempts himself with Shema. Chida in Machzik Bracha 156:1, Mishna Brurah 155:4, and Halacha Brurah 155:2 rule that if one has free time one has an obligation to learn and not doing so would be Bitul Torah.
  2. ↑ The commonly quoted Gemara that mentions the severity of the sin of Bitul Torah is Sanhedrin 99a which says that Bitul Torah is considered degrading Hashem’s word. Shabbat 32b says that one’s children die for Bitul Torah. Masechet Kala Rabati 6:4 says that Tzaddikim die because of Bitul Torah (of the generation). Midrash Rabba Eicha 1:20 says that Galut is caused by that sin. Tanit 7b says that for that sin it stops to rain. Someone who is able to learn and doesn't may get the punishment of a physical illness (Brachot 5a) and Hashem cries for him (Chagigah 5b).
  3. ↑ Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Talmud Torah: Chapter 3, Halachah 4
  4. ↑ Berachot 5a
  5. ↑ Rabbenu Yonah on Pirkei Avot 3:8
  6. ↑ Rashbetz in Magan Avot
  7. ↑ Sh”t Yabea Omer Y”D 2:8(4). See also S"A HaRav Hilchot Talmud Torah 3:1 in the footnote.
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