Abashuta asked:
Is it permitted to read grammar books and lexicons in order to translate holy texts on shebat? If I come across a particularly difficult section I might need to look up some words or even brush up on the grammatical rules until it becomes more clear. Is there a page in the Talmud where this topic is discussed that you can point me towards?
Shelam
Abashuta, Portland, OR
The Kollel replies:
Shalom
I'm sure that under the circumstances this would qualify as Divrei Torah, which is surely permitted on Shabbos. The Shulchan Oruch (307:17) quotes conflicting opinions whether or not one may attain other types of knowledge on Shabbos. Also see MB (ibid. 65) who states that that custom is to be lenient on this issue.
Yehuda Landy