This week’s parsha contains the terrible Tochacha – the 98 curses delineated in graphic detail, through which the Almighty warns us of what we will be subject to if we do not keep His Torah. Before the Tochacha begins, the Torah provides some "good news". Namely, "If you will keep all my commandments then you will have abundant blessing…" (Devarim 28:1-14)
Immediately following the "good news", the Torah launches into a description of what will happen "If we do not listen to the commandments of the L-rd our G-d…" The curses contain the mirror image of the blessings. Rather than being "blessed in the city and blessed in the country, blessed in our coming in and blessed in our going out" we will be "cursed in the city and cursed in the country, cursed in our going in and cursed in our going out".
The Targum Yonasan Ben Uziel translates the pasuk "Cursed will you be when you come in and cursed will you be when you go out" (28:19) as follows: "You will be cursed when you come in" means "you will be cursed when you come into the theaters and when you come into the circuses – because you wasted your time on frivolous entertainment rather than spending it learning Torah." "You will be cursed when you go out" as "you will be cursed when you go out to make a living".
Rav Pam asks, what is wrong with making a living? A Jew needs to support his family and earn a living. This is implicit in the pasuk "and you shall gather in your produce" (Devarim 11:14). We can understand the curse associated with lewd or inappropriate forms of entertainment, but what is the meaning of the curse associated with one's trying to earn a living?
The Gemara in Gittin (34a) discusses the concept of "Ones B’Gittin". A person has granted a conditional divorce (I hereby divorce you with this 'get' document on the condition that I do not return within 30 days) and then is prevented by circumstances beyond his control from returning. The Hafa’ah in Maseches Kesubos writes that the whole discussion in Maseches Gittin is only about a case where a person wanted to return but was prevented from doing so by external circumstances (e.g. – an airline strike). However, in a case where the person would not have come back anyway, then the external circumstance that also prevented him from returning is not a valid claim to nullify the divorce.
Rav Pam said that there is nothing wrong with earning a living and that earning a living is not in and of itself 'bitul Torah', because one is obligated to support a family. However, people do not work 16 hours a day. What does he do with his leisure time? If he spends his free time learning, spending time with his family, and helping around the house, that demonstrates that he only spent time working because he was forced to do so (ones). However, if learning or attending a shiur is on the bottom of the totem pole, it proves that the time at work was also not just because he had to, but was because he would rather be doing anything other than learning. He will find any excuse not to learn. It is about such a person that we say, "Cursed are you when you come in (to the theaters and circuses) and cursed are you when you go out (even to earn your living)". A person must earn a living. However, he must have the attitude that whenever I have the opportunity to do so, I want to use my time wisely from a spiritual perspective.
Rav Henkin, zt”l, once met the Chazon Ish when they were both still in Europe. At the time, he did not even know the Chazon Ish and he certainly did not realize his greatness. They were both coincidentally in the parlor of a certain Rabbi, waiting to see the Rav and began talking with one another. Rav Henkin asked the Chazon Ish, "What’s your name?" and he replied, "My name is Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz." "What do you do?" inquired Rav Henkin. "I own a store," replied Rav Karelitz (This was true because the Chazon Ish’s wife ran a store and that is how he earned a living). Rav Henkin then asked, "Do you set aside fixed times for learning Torah daily?" The Chazon Ish responded, "When I have time I learn."
Later, when Rav Henkin got in to see the Rav who he was waiting to talk to, the Rabbi told him that he was about to leave his position for several months and travel to Russia.
