DAF DISCUSSIONS - SHABBOS 0

Sal Litvak asked:

Reb Kornfeld,

first, thank you for answering our questions with so much chochma - it's a great chesed to us.

it's my first time through, and i'm not sure where it will be addressed, so may i ask - is one liable to a chatas for thinking about work on the Shabbos?

and if the rules are different for a rabbi because he ministers to the people, then how is ministering to the people defined? if, for example, one is writing a commentary on Torah, and meditating on the Holy One, Blessed be He, may one meditate on the current chapter?

yoel litvak

The Kollel replies:

Although it is never a good idea to think wrong thoughts, and one will perhaps be taken to task for not using one's time positively, there is no real prohibition in doing so, other than in the areas of idolatry and of course lewd thoughts, for which one is punishable by the Hand of Hash-m.

There is no area of Halachah where one is punishable for one's thoughts at the hand of Beis-Din.

The Olah sacrifice (burnt-offering), came to atone for bad thoughts, but that was voluntary.

Added to that, the Gemara will say later in the Masechta, that the Torah forbade specifically Melachos on Shabbos, but not thinking about it.

As for your second question, I'm not sure why you think that the laws pertaining Rabbis differ from laws pertaining to others (apart from the fact that since they know more than the laymen, more is expected of them). Please clarify.

Kindest regards

Eliezer Chrysler.

Sal Litvak responds:

pertaining to my second question, i meant that while we're all davening in shul on shabbes, the rabbi is both davening and teaching and inquiring into the welfare of his congregants, etc. he would be there anyway if he weren't paid to be the rabbi, yet part of his duties are clearly understood to be providing guidance to the congregants, so he is working.

let's say for example that in addition to his dvar on this week's parsha, he's thinking about the dvar he'll deliver on rosh hashanah. realistically, he knows that he's got to be impressive on that day because more people will be there that day, and it will affect fundraising. he tells himself not to think about that stuff, but it creeps into his mind anyway. he shifts his attention to the dvar for the hag itself. now, there's obviously nothing wrong in the fact that he's thinking about a particular pasuk, but does it matter at all that he"s essentially "working" at that moment? in fact, he's actually "writing," though the words are only being memorized at this stage in his process.

The Kollel replies:

As I wrote last time, a Rabbi has exactly the same obligations as his congregants, and he must strictly adhere to them even more stringently than them -

a. because more is expected of him than of others, and

b. because he must be an example to his congregants.

Having said that, let me elaborate on the Gemara I referred to last time. The Gemara (113b) specifially states that even though the Chachamim forbade speaking about certain work-related issues on Shabbos, they did not include thinking in the prohibition. Consequently, if you see a repair that needs to be fixed in your house, you are permitted to take note of it and even to make decisions about having it fixed after Shabbos.

The Gemara does point out that a more spiritually-minded person, should avoid thinking about such matters too, but the fact remains, there is no prohibition in doing so.

That is as far as thinking about a forbidden Melachah is concerned.

There is no prtohibition whatsoever in thinking about Torah thoughts, even if one is a Rabbi, whose job it is to so. That is a Mitzvah, and is what every good Jew should be doing on Shabbos.

Kindest regards

Eliezer Chrysler.

Marc Lipshitz comments:

I read this message and thought that an essential point had been missed- the difference between Melacha and work. Sal is using the mistaken idea that work is forbidden on Shabbos, and thus the Rabbi has an issue because he is working on Shabbos. I believe a better way to answer the second part of the question is to point out the difference between Melocha and avodah- that it is not work per se that is forbidden on shabbos, but only those things that fit into the definition of Melacha. Since Torah study, and even teaching Torah are not Melacha (even though they may be someones job), they are not forbidden.

Regards

Marc Lipshitz

The Kollel replies:

Your comment is valid. Thank you for making it.

May we merit the coming of Mashi'ach and the building of the third Beis Hamikdash soon.

be'Virchas Kol Tuv

Eliezer Chrysler.