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Reading on Shabbat: Difference between revisions
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==Learning Secular Subjects on Shabbat== | ==Learning Secular Subjects on Shabbat== | ||
# As mentioned above, according to Sephardim, one should only learn Torah on [[Shabbat]] and not secular subjects. | # As mentioned above, according to Sephardim, one should only learn Torah on [[Shabbat]] and not secular subjects. | ||
# However, according to Ashkenazim, one may learn secular wisdom on [[Shabbat]], | # However, according to Ashkenazim, one may learn secular wisdom on [[Shabbat]], although a pious person should refrain.<ref name=":0" /> | ||
## | ## One may read Jewish history texts that inspire mussar and Yirat Hashem.<ref> S”A 307:16 writes that secular literature, romance, and history of wars are forbidden to read on [[Shabbat]] and even during the week because it is considered an activity of scoffers (Moshav Letzim) and it is like following idolater’s practices (Al Tifnu El HaElilim) and reading romance is also a violation of provoking the Yetzer Hara. Mishna Brurah 307:58 writes that Yosephon (not the same as Josephus) and a few other Jewish history books aren’t included in this prohibition because one learns from them ethics and fear of heaven (Yirat Hashem). Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 90:11 writes that one shouldn't study history on [[Shabbat]], however, one may read Jewish History books which inspire Yirat Shamayim and have Mussar in them, such as Shevet Yehuda, Sefer Yuchsin, Divrei HaYamim of Ri HaKohen, or Yosefon (which is not the same as Josephus). </ref> | ||
## Many authorities forbid reading novels on [[Shabbat]]. Some are lenient for pleasure reading.<ref>S”A 307:16 writes that secular literature, romance, and history of wars are forbidden to read on [[Shabbat]] and even during the week because it is considered an activity of scoffers (Moshav Letzim) and it is like following idolater’s practices (Al Tifnu El HaElilim) and reading romance is also a violation of provoking the Yetzer Hara. Rav Chaim Kanievsky (quoted by Menucha Shelemah pg 226) says that it is forbidden to read narratives and dramas on [[Shabbat]] because they do not inspire to Yirat Shamayim. Similarly, [[Shabbos]] Home (Rabbi Simcha Cohen, vol 1, pg 57-8) writes that the minhag is lenient by science, math, and medicine but not history and fictional novels which are not considered ‘wisdom’, however, one who fears heaven should refrain from any secular wisdom on [[Shabbat]]. However, 39 Melachos (Rabbi Ribiat, vol 4, pg 982) (based on Rama 307:1 and Mishna Brurah 307:65) writes that strictly speaking pleasure reading is permitted but concludes that it’s best to refrain from any secular book on [[Shabbat]]. 39 Melachos adds that obviously if there’s objectionable material it’s forbidden to read on [[Shabbat]] or the week. </ref> | ## Many authorities forbid reading novels on [[Shabbat]]. Some are lenient for pleasure reading.<ref>S”A 307:16 writes that secular literature, romance, and history of wars are forbidden to read on [[Shabbat]] and even during the week because it is considered an activity of scoffers (Moshav Letzim) and it is like following idolater’s practices (Al Tifnu El HaElilim) and reading romance is also a violation of provoking the Yetzer Hara. Rav Chaim Kanievsky (quoted by Menucha Shelemah pg 226) says that it is forbidden to read narratives and dramas on [[Shabbat]] because they do not inspire to Yirat Shamayim. Similarly, [[Shabbos]] Home (Rabbi Simcha Cohen, vol 1, pg 57-8) writes that the minhag is lenient by science, math, and medicine but not history and fictional novels which are not considered ‘wisdom’, however, one who fears heaven should refrain from any secular wisdom on [[Shabbat]]. However, 39 Melachos (Rabbi Ribiat, vol 4, pg 982) (based on Rama 307:1 and Mishna Brurah 307:65) writes that strictly speaking pleasure reading is permitted but concludes that it’s best to refrain from any secular book on [[Shabbat]]. 39 Melachos adds that obviously if there’s objectionable material it’s forbidden to read on [[Shabbat]] or the week. </ref> Some are lenient if it is written in hebrew<ref>The Rama 307:16 says that the prohibition of reading fiction novels about war on shabbat is only if they are written in other languages, but if it is written in lashon hakodesh (Hebrew) then it would be permitted. The reason is explained by the Rama in the Darchei Moshe 307:8 that reading a novel in Hebrew will help one better be able to learn Torah (presumably by improving their Hebrew language skills), and also because the language itself has intrinsic holiness. The Rama brings a proof to this idea from Tosfot (shabbat 116b s.v. v'kol sheken) who says that it's prohibited to read novels that are written in "לשון לעז" (lit: the lingu franca), which seems to imply that it would be permitted if written in Hebrew. </ref> but others disagree.<ref>The Mishna Brurah 307:64 cites from the Agudah, Taz, Bach, Gra, and many other achronim, who all objected to this leniency of the Rama. They understand that just because the novel is written in Hebrew does not make it permitted to read on shabbat.</ref> | ||
# Concerning studying for a secular test on [[Shabbat]] see [[Hachana#Study Torah and other subjects|Hachana]]. | # Concerning studying for a secular test on [[Shabbat]], see the page on [[Hachana#Study Torah and other subjects|Hachana]]. | ||
==Newspapers, Advertisements, Business== | ==Newspapers, Advertisements, Business== | ||
#It is forbidden to read a catalogue of advertisements or anything that has any bearing on finances.<ref> Mishna Brurah 307:63, Yalkut Yosef 307.22, Rav Yisrael Belsky in Shulchan Halevi page 90, as well as Menuchat Ahava (vol 1, pg 233) who says this prohibition even applies if | #It is forbidden to read a catalogue of advertisements or anything that has any bearing on finances.<ref> Mishna Brurah 307:63, Yalkut Yosef 307.22, Rav Yisrael Belsky in Shulchan Halevi page 90, as well as Menuchat Ahava (vol 1, pg 233) who says this prohibition even applies if you are shopping for a mitzva-related item such as the [[arba minim]]. </ref> | ||
# It is permissible to read a pamphlet that has both Torah and advertisements as long as one is careful to not look at the advertisements.<ref> Hazon Ovadia, Volume 5, Page 72; Ach Tov VaHessed, Year 5783, Pages 115-116 </ref> | ## It is permissible to read a pamphlet that has both Torah and advertisements, as long as one is careful to not look at the advertisements.<ref> Hazon Ovadia, Volume 5, Page 72; Ach Tov VaHessed, Year 5783, Pages 115-116 </ref> | ||
# Many poskim forbid ordering a newspaper that is printed and delivered on Shabbat, while some are lenient if most of the subscribers are non-Jewish.<ref> | ## Some say that it is permitted to read newspapers on Shabbat, skipping the business sections and advertisements.<ref>Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchata 29:48, 31:25, Mishna Brurah 307:63. A Guide to Practical Halacha (Shabbat v. 3 p. 155 n. 53) quoting Rav Moshe Feinstein writes that some allow reading the newspaper on Shabbat especially in a time of war, while others hold it is forbidden. Either way, he says that it is forbidden to read the advertisements, business and financial articles, stock lisstings, reral estate listings, or classified ads.</ref> | ||
* The Maharam Shick O.C. 123 addresses the question of subscribing to a newspaper that is printed on Shabbat. He says that although there is a dispute whether or not one may ask one non-Jew to ask another non-Jew to do a melacha on Shabbat, everyone should agree here that it is permitted, since the workers in the printing station don’t know that they are printing for Jews. Nonetheless, he concludes that this is not enough to rely on. Rav Mordechai Willig (Am Mordechai p. 214) writes that the Maharam’s logic would not apply nowadays, because the workers in the printing company know that there are Jews in the city for whom they are printing. | # Newspaper printed on shabbat | ||
* Rav Moshe Feinstein (quoted by The Sanctity of Shabbos p. 83), Mishneh Halachot 4:47, and Be’eir Moshe 6:66 agree that ordering a newspaper for Shabbat is forbidden because of Amirah LeNochri. Rav Hershel Schachter (oral communication, [https://halachipedia.com/documents/5773/6.pdf Halachipedia Article 5773 #6]) said it would be forbidden even if one orders a weekly subscription that includes Shabbat. | ## Nolad (lit: created)<ref>This refers to something which came into being on shabbat, and is therefore considered muktzah.</ref> | ||
* In another context, the Maharam Shick (O.C. 324) writes that it is not similar to the case of Shulchan Aruch O.C. 276:2 where halacha assumes that the non-Jew’s intent depends on the majority of the people for whom the melacha is done. In our case, every single print is for a specific need, and if the Jew didn’t subscribe, they would print less. Shemirat Shabbat K’hilchata 31:25, however, quotes Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach who argues that it is permitted to order a newspaper to be delivered on Shabbat if most of the subscribers are non-Jews because the additional printing is considered a grama, and perhaps the newspapers printed for Jews are nullified by the majority. Nonetheless, Shemirat Shabbat K’hilchata adds that if a non-Jew brought the newspaper through an area where there is no eruv, one may not read it on Shabbat.</ref> | ### Some poskim consider a newspaper printed on Shabbat to be nolad and forbidden to read. Others disagree. Furthermore, since it was in the property of the non-Jew, it might not be muktzeh.<ref>Rivevot Efraim 8:152:2 writes that a newspaper printed on Shabbat is nolad gamur and is muktzeh. However, Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchata 31:24 writes that a newspaper printed on Shabbat is permissible to read. Gilyonot MReyach Nichoch 5775 Parshat Bo issue 225 p. 14 Rav Shlomo Aviner explains that a newspaper isn’t nolad since it is just paper with ink. Nishmat Avraham second edition p. 576 quotes Rav Shlomo Zalman that a fax that came in on Shabbat is nolad on Shabbat but a newspaper made on Shabbat isn't nolad since there's no muktzeh on a non-Jew's property. (Magen Avraham 308:15 and 501:12 writes that a utensil made by goy on Shabbat is nolad and is muktzeh even though it belonged to a non-Jew, but the Levush 505:1 argues that even for nolad there’s no muktzeh for a non-Jew’s property.)</ref> | ||
# | ## Amira L'akum (lit: telling a non-Jew [to do forbidden activity on one's behalf]) | ||
# | ### Many poskim forbid ordering a newspaper that is printed and delivered on Shabbat, while some are lenient if most of the subscribers are non-Jewish.<ref>*The Maharam Shick O.C. 123 addresses the question of subscribing to a newspaper that is printed on Shabbat. He says that although there is a dispute whether or not one may ask one non-Jew to ask another non-Jew to do a melacha on Shabbat, everyone should agree here that it is permitted, since the workers in the printing station don’t know that they are printing for Jews. Nonetheless, he concludes that this is not enough to rely on. Rav Mordechai Willig (Am Mordechai p. 214) writes that the Maharam’s logic would not apply nowadays, because the workers in the printing company know that there are Jews in the city for whom they are printing. | ||
*Rav Moshe Feinstein (quoted by The Sanctity of Shabbos p. 83), Mishneh Halachot 4:47, and Be’eir Moshe 6:66 agree that ordering a newspaper for Shabbat is forbidden because of Amirah LeNochri. Rav Hershel Schachter (oral communication, [https://halachipedia.com/documents/5773/6.pdf Halachipedia Article 5773 #6]) said it would be forbidden even if one orders a weekly subscription that includes Shabbat. | |||
*In another context, the Maharam Shick (O.C. 324) writes that it is not similar to the case of Shulchan Aruch O.C. 276:2 where halacha assumes that the non-Jew’s intent depends on the majority of the people for whom the melacha is done. In our case, every single print is for a specific need, and if the Jew didn’t subscribe, they would print less. Shemirat Shabbat K’hilchata 31:25, however, quotes Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach who argues that it is permitted to order a newspaper to be delivered on Shabbat if most of the subscribers are non-Jews because the additional printing is considered a grama, and perhaps the newspapers printed for Jews are nullified by the majority. Nonetheless, Shemirat Shabbat K’hilchata adds that if a non-Jew brought the newspaper through an area where there is no eruv, one may not read it on Shabbat.</ref> | |||
==Reading Mail== | |||
# In general it’s forbidden to read letters on [[Shabbat]], even of a social or business correspondence.<ref>The Rosh (shabbat 23:1) prohibits reading letters because he thinks that just like chazal decreed against reading guest lists or menus lest one come to read shtarei hedyotot, so too they prohibited all non-critical reading. Rashi (shabbat 116b s.v. shtarei) seems to hold that these letters are themselves shtarei hedyotot. Other rishonim disagreed and held that one could read these letters on shabbat. The Ran (64b in the dapei harif) cites from the Ramban who also permitted reading letters on shabbat, as they are not included in the prohibition of shtarei hedyotot. Nonetheless, the Shulchan Aruch 307:13 holds like the machmir view that one may not read them on shabbat. He seems to hold like Rashi that these letters are forbidden to read because they are themselves shtarei hedyotot. However, the Mishna Brurah 307:52 seems to understand that these letters are actually prohibited lest one come to read shtarei hedyotot (i.e. like the Rosh). Regardless, they are prohibited.</ref> | |||
# However, if a letter of social correspondence arrived on [[Shabbat]], it’s permissible to read it silently (without moving one’s lips), because it’s possible that it contains crucial information.<ref>It is clear from Tosfot (shabbat 116b s.v. v'kol sheken) that the common minhag in Ashkenaz was to read letters on shabbat that people would send to one another in the mail. However, the practice seemed difficult to justify given that these letters seemingly should have been prohibited to read, either as shtarei hedyotot themselves (Rashi), or as part of the decree not to read other documents lest one come to read shtarei hedyotot (Rosh). So how do we explain the practice to read letters that arrived on shabbat? Tosfot cites the Ri that permitted reading these letters because perhaps they contain some important information that could lead to pikuach nefesh (lit: saving a life). Tosfot then cites Rabbenu Tam who permits reading them even if one knows with certainty that they don't contain any critical information, because the very fact that one knows what it is in the letter is reason to permit reading it. Why should this be? Tosfot doesn't explain, but presumably the idea is that if one knows what is written in the letter then there is less of a concern that one is going to erase it, and Tosfot is going like the Rambam, that the reason for these prohibitions is a decree lest one come to erase. Shulchan Aruch 307:14 paskens like the Ri, that if one doesn't know what the letter contains, then it is permissible to read. However, since he isn't convinced that the Ri is really correct, he is machmir to only allow one to scan the letter without reading it aloud, as by doing this one also is relying upon the leniency that perhaps scanning isn't prohibited at all (like the Rosh 23:1 cited in the name of unspecified rabbis - "איכא רבוותא").</ref> | |||
## Some suggest that nowadays this leniency no longer applies, since if something was truly urgent, it would not be communicated via mail, but rather via phone or some other medium.<ref>Sh"t Iggerot Moshe 5:21:5 writes that since we no longer get any urgent news in the [[mail]], this doesn't really apply anymore. Tiltulei [[shabbat]] teshuva 29, Rav Simcha Bunim Cohen (The [[Shabbos]] Home 5 footnote 14), Beer Moshe 6:66, and Rav Avigdor Neventzal (Yerushalayim Bimoadeha, [[Shabbat]] Kodesh 2 page 260) all agree to be stringent.</ref> | |||
# However, business letters may not be read on [[Shabbat]] at all.<ref>Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 29:45. </ref> | |||
==Summary of Leniencies== | |||
# Secular Wisdom | |||
## It is a debate whether one may read recipes or a cookbook on Shabbat.<ref>Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchata 29:48 writes that it is included in the prohibition of mimso chefsacha. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach thought that if one’s intent is purely to see how the food tastes better and isn’t concerned with how to cook it, maybe it would be considered a book of wisdom. Halacha Brurah (307:90, Amirah Lnochri v. 2 p. 329) writes that based on Rav Shlomo Zalman it is forbidden for Sephardim who hold it is forbidden to learn a science book on Shabbat. He also quotes Beer Moshe 6:67 who was lenient since people are only looking at the recipes for pleasure. Halacha Brurah still holds that it is forbidden. Listen to [http://www.dailyhalacha.com/m/halacha.aspx?id=3230 Rabbi Mansour on dailyhalacha.com] and [http://blog.webyeshiva.org/halacha-yomit-reading-cookbooks-on-shabbat/ Rabbi Brovender] explained this halacha.</ref> | |||
# Reading for Pleasure | |||
## It is preferable not to read sad things that may bring the reader to tears, such as holocaust stories.<ref> Mishna Brurah 307:3; Ketzot Hashulchan 107:43. </ref> | |||
# Written in Hebrew | |||
# Scanning (without verbalizing) | |||
# Reading for a Mitzvah | |||
## It is permitted to look at a synagogue member's list and read from it in order to check whose turn it is to receive the honor of reading the Torah.<ref> Yalkut Yosef 307.5 </ref> | |||
## It is permitted to read mitzvah announcements on [[Shabbat]]. However, it is forbidden to make business mitzvah announcements which include the price of an item.<ref> Yalkut Yosef 307.8 </ref> | |||
## There is room to be lenient to permit reading the caption underneath the picture of a rabbi.<ref> Rav Moshe Halevi in Menuchat Ahava 1 page 236 cites some rabbis who allow it since it enhances your fear of G-d but nevertheless says one should be strict even in this. </ref> | |||
# Lists (not full sentences) | |||
## One is permitted to read street signs on [[Shabbat]].<ref>Rav Simcha Bunim Cohen (the Shabbos Home V1 pg 56 footnote 9) cites from the Megillat Sefer who infers from Rashi shabbat 149a that the prohibition of reading captions only applies to a "סיפור דברים" (i.e. narrative). Thus, it would be permitted to read something that was just a single noun without a verb. See also Yalkut Yosef ([[Shabbat]], vol 2, pg 197). </ref> | |||
## It is permitted to read the ingredient list on food products on [[Shabbat]].<ref> See previous note. The reasoning of the Megillat Sefer applies here as well. See also Yalkut Yosef 307:12. Presumably, one could also make the case that this is considered to be for the sake of a mitzvah in that it promotes healthy eating. </ref> | |||
## It is permitted to look in a phone book to find a specific name and address on [[Shabbat]].<ref> Yalkut Yosef 307:13 </ref> | |||
## It is permitted to read store signs or brand names on [[Shabbat]]. However, those who are strict in this matter shall be blessed.<ref> Yalkut Yosef 307.11 </ref> | |||
==Giving Invitations== | ==Giving Invitations== | ||
# Technically, if the only time one see's his/her friends is on [[Shabbat]], one may give out wedding or bar mitzvah invitations on [[Shabbat]]. One must make sure that the distribution of invitations does not cause one to violate the prohibition of [[carrying on Shabbat]]. However, it is absolutely preferable to to give out mitzvah invitations during the week.<ref> Yalkut Yosef 307.21 </ref> | # Technically, if the only time one see's his/her friends is on [[Shabbat]], one may give out wedding or bar mitzvah invitations on [[Shabbat]]. One must make sure that the distribution of invitations does not cause one to violate the prohibition of [[carrying on Shabbat]]. However, it is absolutely preferable to to give out mitzvah invitations during the week.<ref> Yalkut Yosef 307.21 </ref> | ||
==Links== | ==Links== | ||
# [https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/761976/rabbi-aryeh-lebowitz/ten-minute-halacha-newspaper-on-shabbos/ Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz's Ten Minute Halacha on Reading Newspapers on Shabbat] | # [https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/761976/rabbi-aryeh-lebowitz/ten-minute-halacha-newspaper-on-shabbos/ Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz's Ten Minute Halacha on Reading Newspapers on Shabbat] | ||
