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Aren’t advertisements assur to read on Shabbos? (Don’t believe it? See The Shabbos Home p. 53)
If so, why are so-called frum publications actively encouraging it? You can easily think of names.They’re being sold before Shabbos every week, and I’ll bet you 90% of times these magazines are being read, it’s on Shabbos. And no doubt they’re very aware of this fact.
Often times, ads are even Shabbos- or YT-themed (food, etc.)If CDs used to have a message “Don’t play on Shabbos” which is more obvious, then at the very least, there should be a warning on the front of Jewish magazines/newspapers “Advertisements are prohibited to read on Shabbos.”
Perhaps, to be melamed zchus, if they’re read simply as a fun pastime, it’s okay? If anyone has a source that says it’s muttar, let me know.
Sorry to be that kanoi.
The people reading the magazines are not focused on the ads. They bought the magazine to read the articles and news that comes with it. The ads are simply skipped over and hardly even noticed.
Versus there are some books that come in the mail completely full of JUST ADS with nothing else inside of reading or even recipes etc… These books are completely forbidden to read on shabbos and you can even ask your LOR
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.
Farfetched, why do you think the papers are distributed at no cost? Because of the advertising. Noone is forcing you to read the papers 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.”
Why is the issue only with reading advertisements? According to Shulchan Aruch (סי’ שז סי”ב ואילך), it is forbidden to read any unholy content on Shabbos, as a gezeira lest one read שטרות on Shabbos.
It is even prohibited to read a menu that one prepared for the meal. It is forbidden to read letters of greetings. It is forbidden to read a caption on a picture. It is forbidden to read secular books of parables or war stories.
The Shulchan Aruch clarifies that this issur is BESIDES for the general issue of bittul Torah and reading secular matters.
The Shulchan Aruch Harav (as well as Mishna Berura, etc.) writes that reading יוסיפון and the like (Jewish history) is permissible on Shabbos since it contains inspiration in Yiddishkeit.
Accordingly, it would seem permissible to read the articles with Jewish content or Jewish news, since they contain some level of inspiration.
However, the articles about national politics or historical info about wars, etc. seems to be completely forbidden on Shabbos.
This issur would seem to include most Zman articles, as well as much of Ami magazine, etc.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.
@MenachemShmei I would argue that Ami should be assur to read during the week too…
Yseribus: Welcome to the club. Add Mishpacha and the FJJ to the list.
>>>I would argue that Ami should be assur to read during the week too…
The Shulchan Aruch mentions that in general people shouldn’t read these thing because of wasting time, etc.
However, someone could always claim that they need it for relaxing, etc.However, on Shabbos there is an added issur which might be harder to find a heter for.
>>>Thank you for mentioning captions
I’ve often heard people say that if reading magazines on Shabbos, don’t read the picture captions.
I find this hard to understand. The Shulchan Aruch seems to be saying that even captions shouldn’t be read. What would be the difference between captions and articles?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.
Printing out all the CR posts erev shabbos to read on shabbos without the banner ads on the right side of the page would raise the issue of genavah since those ads provide the revenues to pay the Mods
>>>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).
@farfetched
To try answering the first question, maybe people realize that sometimes giving attention to those who crave it may create a pattern of emotional dependency where they keep coming back to you for more in desperation. Like that friend that always makes the joke and immediately looks at you to see your reaction. Not everyone enjoys that.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…
Is reading YWN on Shabbos assur? What about if you read the content, but skip the ads? Is there a heter for reading in the CR?
But logging onto and reading YWN ( yes, I know not on Shabbos ) is not moshav laitzim and bitul Torah?
@annonyomus jew, an interesting comment from someone who posted over 560 times
Commonsaychel, I have no problem reading those publications. My comment was regarding those assuring everything but posting here.
Comics are also questionable if they can be read on shabbos. These magazines are entertainment.
I thought this thread was going to be about some of the recent. Horrible ads
Shopping613: What were the recent horrible ads?
I once read a menu on shabbos and I was chozer b’teshuva
Just really badly written ads with a questionable person behind them in the Ami.
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