Q:
The Rav has said that vacations aren’t really necessary. But aren’t diversions, such as eating out or going on vacation, useful as recreation to break up the humdrum of routine and give a person a renewed and refreshed outlook when returning to his responsibilities?
A:
Anything is necessary if a person needs medicine. But we’re talking about avoiding medicines. Certainly, sometimes you must go to the drugstore, chalilah, and take something that has very bad side effects. But you can’t help yourself – if you wouldn’t take it, it would be still worse.
If somebody is so disturbed, if a woman is so meshuga that she cannot rest and she has to be a gadabout, running all the time here and there, it could be that there’s no other way of dealing with the situation. But it has to be recognized as a form of mental disturbance. To be happy with your house, that’s a perfection of character. Women should be happy that they’re able to be at home making recipes, able to bake cakes, able to sew dresses, able to clean their homes spic and span, or to take in orchim on Shabbos. There are a lot of things to do.
Women really should have children. If they don’t have children, naturally they’re looking for things to do as substitutes. The ideal is to have a house full of children, and then grandchildren, and be busy always helping. Then, life is useful and whatever you do is important. But when people have ruined their lives and they’re ill, they’re mentally imbalanced, sometimes it can’t be helped. Certainly, you need medicines, and if going places is a medicine, then there’s no alternative. But it’s a pity.
TAPE # 512 (June 1984)
