The Issur to Learn Torah on 12/25

I will now walk on some hot water... There is a minhag not to learn torah on the eve of December 25th (until midnight). This minhag dates back over 1000 years. Most of us never heard of this, and thank god the Christians have been extremely friendly to us but the leading Rabbis still rule one should not learn on the eve of Christmas. The question though, is how can the rabbis rule that one is forbidden to learn torah? Many rabbis give answers and I would like to discuss a few of them. For a further discussion on the matter please feel free to email me at thehalchaboy@gmail.com . Sefer Lukutei Pardes says the reason for this decree was because for centuries when the goyim went out to celebrate if they saw Jews learning they would start a pogrom and riot. Therefore the rabbis decreed it was assur to learn (Pikuach Nefesh). This is a little difficult because thank god the reason doesn't apply anymore but it could be that just like we celebrate two days of yuntif so too here. Karban Nesanel says the reason is because of avelus (mourning) for JC. We all know JC was a frum Jew and learnt by some of the leading rabbis mentioned in the gemara. He went off course and for that we mourn and mourners aren't allowed to learn torah. Chasam Sofer raises two contentions on this explanation. First if this was true the minhag not to learn should be all December 25th and not just the eve till midnight. Second, if the reason was due to mourning learning sad things (like on Tisha B'av) would be allowed. Rather, says the Chasam Sofer, the reason is because on the eve of December 25th the goyim have a special service at midnight. (although I think they bumped it up recently, maybe because of zrizim makdimim???)Thus, the rabbis ruled all Jews shouldn't learn torah from sunset to midnight, rather they should sleep and get up at midnight and learn torah then to counteract the goyim's tefillos. However, there is one more answer I want to focus on. What caused JC to go "off the derech"? Many explain that when JC learnt torah he learnt it for its intellectual value, and not because Hashem commanded so. He learnt torah like one would learn chemistry, math or poetry. Learning Torah this way is very dangerous, for just like you pick up textbook you can just as easily put it down and use it as to harvest dust. The Rabbis realized this potential stumbling block and decreed for one night everyone shouldn't learn. They wanted everyone to realize that Torah isn't like any other subject. By not learning torah, we are keeping the torah (the words of the rabbis). It is not a paradox. In any other study or field you can only grow by learning more, but in Torah we realize it is all up to Hashem and if He decrees us to not learn, then we are growing by not learning. Sadly, too often people begin to learn for the wrong reasons (its fun, challenging, stimulating etc) and one of the results is that when those sensations cease, so does the learning. I remember taking physics; I really enjoyed it for a week or two and then decided I would rather exist as subatomic matter than sit in that classroom. Since then not only have I never learnt one more thing about physics but the things I did learn I have long forgotten. Unfortunately, many people go through the same thing with torah. Learning Torah might not be the most thrilling experience, but neither is breathing...........Pick a topic you enjoy (gemara, tanach, rashi, tehillim, gematria, halacha, kaballah... there is no shortage) and jump in. They say that by not learning on the eve of the 25th l'shma (and just reflecting on the fact that torah isn't just another field of intellectual pursuit) Hashem forgives him for all the other times he was bitul torah, for no reason. For the Kids : We all know the famous idea that if everyone stopped learning torah for one second at the same time the world would collapse. So how could the Rabbis' forbid the learning of torah to everyone? Rav Yonasan Eybshutz answers "Minhag Yisroel Torah" by keeping the minhag we are keeping the torah. Perhaps you can think of another reason? TheHalachaBoy@gmail.com would love to hear it.