Cellphones in Shul

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  • #602255
    hershi
    Member

    Is it a bizoyon to the makom or tzibbur to quitely and unabtrusively use a cellphone in shul? For example, to check your e-mail after you finish Shemone Esrei, before the Chazoras HaShatz begins. Or to listen to a phone call without talking (including not murmuring.)

    #856425
    Panthers
    Member

    do you think it appropriate when you meet with someone important to unobtrusively check your phone?

    or would you appreciate if you were the important person and the other person unobtrusively checked his/her phone?

    #856426
    more
    Member

    this post is an absolute bizayon in and of it’s self……

    #856427

    Phones should be turned off prior to entering a shul.

    #856428
    Avi K
    Participant

    This is a violation of the kedusha of the bet knesset even when nobody else is there (Orech Chaim 151:1).During the Chazarat HaShatz it is much more severe (124:4 with Mishna Berura subsection 17 and 124:7 with Mishna Berura subsection 27).

    #856429
    mamashtakah
    Member

    If a person has that much time, why not learn a mishna or two? It amazes me that we lived centuries without cell phones, and now we’re at a point that people can’t go 45 minutes without checking email messages. Do people get up in the middle of the night to check messages? Turn the phone off! Whatever messages are there can wait!

    #856430
    A Heimishe Mom
    Participant

    I agree with more!

    Turn it off before you go in and leave it off until after you leave!

    And this applies to levayas, weddings, shiurim etc.

    #856431
    Sam2
    Participant

    The only reason to have a cell phone on in Shul is for an emergency (e.g. sick family member, pregnant wife, etc.) or if you have Davening on your phone and only then if you block incoming calls/texts. I can’t think of any other reason to ever have on (though I guess another one or two on those level could exist that I just didn’t think of).

    #856433
    amichai
    Participant

    with the exception of hatzolah, and pple with a very ill relative etc. , phones should be not heard in the shuls or beis medrash. finish davening, put away your tallis and teffilin, go outside the bldg. and you can check your email and messages.

    #856434
    more_2
    Member

    Would you seriously answer your phone in the middle of shemonei esray if your wife was in her ninth month and was ringing without stopping?!?! Think about it you are davening to the melech malchai hamlochim, so myanswer would be shes in the best of the best hands… Hashem is babysitting her for you. What do you guys think?

    If you are davening to hashem nothing will happen until you are finished.

    That’s my answer.

    So I hold, turn off your cellphone!!!

    #856435
    more_2
    Member

    Has anyone ever had an emergency while davening shemonei esray??? I bet no one ever has!

    #856436
    more_2
    Member

    It’s like a just in case”. Type of excuse just to have your beloved phone handy that you cant bring yourself to part from for a few mins.

    #856437
    zahavasdad
    Participant

    There are apps in cell Phones for Siddurs

    I use it sometimes instead of trying to find a siddur and I can blow up the print (I prefer large text over smaller print)

    There is also a Tehillim App. I am sure there are other apps, but I dont know about them

    #856438
    Toi
    Participant

    Ridiculous.

    #856439
    ☕️coffee addict
    Participant

    I’m not commenting

    (Ashamnu, ……)

    #856440
    mamashtakah
    Member

    One of my daughters told me that she’s going to hire bouncers for her wedding to make sure people turn off their phones, and that they don’t sit and text or play games during the chupah. I think she was at least partially serious.

    #856441
    digibochur
    Member

    Every shul an kollel should be installed with a cellphone blocker. They use them in cinemas [not that i know what that is] to stop any disturbances why not in a shul and kollel?

    For a minimal $100 learn and pray without being disturbed.

    #856442
    2qwerty
    Participant

    mamashtakah,

    I think even learning is forbidden during Chazaras HaShas. So how will it help to switch one for the the other? And what if someone is learning on his cell phone?

    #856443
    daxy
    Member

    What about davenning from a smartphone instead of a siddur? Either in shul or at a make-shift minyan where there are no siddurim. Is that a bizoyon?

    #856444
    mamashtakah
    Member

    mamashtakah,

    I think even learning is forbidden during Chazaras HaShas. So how will it help to switch one for the the other? And what if someone is learning on his cell phone?

    The OP specifically stated after you finish Shemone Esrei, before the Chazoras HaShatz begins. But of course you are correct one should not be learning during davening.

    #856445
    ☕️coffee addict
    Participant

    What about davenning from a smartphone instead of a siddur? Either in shul or at a make-shift minyan where there are no siddurim. Is that a bizoyon?

    I was at a shiur by R Wallerstien where he was talking about disconnecting from phones and afterwards there was maariv so I showed him I had davening on my phone and he said “go get a siddur” (this was in a sfardi shul)

    anyways you should get a pocket mincha/maariv siddur

    #856446
    nfgo3
    Member

    more_2 writes: “Has anyone ever had an emergency while davening shemonei esray??? I bet no one ever has!”

    My sister had an epileptic seizure during Yiskor on Yom Kippur. But it was a reform “synagogue,” so maybe you don’t count that.

    #856447
    far east
    Participant

    @more_2 “Would you seriously answer your phone in the middle of shemonei esray if your wife was in her ninth month and was ringing without stopping?!?! Think about it you are davening to the melech malchai hamlochim, so myanswer would be shes in the best of the best hands… Hashem is babysitting her for you. What do you guys think?

    If you are davening to hashem nothing will happen until you are finished.

    That’s my answer.

    So I hold, turn off your cellphone!!!”

    question for you. If your wife was in your ninth month and ringing without stopping would you really ignore it? maybe you have more emunah than me, or your just dumber….either way i feel bad for your wife

    #856448
    sushee
    Member

    I dont think you are allowed to interrupt Shemone Esrei, even if your wife is ringing you in her 9th month.

    #856449
    cb1
    Member

    Has anyone ever had an emergency while davening shemonei esray??? I bet no one ever has!

    Yes, more times than i can count.

    #856450
    Sam2
    Participant

    Sushe: You’re not. But you might finish really quickly.

    #856451
    BTGuy
    Participant

    Hi hershi.

    Personally, I “feel” it is wrong, so I will wait until I leave the davening area if I need to check a voicemail or message.

    This reminds me of a story I heard about R’ Moshe Feinstein Zatzal, which I am sure everyone has heard.

    Basically, he was seen being driven home at the beginning of that 20 minute period where men have time to do things before taking on Shabbos. Someone approached R’ Feinstein thinking he was chas veshalom mechalel Shabbos. R’ Feinstein explained the situation and that what he saw was permissible, but explained further, “If it did not look right, then it was not right.” and went on to say something to the effect he will be more mindful not to do that again.

    If someone knows it more completely and accurately, please post.

    #856452
    🍫Syag Lchochma
    Participant

    I wouldn’t want my husband to answer the phone in the middle of Shmone Esrei if I was in labor, I’d rather the zchus of waiting til he finished.

    And besides, if it can’t wait the five minutes for him to finish, then I should have called hatzolo, not my husband 🙂

    #856453
    far east
    Participant

    ive had to stop for reasons other than that but i cant go into details. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances that play a factor

    #856454
    hello99
    Participant

    Has anyone ever had an emergency while davening shemonei esray??? I bet no one ever has!

    Last Rosh HaShana I was in the middle of Musaf Shmona Esrei when a Hatzala volunteer tapped me on the shoulder that my wife was outside in the ambulance.

    #856455
    yungerman1
    Participant

    sushe and more2- Would you be mechalel shabbos and drive to the hospital for your wife in her ninth month? You can interrupt shemone esrei too, assuming she knows not to call you unless it was urgent.

    Did you ever see a hatzolah guy stop in middle of shemone esrei? Next time tell him to continue davening cuz Hashem is babysitting.

    #856457
    🍫Syag Lchochma
    Participant

    yungerman1 – not fair. A hotzolo guy should answer because he can do something about it and seconds matter. I can’t answer the phone on shabbos when a relative is ill unless there is something specific I can do to help. And in the case of the wife in labor, if you can’t wait the three minutes for him to finish davening, you should call hotzola instead. And then the hotzola guy can stop by the shul and tap you on the shoulder.

    #856458
    far east
    Participant

    @syag Lchochma- while what your saying makes sense in theory, its not so practical. If your wife is calling you over and over when shes nine months pregenant during shemonah esrei would you really say ill call her back because she can just call hatzolah so she doesnt need me? If your wifes calling you, for her sake, and not your own self-rightous davening habits, you should probably answer. Better to be safe then sorry. If your willing to take a chance that its not an emergency then you can wait….but if it was my wife i know what i would do

    #856459
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Has anyone ever had an emergency while davening shemonei esray???

    Heh… not during S”E, but close.

    One day I had my son (who was very young at the time… think just after toilet training age) in shul with me. I had just said Ga’al Yisroel and he turned to me and said that he needed the bathroom… right then.

    There was no S’michas G’ula L’Tefilah that day. 🙂

    The Wolf

    #856460
    more_2
    Member

    Some of you are not such holy dudes!!! Disappointing I’d say… Shemona essray takes a few mins, the ambulance takes a few mins, no difference! There is a one above and if you always are doing the RIGHT thing, you cannot possibly go wrong! Think about it, it’s the altimate emes! You can’t interior shemone esray no matter what the situation is ! Stick to that principal and hashem will take care of you!!

    #856461
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Some of you are not such holy dudes!!! Disappointing I’d say… Shemona essray takes a few mins, the ambulance takes a few mins, no difference!

    If you’re the EMT/Paramedic, a few minutes may make ALL the difference.

    The Wolf

    #856462
    far east
    Participant

    “Shemona essray takes a few mins, the ambulance takes a few mins, no difference!”

    im not sure if your for real or not???

    If your such a holy person, why have you not heard of the fifth shulchan aruch- common sense!!!

    #856463
    147
    Participant

    Has anyone ever dared bring a cell phone into a church? or mosque?

    Has anyone ever dared bring a cell phone into the vatican? or mecca?

    Lamentably I have had my davening at the Kossel disturbed by people in long dark jackets schmoozing away on the phone, and when you motion them to move away, they really get angry & look at we Daveners as odd.

    Maybe someone in this coffee room may also wish to comment on the disturbance of several schnorrers crashing on you as soon as you walk into a Minjan, before you can even commence your prayers, be it the Kossel, a Shteibel in Meah Sheorim, or Shomrei Shabbos in BP.

    I have also witnessed people reciting Kaddish and their cell phone went off really loud, and they just kept saying Kaddish but at an accelerated pace messing up the other mourners who couldn’t keep up, and then immediately in front of everyone else, answering their cell phone.

    #856464
    far east
    Participant

    147- dont get me started on the schnorrers who shake their coins in your face during davening. Theres a time and place for everything

    #856466
    WolfishMusings
    Participant

    Has anyone ever dared bring a cell phone into a church? or mosque?

    Has anyone ever dared bring a cell phone into the vatican? or mecca?

    I’d be willing to bet that the answer to all four questions posted above is “yes.”

    The Wolf

    #856467
    Avi K
    Participant

    BT, Rav Moshe wrote that there is no marit ayin by mistakes in halacha. People are required t learn. Marit ayin is only where a reasonable person could make a mistake regarding a fact (e.g. if somebody walks into a treif restaurant to buy a Coke). However, he was machmir on himself.

    Regarding emergencies, these are obviously exceptions but someone whose wife wants him to pick up something on the way home can hear it afterwards on the voice mail.

    #856468
    BTGuy
    Participant

    Hi Avi K.

    I am not sure what you are explaining. Perhaps I represented it incorrectly.

    I was told there is a time after benching licht, about 20 minutes, where a man can still be involved doing things that cannot be done on Shabbos.

    It was during that time that someone saw R’ Feinstein Zatzal, being dropped off. The person approached him later on, and R’ Feinstein Zatzal, explained the situation to him and went on to say that if it does not look right, then it is not right and he wont do that again. Something to that effect..

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