Major Debates: Leisure and Relaxation in Jewish Thought

“Major Debates in Today’s Jewish World Series” - Shiur Recap:

Is it OK to Relax Just Because You Enjoy Relaxing? 

Leisure in Jewish Thought

Rav Yehudah Turetsky

This week’s Monday night shiur dealt with an important topic relevant to the upcoming Bein HaZmanim vacation. Modern man has so many opportunities to engage in leisure activities, something largely unheard of in previous generations. How does Jewish thought relate to various forms of recreation? While everyone agrees we need breaks, what about engaging in leisure activities when we don't really need the rest?  For example, what about reading a novel when one doesn’t need a break and when the novel doesn’t in anyway enhance one’s Avodat Hashem? How do various Jewish thinkers relate to such activities? 

The analysis for this shiur began with two important qualifications. Firstly, any discussion relating to this topic must first deal with the status of the obligation to study Torah. If such an obligation is actively in effect, Torah study would presumably take priority over other activities. That is true especially in this case when one doesn’t need a break and the desired activity is not at all enhancing one’s Avodat Hashem.

Additionally, there may be a fundamental debate within Rishinom about the existence of a realm known as “reshut” or optional/neural activities. Chovat HaLevavot (Sha'ar Avodat Elokim Chap. 4), for example, rejects any such category. From his perspective, there are either desirable or undesirable activities, with the primary determining factor being whether such behaviors bring one closer to God. For him, there is clearly no middle ground, and the notion of a culture of leisure for the sole sake of leisure would be problematic. However, Rav Kook (Ein Ayah, Brachot 1:4) noted a possible dissenting view in Ra’avad (Ba'alei HaNefesh, Sha'ar HeKedusha), who appears to maintain there is a middle ground of optional. Not every action is either allowed or not allowed – there is room for neutral activities.

Following that introduction, we analyzed (based on the introduction to Rav Dovid Stav’s book “Bein HaZmanim" pp. 22-40) a range of approaches in more contemporary works. Three primary approaches towards leisure appear to emerge. Tzlach (Drashot 9) and Rav Moshe Feinstein (Shut Iggerot Moshe YD 3:71) essentially argue there is less of an inherent problem with the more modern form of leisure, as much of a concern of the possible negative impact of such behavior. One may place oneself in  halachically problematic situations (Tzlach) or develop a dependency on unnecessary pleasures  that could lead one to violate prohibitions (Rav Moshe Feinstein). A more extreme approach is offered by Rav Pincus (Sichot LiYamim Noraim pp. 360-361), where he rejects on more fundamental grounds the culture of “Tiyyulim”. It is not only about the possible impact of such activities, but rather a flaw in an approach that could be categorized as a not-authentic Torah approach.  Rav Stav (Bein HaZmanim p. 40) works with an additional approach in his writings. He maintains there is certainly legitimacy in an approach that embraces such forms of leisure. This perspective serves as the basis for his sefer and leads him to assess the halachic status of various forms of modern leisure. 

We analyzed the various approaches, questioning the different assumptions and underlying viewpoints that would lead to particular approaches. 

We concluded the shiur with a discussion of some of the implications for our relationship to leisure and the aforementioned approaches.