Ads in Jewish Publications II

The so-called frum publications (as you correctly put it) do a lot worse than just place advertisements that will obviously be ready on Shabbos.

“It’s lashon hara to share anything negative about anyone else. There’s also a general mitzvah to be happy and to stay positive and to not be negative, and also to be in control of all other negative emotions. So, ideally, how is a Jew supposed to express their negative feelings in a healthy way? Are we supposed to just let all anger, sadness, depression, all pent up? Or must everyone hire their own therapist? Seems abnormal to me; like there’s no room to exist in Judaism, to be human. The world has its problems but at least out there, people can freely discuss issues without the shame and taboo that exists in frum circles.”

Menachem, many teshuvos have been written about reading news on Shabbos. Some say it’s necessary for safety purposes, but this would seem not to apply in our time.

Reading analysis of current events might… And this is a stretch… Be considered chochma, which is permitted to be read on Shabbos. But definitely the business articles are assur.

Thank you for mentioning captions; that’s something lots of people don’t know about – it’s very, very common in books and magazines that people read on Shabbos.

Im not clear if it applies to, say, pictures of gedolim in biographies. I think some allow it, but I don’t remember clearly.

Yseribus: Welcome to the club. Add Mishpacha and the FJJ to the list.

Menachem, two things:

Shu”a (OC 307:15) doesn’t say that reading novels, stam secular books(not chochma) is a waste of time – rather it’s a violation of moshav leitzim and al tifnu, potentially assur medeoraysoh. The mishnah berurah hrings rashi who says that al tifnu means do not go after that which you do on your own, without serving Hashem.

Captions are based on a gemara which says not to read the words underneath figures…i forgot the reasom, might be because tou might come to writing.

But the poskim say exactly that, that you may not read captions on pictures based on that gemara; it’s in every shabbos halacha sefer; not a machlokes about it as far as i know.

Reading the articles is an entirely different question. There was a special gezerah on captions…reading literature depends on what’s being read.

>>>Reading the articles is an entirely different question. There was a special gezerah on captions…

I am not learned in this sugya, but from the simple reading of the shulchan aruch and Mishna Berura (which bring the issur of captions) it seems that both are the same gezeira – משום שטרי הדיוטות

The same applies to reading ANYTHING (including lists of names etc.) aside from Torah and musar (which includes Yosifun).

Menachem, shu”a saya what ylu originally said, that stam secular materials are assur because of al tifnu and moshav leitzim; shtarei hedyotos are because of kesiva, which is a shabbos specific gezerah, and captions are(apparently, i jad forgotten about the reason) included in that.

But news articles aren’t shtarei hedyotos…

But logging onto and reading YWN ( yes, I know not on Shabbos ) is not moshav laitzim and bitul Torah?

Commonsaychel, I have no problem reading those publications. My comment was regarding those assuring everything but posting here.

Shopping613: What were the recent horrible ads?

@ujm

Just really badly written ads with a questionable person behind them in the Ami.