Non Jews Regarding Learning Torah and Keeping Shabbos

The Gemara says that a non-jew that learns torah or keeps shabbos is "chayav Misa". The reason is simply that  as we know a person is obligated to be "osek be'yishuvo shel olam" or as it says in the pasuk "lo tohu be'raah lasheves yatzrah" a person was created to help the population of this world by having children and creating goods and/or services to perpetuate human life upon the world that god created. The greatest sin is to sit idly. We Jews were given the Torah and were told "Im lo brisi Yomam 'valaylah Chukei shamaim Va'aretz lo Samti" the purpose of creation was for the Torah. This allows us or obligates us to study the torah and because of that is considered "osek be'yishuvo shel olam". We were also given Shabbos, a day of rest, and told that god has commanded us to rest on this day and NOT be osek be'yishuvo shel olam. For those that were not commanded to rest on shabbos or for those that do not have a chelek in Torah, resting on shabbos or learning torah is considered wasting time. One who wasted their time is "chayav misa" because they are not contributing in any constructive way to the world that god created.

This can possibly also explain the gemara that states that even though everyone has a stated income designated to them on Rosh hashana, the money spent on "hotza'as shabbos" shabbos expenses or educating their children in torah is not part of that calculation. The reason is that your income is measured by your participation and general contribution to the economic output of your business vis a vis the world around you. Your expenses are measured too based on your consumption of goods and services within the sphere of the prevailing economy. However, Shabbos and Torah are taken out of the physical sphere and are spiritual endeavors that are outside of these calculations. What you spend on these spiritual endeavors will not reduce your balance of income because they are calculated off balance sheet. I would like to add that on the same token, time taken out for shabbos rest and torah learning will not diminish your income within the context of that balance sheet either.

A woman and an Eved for that matter aren't "chayav misa" if they study torah because their participation generally in "yishuvo shel olam" is measured differently. Women typically are not involved in economic activity but rather in raising families so the study of torah might not prevent them from carrying out their duties with regard to their everyday activities but still might be considered "tiflus". An Eved too does not own his own time and must work for his master so he cannot participate in the normal economic activies of a free man but again, may still be considered "tiflus"

Decision Making

For now I am only writing roshei prakim

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai in Maseches Shabbos is said to have cried on his deathbed stating that "I don't know which way they will be leading me, to gan eden or not". He then saw Chizkiyahu Melech Yehuda coming to greet him at which point he was relieved to know that he would be going to gan eden with chizkiyahu.

This gemara needs basic explaining. How is it that Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai one of our greatest sages would not know if he is going to the world to come. Why would, out of all people King Chizkiyahu be the one to come out to greet him.

I think that this is emes la'amitah shel torah:

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai lived during one of the most turbulent times in our nations history if not the most. He presided over the Jews in Jerusalem during the destruction of the second Bais Hamikdash. During the period right before the destruction there was know to be much political turmoil. We all know about the kana'im and the perushim and the internal debates regarding how best to deal with the Roman enemy. There seemed to be very valid arguments on both sides of the issue of whether to pacify the Romans or to fight them. Ultimately Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakai, as leader of the Perushim, decided upon the pacifism approach. This was not an easy decision and had many detractors. Ultimately the decision seems to have been based on a fatalistic attitude that the Romans were destined to win the war anyway so let us try to save torah so that we can live to fight another day. The decision had severe ramifications as many people were killed and the churban occurred but Yavneh was saved.

Lets explore another interesting Historical moment in Jewish history. Chizkiyahu Hamelech was King of Yehudah in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was under siege by one of the strongest kingdoms known to the world at that time, the Kingdom of Sancherev. Chizkiyahu was asked to surrender Jerusalem and make peace otherwise the city would be destroyed. Chizkiyahu had a very trusted advisor who was the head of the Sanhedrin at the time know as Shevna. Chizkayahu told Shevna to send a belligerent message outside of the gates of the city to Sancherev telling him that we will not surrender. Shevna felt that the best approach at that time would be to surrender and to pacify Sancherev so he sent Sancherev a message that "I, Shevna, wish to make peace but Chizkiya does not". The Gemara in Sanhedrin states that Shevna had thousands more talimidim than Chizkiyah and that Chizkiyahu was worried that he was making a mistake until god sent him a message that he was right. Ultimately Sancherev and his army were struck down outside the gates of Jerusalem by God................................ Chizkiyahu was proven right..................................

We see to leaders in similar positions taking opposite approaches ostensibly due to the specific context of the time and place. We know that Chizkiyahu made the right decision as God brought about a miracle that showed indisputably that the decision was right. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai did not have the good fortune of being shown if he made the right decision or not. If he made the wrong decision he had caused the deaths of multitudes of Jews. Of course he made the decision in good faith but still.......

The fact that Chizkiyahu came out to greet him to meet the heavenly court was the best possible proof that he made the right decision. The statement was "Just like I made the right decision in deciding to fight here I am to greet you because you, like me, got it right for the Jewish people and are considered the savior of the Jewish people.

Sometimes leaders are thrust into situations where there is no middle ground, they will either be going way up based on their decision or way down. These people are not given the choice of just living normal average lives.

Getting along

Sometimes we see things and accept them at face value until we think into them a little. When we do, we notice that below the surface what we saw can be somewhat surprising. I find it rather interesting (possibly a bit amusing) that when Bnei Yisroel entered into Eretz Yisroel there were 14 years given until the settled down. These fourteen years are commonly known as "The seven years of capturing and dividing". It took them seven years to finish conquering the bulk of what was going to be Eretz Yisroel in the future and seven years to divvy it up. One second, seven years of chiluk (dividing)???? Yes, it took them as long to divvy up the land as it did to conquer the land. Even though it was divided "al pi hadiboor" via lottery, there must have been a lot of internal strife and bickering. Understandably this chiluk was going to decide their portion for generations to come and was taken very seriously, but seven years? was every parcel contested? did everything end up in bais din? just asking........