Is Fun Forbidden?

From the Yated archives: Is Modern Entertainment Any Good for the Soul?

"Even if there is no explicit prohibition against it, entertainment's essence is the antithesis of Jewry and Torah."

"On the other hand, Torah-true Jewry has never taken part in entertainment and amusement programs, whose essence is totally opposed to the basis of our Torah."

And so goes this even-handed screed against fun, relaxation and enjoyment.

This attitude is one of the most dangerous examples of Chareidi extremism in action. The desire to live a TorahTrue™ life means abandoning all forms of moderation. Learn all day, adopt all stringencies, and most importantly of all - avoid fun at all costs.

People cannot be on, all of the time. Individuals, particularly young people, need time to relax their minds and refocus their energies. Judging from the views espoused in this article, it is little wonder that teenagers are abandoning Chareidi Judaism in droves. When all productive outlets, including regular physical exercise, are deemed to be sinful, how can the Chareidi world expect its youngsters to remain "on the derech?"

From my experience, this problem is most pervasive in the yeshivish ("Lithuanian") sectors of Chareidi Judaism. At least in the Chassidic world, people can get their entertainment fix from Rebbes, tisches and a good old-fashioned mitzva tantz.

Or am I overstating the issue? Rabbi Yakov Horowitz Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum, in an article published on Rabbi Horowitz's blog, seems to agree with my analysis. He writes:

When sports and concerts are forbidden, and all forms of kosher entertainment are off limits, we are asking for trouble. If our kids can't find a place to vent their energy within a kosher environment, then they will find it elsewhere. In a time of war even the Torah itself permitted one to marry a captive non-Jewish girl under certain conditions. Chazal explain the logic behind this law. The Torah understood that a person is only human and therefore in this instance, while fighting a war, it gave him some leeway. The Gemora tells us that for everything the Torah forbade it gave us something similar that was permitted. Today's war with the Yetzer Horah is far greater than ever before.

So I ask you again - am I making mountains out of molehills?

J.D.

[Correction: As The Wolf points out, the above quote is not by Rabbi Horowitz. It is by Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum, in an article that was reprinted on Rabbi Horowitz's web site. Sorry for the confusion.]