{"id":9363,"date":"2000-12-10T00:06:07","date_gmt":"2000-12-09T22:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=9363"},"modified":"2019-05-15T12:18:00","modified_gmt":"2019-05-15T09:18:00","slug":"12-10-06","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/12-10-06\/","title":{"rendered":"06. Studying Torah"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is a mitzva to study Torah on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em>, as God gave the festivals to the Jews so that they could study Torah in peace and joy. This is the same reason that work is prohibited on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em>, as Sefer Ha-\u1e25inukh<\/em> (\u00a7323) states: \u201cFor the days of \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em> were not established for working, but rather for rejoicing before God, that is, for gathering together in study halls and listening to beautiful expositions of the holy books.\u201d Furthermore, the Sages state (San.<\/em> 99a): \u201cAnyone who is capable of studying Torah but does not do so is in the category of those who have \u2018spurned the word of the Lord and violated His commandment\u2019 (Bamidbar 15:31).\u201d<\/p>\n

As we have seen (1:5-6 above), on Shabbat and festivals one must divide his time between God and himself \u2013 \u201chalf the time eating and drinking, and half the time in the beit midrash<\/em>\u201d (Pesa\u1e25im<\/em> 68b). If this is the case even on Yom Tov, when it is a mitzva to have large leisurely meals, it is certainly true of \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em> \u2013 one must dedicate at least half his day to Torah study. This is also why the Sages forbade commerce on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em> even though it is not an absolute melakha.<\/em> Business dealings are time-consuming and worrisome, and thus likely to detract from festival joy and Torah study (AHS 539:4).<\/p>\n

We calculated above (1:6 n. 2) that in order to dedicate half a day to God, one must dedicate about nine hours to Torah and prayer on Shabbat and holidays, and at a minimum six hours to Torah. Thus, on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em>, when the prayers take less time, one should dedicate more than six hours to Torah study, in order to reach a total of nine hours dedicated to God.<\/p>\n

According to the Yerushalmi, \u201cR. Abba bar Mamal said: If only someone would be willing to join with me, I would permit melakha<\/em> on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em>! The only reason to prohibit melakha<\/em> then is so that people will eat, drink, rejoice, and study Torah \u2013 but instead people eat, drink, and act frivolously\u201d (y. <\/em>MK 2:3). We see that wasting time which could have been used for Torah study on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em> is even worse than doing melakha<\/em> then (Kol Bo<\/em> \u00a760).<\/p>\n

Along these lines, our Sages expound upon the verse: \u201cThese are My fixed times (mo\u2019adai<\/em>)\u201d (Vayikra 23:2). \u201cWhen you keep the commandments and sanctify the festivals by gathering the nation together in places of worship in order to study Torah, then God says, \u2018These are My times.\u2019 Otherwise God says, \u2018These are not My times but yours.\u2019\u201d Compare R. Akiva\u2019s response to a certain heretic, who challenged him by asking: \u201cWhy do you keep the festivals? Does it not say (Yeshayahu 1:14), \u2018Your new moons and fixed seasons fill Me with loathing’?\u201d R. Akiva responded: \u201cIf our intention is only to pleasure our bodies, then these are not God\u2019s times but our times. It is then that God says He is filled with loathing. However, if the festivals are dedicated to divine worship and Torah study, they are not hated but loved and precious\u201d (Bamidbar Rabba<\/em> 21:25 as paraphrased by Shlah<\/em>, Masekhet Sukka<\/em>, Ner Mitzva<\/em> \u00a735).<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Moshe ben Makhir writes:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    A person should not say, \u201cSince I cannot do melakha<\/em> on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em>, I will eat, drink, go on outings, and enjoy myself,\u201d because this is not the purpose of the festivals. God forbid that anyone would believe it is! Rather, the truth is that the festivals were given to the Jews only in order to free them from their work, allowing them to study Torah undisturbed. These are auspicious days for Torah study, when study is blessed with success. Therefore, one must not lose them to food, drink, sleep, and outings. Rather, each person should stay put, and focus on studying whatever area of Torah God has given him a talent for \u2013 whether it is Tanakh, Mishna, or Gemara. He should eat food that is good and tasty, drink as appropriate, and sleep a bit. All of this gives oneg<\/em> to his body. Afterward, for the rest of his day he should give oneg<\/em> to his neglected soul, which is like a prisoner in exile. No one cares about the soul and its purpose, as they are all too busy pandering to the evil inclination and the lowly desires of the pitiful body\u2026. There is extra sanctity on all the days of the festival\u2026. It makes no sense that the holy days of \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em> would be given us so we could eat, drink, and treat them like regular weekdays. One who does treat them in this way has been struck with madness, and in the future will be called to account for desecrating these holy and special days. (Seder Ha-yom<\/em>, Inyan<\/em> \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed<\/em>)<\/p>\n

    Outings do have a place on the festival. As we saw, the Sages permit carrying on Yom Tov as part of an outing in the public domain (6:2 above). Similarly, if one wishes to take a trip on horseback, he may prepare with unskilled labor: trimming the horse\u2019s hooves, and fixing the saddle and bridle (SA 536:1; 11:15 below). However, the permissibility is limited to short outings, which contribute to festival joy and are not exhausting or burdensome. They certainly should not come at the expense of the half of every day that must be dedicated to Torah study.<\/p>\n

    In order to visit Jerusalem, the city of holiness and of the Temple, or in order to visit one\u2019s rabbi, a long journey may be undertaken (1:16-17 above), even if this means that one will not be able to dedicate half of that day to Torah. It would seem that doing these mitzvot<\/em> includes both halves: the travel is the half \u201cfor you,\u201d while the mitzva it facilitates is the half \u201cfor God.\u201d After all, being present in God\u2019s courtyard and visiting one\u2019s rabbi are serious and important preparations for Torah study.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    There is a mitzva to study Torah on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed, as God gave the festivals to the Jews so that they could study Torah in peace and joy. This is the same reason that work is prohibited on \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed, as Sefer Ha-\u1e25inukh (\u00a7323) states: \u201cFor the days of \u1e24ol Ha-mo\u2019ed were not established for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[147],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-12-10"],"yoast_head":"\n06. 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