The Rebbe's Advice #988 - Learning All Day Limudei Kodesh

In memory of Rabbi Gavriel & Rebbetzin Rivkah Holtzberg HYD - Shluchim to Mumbai, India*

Speak to your husband about his desire that your son only learn Jewish studies all day without any secular studies. I’ve said numerous times that wasting time is far worse than anything else. This waste of time is harmful to the child even during the hours he does study. Therefore it’s imperative to organize, together with other parents, an organized Jewish studies program during the normal secular studies time like they have in Ohelei Torah. If some reason the parents don’t desire this then they should follow the current yeshiva system (learning both Jewish and secular studies).

p. 262

Rabbi Dalfin: Seemingly the husband still didn’t agree and he wrote to the Rebbe. The Rebbe replied to him, I already told you in unequivocal words that wasting time is absolutely out of the question. If your child’s time will be used properly during the time the other students study secular studies, then it’s fine for him not to study secular studies. If he’ll be wasting time, then it’s not acceptable.

Compiled by Rabbi Chaim Dalfin

*As a practical matter, since each person’s circumstances are always different, one must use the guidance above as general instruction. The exact application at any given time must be discussed with a competent rabbi, or/and a counselor of Torah, a Mashpia.