Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch
Rabbi Moshe SternbuchFlash 90

Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, head of the Eida Haharedit Rabbinical Court and dean of the post-high school yeshiva in Beit Shemesh, emphasized to students that there is no vacation from Torah study, Kikar Hashabbat reported.

At the end of the summer term, Rabbi Sternbuch gave his usual halakha (Jewish law) class to a group of students from his yeshiva. Following the class, the students requested to hear words of encouragement and preparation for "bein hazmanim," when yeshivas are on vacation.

However, Rabbi Sternbuch responded, "There is no 'bein hazmanim' vacation."

He then told a story about his own teacher. Rabbi Moshe Schneider, in the Torat Emet yeshiva in London. At first, Rabbi Schneider fiercely opposed "bein hazmanim," believing that it was only necessary for the few students who learned with such great devotion that they became weak and required a rest.

However, later, Rabbi Schneider changed his stance, saying that yeshiva students do need the break, since those who learn Torah during "bein hazmanim" prove that when they learned Torah during the term, they did it out of a love of Torah, and not because they were forced to.