Question: We mentioned above that sometimes one must take a vacation and take a break from his learning. What can one do to ensure, that whilst he is taking a break, he isn’t violating the mitzvah of והגית בו יומם ולילה – the obligation to toil in Torah, day and night?
Answer: The Rambam (De’os 3:3) rules: ואפילו בשעה שהוא ישן אם ישן לדעת כדי שתנוח דעתו עליו וינוח גופו כדי שלא יחלה ולא יוכל לעבוד את ה‘ והוא חולה, נמצאת שינה שלו עבודה למקום ברוך הוא — “Even whilst sleeping — if one sleeps intentionally to rest his mind and body, so as not to fall ill and be unable to serve Hashem, his sleep is itself service of Hashem.” We see from the Rambam, that if there is a genuine need there is nothing wrong with taking off from the regular sedorim, and the break itself is considered avodas Hashem.
The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 231:1) also rules: כל מעשיך יהיו לשם שמים שאפילו דברים של רשות, וכל צרכי גופך, יהיו כולם לעבוד את בוראו, ומי שנוהג כן עובד את בוראו תמיד — “All your actions should be for the sake of Heaven — even optional activities and all bodily needs should be directed entirely toward serving your Creator; one who conducts himself thus is constantly serving his Creator.” The Mishnah Berurah (231, s.k. 5) adds in the name of the Chayei Adam: וראיתי לאנשי מעשה שקודם אכילה היו אומרים הנני רוצה לאכול ולשתות כדי שאהיה בריא וחזק לעבודת השם יתברך — “I observed men of action who would say before eating: ‘I hereby intend to eat and drink in order to be healthy and strong for the service of Hashem Yisborach.’” We see that it is possible to turn mundane actions into avodas Hashem.
Rav Berel Povarsky (in a hesped for Rav Shlomah Berman zt”l) explained with the above yesod the Gemara at the end of Kiddushin (82b): ר‘ נהוראי אומר מניח אני כל אומנות שבעולם ואיני מלמד את בני אלא תורה שעומדת לו לאדם בימי זקנותו — “Rabbi Nehorai says: I set aside all trades and teach my son only Torah, which sustains a man in his old age.” The question is, what is peshat in this Gemara, surely any trade that enriches its practitioner sustains him in old age — what is the special chiddush by Torah? Rav Povarsky answered: With every other profession, the moment one can no longer carry out his profession, he must quit. A tailor who can no longer sew is no longer a tailor. In Torah, by contrast, even when one can no longer actively engage in Torah, he still carries the name of a talmid chocham. Avodas Hashem means to do what Hashem wants, and if one is at a time where he can no longer learn, he is carrying out the will of Hashem, and is therefore, still a talmid chocham. Sometimes the ratzon Hashem is for one to learn, and sometimes the ratzon Hashem is that one shouldn’t learn.
The Shu”t Oz Nidberu (Vol. 6, siman 40) rules that one who travels to restore his physical health incurs no concern of bitul Torah and he may remain there as long as genuine health needs require — but not for entertainment or pleasure — and must return to Torah learning immediately upon returning home. The basis for this is the Rambam (Hilchos Talmud Torah 3:4), who rules regarding a mitzvah that cannot be performed by others: One does the mitzvah and then returns to his learning (ויחזור לתלמודו). What is the Rambam adding with the phrase “returns to his learning”? The Oz Nidberu explains: Only if one ultimately returns to learning does the entire period of forced interruption count retroactively as though one had been learning throughout. If one does not return immediately to his learning, the interruption has no such retroactive validity. The same applies to a vacation: If one immediately returns to Torah learning upon completing it, the entire vacation is considered time that was needed for one’s learning.
ביטולה זהו קיומה — Suspension That Itself Constitutes Preservation
Even if by taking a vacation one currently loses Torah learning, often, this is still worthwhile, as when one returns from the vacation, he will be able to learn better.
It is related that there were several months when the Chofetz Chaim was unable to learn, and once he recovered, he was able to write seforim that illuminated the eyes of the entire Klal Yisrael.
