Q:
How much time should a yeshiva man give away to help others come closer to Torah and to yiddishkeit?
A:
Now that’s a question that I have been concerned with for at least forty years; and I never found an answer.
But tentatively we will say as follows. As long as you’re interested in learning and you have an hour that you want to spend on learning, keep it for yourself. Learn that hour.
But keep in mind that there are hours that you do waste. Many people need some recreation. It’s fun to be mekarev rechokim and there is plenty of wasted time.
I’ll give an example. If you’re a yeshiva man, and on Fridays after the seder you are one of those who sit in the beis hamedrash while they’re sweeping up and you sit in the dust and you continue to learn – some people do that by the way; they learn until the last moment and then just before Shabbos they run home to take a bath – if that’s you, then I say, don’t budge. Keep on learning. But if you’re going to waste time Friday afternoon then ‘waste’ it on kiruv rechokim and get Olam Haboh in your spare time. There’s a lot of time wasted by everybody. Some people need a little rest from learning or a change so waste that time in the right way.
But the rule is – and it may sound selfish but I wouldn’t budge from it – if you have an hour to learn, do so and don’t give it away for any other purpose.
TAPE # 263 (May 1979)
