Q. Hello... There is a prohibition against reading the caption under a picture on Shabbat. A Rav once mentioned that this could apply to reading children's books on Shabbat. These books have a big picture, with some writing on the page explaining the picture. Can we read these books to our children on Shabbat? Is there a difference if they are Torah books or totally secular kids books? Any difference for Sephardim?
Thanks so much!
A. The Talmud (Shabbos 149a, Rashi “kesav,”) mentions a number of restrictions on reading material on Shabbos, including a prohibition against reading words written underneath a painting. The Sages forbade reading these words as a safeguard against reading shtaarei hedyotos or commercial documents and the like, which forbidden on Shabbos or because he may come to erase (Rosh 23: 2 and Shulchan Aruch 307:15)
If the caption is Torah-related it would not fall under the prohibition. In addition, a caption that is a name alone is not prohibited (Magen Avraham 323: 5). If is a caption underneath is a picture of a Rabbi, you may have room to be lenient, (Menuchas Ahava 1 p. 236), since there is a Mitzva involved in looking at pictures of distinguished Rabbis, as this could enhance one's Yir'as Shomayim. Nevertheless, he advises to refrain from reading even the captions underneath pictures of great Rabbis.
Piskei Teshuvos (307: n. 187) quotes Orchois Rabbenu (1: 140) permitting learning seforim that contain pictures or diagrams used to explain or illustrate the content such as
Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit'a opinion is that there is no Halachic difference between reading a caption on a picture or reading any other material that is not needed and conveys no benefit on Shabbos, and should therefore be avoided. As far as children's books is concerned, only Torah related picture books are admissible for children to read on Shabbos. However in need, one may not have to stop a child already reading such otherwise permissible material on Shabbos.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a
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