I saw a transcript of a talk given by a Rosh Yeshiva in EY about the tragedy in Meron. He said that Chazal are clear that if one undergoes yissurim and can't find any other aveirah to which the suffering can be attributed, he should attribute it to Bittul Torah [Brachos 5a].
Since Rashbi was the exemplar of Toraso Umanuso [Torah as one's singular craft and involvement], the message is that we, Bnei Torah, are lax in our Toraso Umanoso. Torah must be the ONLY thing that interests us just as the CEO is completely immersed in his company's dealings and doesn't care what is going on in sports or other frivolities. [Not his exact words but that was the message].
I have two comments [after בקשת מחילה for a speck of dust like me speaking in front of a Gadol Ba-Torah. This RY is an emes-eh off the charts Talmid Chochom. I am an emes-eh off the charts Am Ha-aretz].
1] Chazal say that if one says he has only Torah - he doesn't even have Torah [Yevamos 109b]. There are other things that should interest a person besides the sugya he is learning. When he is learning then that is the only thing on his mind. But when he closes the Gemara then he has to remember that he has parents, siblings, friends etc. etc. and he has to make sure that he is fulfilling his job with respect [תרתי משמע - double entendre] to them.
He should also be concerned with the fact that there are many people who are not zocheh to learn Torah and our job is to be partners with Hashem in being מתקן עולם במלכות ש-די. We are not here just for our own personal growth [an attitude that can lead to pseudo-religious-narcissism] but to make sure that וידעו כי אתה שמך השם לבדך עליון על כל הארץ [Tehillim 83-19].
There are MANY spiritual obligations that we have beyond the Daf Gemara. As one Gadol put it: One who doesn't know when to close the Gemara, shouldn't open it.
2] Halevai halevai halevai that the only spiritual failing in Klal Yisrael was that we lack שקיעות [complete immersion] in Torah. Then we would only have to fix that and Torah is so super geshmak and thus it is doable. Once you taste Torah באמת you become intoxicated. שכורת ולא מיין [Yeshayahu 51-21]. But w/o going into detail, I can think of a few other serious infractions of which we are guilty. The Gemara says that ביטול תורה is the last resort if we can't find anything else.
[BTW - It is hard for me to believe that the aforementioned RY would argue with either of my points and his noble goal was merely to strengthen his Talmidim's devotion to learning].
