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why is this ok? and why do ppl. do it?
It’s not ok.
Why do you ask? Did you read the Mishpacha article or the article, study, whatever it was based on? You’ll get answers as to why there.
R”l.
Let’s all try to light up the world and our immediate environs with simcha and goodness clearly rooted in the Torah and the love Hashem has for all of us.
Who said its OK? Why (some) people do it, because they listen to their yetzar harah.
Why is this ok?
I don’t know of anyone who said that it was.
and why do ppl. do it
People do wrong things for lots of reasons. I don’t think that a single line answer will really suffice for this phenomenon.
The Wolf
It is NOT ok. If people do it, they give themselves an excuse to do so. That does NOT mean it is ok.
Its not.
Ask them why they do it. Why does anyone do any aviara?
Everyone has certain things that tempt them more than others.
Only a Mechallel Shabbos texts on Shabbos Kodesh. Why are there mechalleli Shabbos? Why does someone eat pork? Why is anyone not frum? We are in golus.
ginger well i have no one from my contacts that has there phone open can u give me some numbers
I admit that for a time I checked my texts on shabbos. This was when I was feeling really really depressed. Shabbos was torture for me. I felt like I had no connection to reality and to the outside world. Checking my messages one time every shabbos helped me a lot. I’m ashamed of this and hope I never go back to that but I really think I can understand why a person might feel the need to use a phone on shabbos. I don’t condone it but I think I understand it.
i sometimes really fell like i need it and would but have no one to text with
happiest
“I felt like I had no connection to reality and to the outside world. Checking my messages one time every shabbos helped me a lot. “
Im not judging you chas veshalom, but this is a fundamental mistake that people make. The “outside world” is NOT reality. The world of technology and business and all that….its not reality for a Jew, its a DISTRACTION from reality.
Reality is spirituality, reality is being alive, feeling alive, which comes from being connected to Torah and being connected to Hashem.
Gashmiyus only gives temporary enjoyment or allows us temporarily to get lost and forget that we have a soul.
The road to true happiness is getting in touch with your inner self and connecting to Hashem. Gashmiyus blocks all of that and one can never get to Hashem if he/she is steeped in Gashmiyus and his/her entire enjoyment in life is his gashmiyus and whatever his/her money can buy him/her.
wiy thats really true BUT easy to say if a person doesnt fell that way then its easier and they would better do anything else like even open the lights for nothing just to give themself out and know they r not locked in with anything
Shabbos is not supposed to be boring and one should have a need to text to give them something to do. If it is, we’re clearly doing something wrong.
Well, according to many the reason for the issur of electricity is that it produces a spark. I am pretty sure that when using a device like a laptop computer or cell phone, no spark is produced.
Maybe people who text on Shabbos feel this way.
(the spark is produced by flipping a switch and completing a circuit. Cell phones don’t work that way, I think.)
Don’t feed the trolls.
y not popa
HASHEM YISHMOR. All I can say is that we all NEEED to daven that these Jews who have fallen to text on shabbos should realize what they are doing wrong and do teshuvah!! Oy.
“Pretty sure” doesn’t cut it when it comes to halacha. That’s why we have rabbi’s. That’s why the mishna (Avos 1:6)says: “??? ?? ?? – Get yourself a rabbi”.
to quark. Every time you speak/text on aphone or computer you create electric impulses also sending radio waves. When you speak text or are accessing internet on a phone you send electrical signals back to towers and satellites, and they definitely are creating there own impulses as well.
i am shocked beyond belief-May Hashem help all of us to merit the cessation of this terrible aveirah. If texting was muttar due to the ‘spark’less thing-where is the shailah and the answer from qualified poskim? Are you allowed to watch television if you leave it on? I remember (in the olden days) boys used to go to the stores where they would broadcast the world series during Rosh Hashona davening and watch from outside. How our Rabbis decried that!
Shabbos is our gift from Hashem, His specially thought out present just for us and to keep us close to Him-it is not about our limited view of our desires. If you feel cut off, why don’t you get together with friends?-
imagine how embarrassed you will be when you have to look at the register of your Shabbos texts in the Bais Din shel Maylah…The only weapon to fight the yetzer hora in these types of situations, is to learn Torah and go to Shiurim. Find someone who inspires you, and commit yourself to a daily schedule of learning.
I wish everyone Hatzlocha Rabbo in everything, and may every Shabbos that you keep, stand in your corner to protect you from any evil.
yid4life is right we need to daven for them and for ourselves too. I just have one question: how far are those who text on shabbes from any other chilul shabbes? i cant imagine it stops there. I was never involved with kids at risk because were we live it doesnt exist or not the way it is in usa. but what aries said makes sence to me
Shabbos is not supposed to be boring and one should have a need to text to give them something to do. If it is, we’re clearly doing something wrong.
Alot of people do feel this way. Activies that are not “Shabbosdick” are strongly discouraged. While it is admirable to learn all day, Not everyone can do this.
There are plenty of people especially in the summer with the long days who just need some activity.
Is it better to play Basketball , hang out with members of the opposite gender or Text on Shabbos. While it might be admirable to say neither and one should learn, Its just not happening for many (Kids are voting with their actions )
I have seen very few real solutions to help teens pass the time on Shabbos that is both fun and meaningful for most.
Putting aside the shabbos aspects, because I don’t know how direct, etc. this is, all processors produce sparks. This is why computers tend to generate alot of heat. I don’t know anything about the insides of these new machines, but unless they’ve invented a new way of doing processing there are still sparks going on, however minute.
zahavasdad
“There are plenty of people especially in the summer with the long days who just need some activity.
Is it better to play Basketball , hang out with members of the opposite gender or Text on Shabbos. While it might be admirable to say neither and one should learn, Its just not happening for many (Kids are voting with their actions )
I have seen very few real solutions to help teens pass the time on Shabbos that is both fun and meaningful for most.”
What did people do before cellphones? I know when I was a teen I never dreamed of being Mechalel Shabbos even though I was no angel!
Kids today just keep pushing the envelope. Why do kids have to have cell phones?! Why are they given Iphones and Ipod touches and Ipads?!
Bottom line, if parents dont “parent” your kids will fall through the cracks. Dont put these devices in your kids hands or you will regret it guaranteed.
Last year when my daughter was in seminary, one Shabbos, she and another girl were staying at the same family. Friday night, after they had gone to bed, she saw some light shining from the other girl’s bed and realized she was texting. When my daughter told me about this, I asked if she was sure about that. Then I just figured, this girl’s not really that frum.
Now I see this thread (and it was also mentioned on another thread recently). I am totally shocked. I did not know it was so common! I do realize there are a lot of OTD teens but this sounds like we are not specifically speaking about them but about “frum” kids who see nothing wrong with texting!
I don’t know the solution, but I really hope there is some way that someone can get through to them.
Happiest – I admire you for many reasons. You are dealing with a lot in your life, and I believe you are coming through with flying colors. Stay strong! To admit that you used to text on Shabbos, takes a lot of courage. I am glad you don’t do in anymore. You’re showing your inner strength by overcoming that desire to text and also by dealing with everything else. I wish you all the best!!!
What would you say if someone said he was frum but has to go to McDonalds once a week and have a cheeseburger. You wouldn’t think of him as frum and I bet you wouldn’t eat in his house. This is the same thing. Texting is being mechalel shabbos just like people who drive. They should institute here like they have in Israel the KosherPhone and rabbanim here should insist that everyone who must have a cell phone get one of those then there would be no texting or internet on phones at all. That would solve the problem.
Also why do yeshivos and seminaries in E”Y not only allow but insist that the kids have phones. I hear how you could say its for safety but if this is the true motive you can have them rent pagers instead.
For some people wagging the finger and giving a potch works, for others giving a hug works better.
Instead of forcing them not to text, yelling at them, telling their parents rabbis etc , give them a POSITIVE reason not to text, give them something else to do.
You catch more flies with Honey than vinegar
You want to make Shabbos a positive experience not a negative experience (ie A day of NO) You want them to look forward to Shabbos not dread it.
“like they have in Israel the KosherPhone and rabbanim here should insist that everyone”
My gosh!!!!!
Don’t you guys get it? The kids have no feeling for Shabbos. They are bored and dread Shabbos, that means they have NO CLUE what Shabbos is, what its all about and what its for. Likely that stems from the parent having no feelings for Shabbos. If Shabbos is just a day off, a day to take it easy relax schmooze with your buddies, fress and sleep and get drunk for some (kiddish clubs) then Shabbos has no Kedusha and if it has no Kedusha your kids will take it to the next step and be mechallel Shabbos.
thanks wiy
excellent insight
I am cutting and pasting this Dvar Torah, word for word
DVAR TORAH: Shabbos
I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Rabbi Yitzchok Chinn of McKees Port Pensylvania, when he was a guest speaker at a Chofetz Chaim Yeshiva Convention, where he told the following story:
The Rabbi thought perhaps he heard him wrong.
At this point it was beginning to sound awe inspiring. Certainly difficult to see why any of this could cause one to hate Shabbos.
Edited
i have been told that texting on shabbos stems from lack of feeling and connection to yiddishkeit. Teens have no feeling for shabbos or davening or anthing else for that matter and therefore dont see whats wrong with this behavior. you should feel a personal connection with hashem starting from when your young so that as a teen you will be strong in your belief and not surcumb to the temptation of the outside world.
im sorry but barring a few situations (IOW im not judging you happiest, just everyone else) when kids such as high school kids or guys in beis medrash or college or those who are otherwise unemployed and have no worried in the world say that they find shabbos boring…i just shake my head and walk away. why do they not appreciate shabbos? because they dont NEED a day of rest. what they NEED is one good day of work!
i only started appreciating shabbos once i entered the workforce and got some problems of my own. now i see shabbos and all its “restrictions” as the greatest gift in the world. one day a week where your worries and troubles melt away…where you dont need to think about finances and business and other worldly concerns because there is absolutely nothing you can do about them anyway! i dont have to worry about my broken washing machine on shabbos because there is absolutely nothing i can do about even if i wanted to. i dont have to worry about my bank account on shabbos because there is no way i can manage it.
it really is a truly wonderful gift but one that can only (IMHO) be appreciated once a person has a life so to speak. as much pleasure as i derive from shabbos i can only imagine how amazing a gift it must be for someone who has a family of their own. so many da’agos during the week just go away on shabbos…anyway yeah. thats my appreciation of shabbos.
i usually go to a friends out and spend time with them, but even when i stay home all day i love shabbos for the break it lets me take from life.
Lets start by saying that the phone in and of itself is “mukzta” on Shabbos and should not be touched or moved. It has a battery like any child’s toy that you would not allow a child to use on Shabbos and therefor it is NOT permitted on shabbos. Therefor texting on that phone is not permitted on Shabbos any which way you look at it.
Having said that, lets look at the texting problem. If you HAVE to check your phone and text on Shabbos, you have to look at the bigger picture. YOU are addicted to your phone and to texting!!! Even a chain smoker who is Frum takes his last puff at the last second before Shabbos, does not smoke all of Shabbos and then lights up the first opportunity after Shabbos. Somehow he manages NOT to smoke the entire Shabbos. How does he do that? Any other day of the week he can’t get by more than an hour without a smoke but on Shabbos he can do it.
Think about that. How does he manage NOT to smoke on Shabbos and more so NOT to ruin his Shabbos menucha by thinking about smoking? Is it a matter of priorities? Is it a matter of Kibud Shabbos? Is it a matter of loyalty to Hashem, Torah and mitzvos? Maybe all of the above.
So now the question remains who are you loyal to your phone, your friends or Hashem and his mitzvos? Is this a test? Will you pass or fail? Will you give into your yetzer harah or will you understand that your yetzer horah is trying to make you turn away from Hashem and the Torah. Yes, you can look for excuses and make up loopholes to break the rules. You can do that with texting because you heard from others, or with “gum” or with anything else that you want to jump on the bandwagon with. OR you can stay true to the beliefs you grew up with and even strengthen them when the Yetzer Horah comes knocking at your door. That is your choice and it is choices that you will have to make every day of your life.
BTW if you feel lonely on Shabbos, get into reading books and slip away into the stories. Start communicating more with your family. Invite a friend over for Shabbos. No one has to feel lonely on Shabbos.
Moderator-80
You are welcome 80 😉
It has a battery like any child’s toy that you would not allow a child to use on Shabbos and therefor it is NOT permitted on shabbos.
Or your wristwatch, which you would never wear on shabbos.
Batteries do not make items “Muktza”.
Furthermore, it is possible that texting is “only” Midirabannan.
Other then that, I will Echo WIY. When children are pushed to only learn or do chessed on shabbos, they dread shabbos, instead of having a day where the parents are home and spend time with their children (playing games, learning, but most critical, having fun). Or even just take a nap and relax from the stresses of the week.
GAW, i don’t think you can compare a wrist watch battery which is a perpetual battery to a toy battery or a phone battery which needs to be recharged or turns the item on and off. It is not the same thing.
In addition the battery also controls the light of the phone. The light of the phone is off or dim, only when you press the key does it turn on. The watch always works and it has nothing to do with whether you touch it or not.
aries the battery has nothing to do with it
Halachah is not determined by ones personal analysis and theories.
most electronic watches have a button to turn on their light. that does not make them Muktzah.
Its forbidden, see Igros Moshe–you can’t turn a car on shabbos, as you are lighting a fire, its havvaraa.
Its forbidden, see Igros Moshe–you can’t turn a car on shabbos, as you are lighting a fire, its havvaraa.
Texting is not like a car. A car has spark plugs (or other ignition methods). I don’t believe (although I could be wrong) that texting lights a fire (who knows with these newfangled gadgets) or causes combustion.
gavra: How about turning on a fluorescent light bulb?
gavra: How about turning on a fluorescent light bulb?
I’m a Gavra, not a Rabbi.
There are several sites that discuss this topic in detail.
Here are a few points:
Chein–
Although a fluorescent bulb by nature doesn’t incandesce (emit light and heat), the electrodes at the end of the bulb may glow red-hot, aside from the other problems on Shabbos.
Please see this thread for a much lengthier discussion on this and other electricity/ Shabbos issues:
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/melacha-sheinah-tzricha-lgufa
Excuse me for asking, but isn’t the battery the electrical source or the “fire”. I am not picking I am seriously asking. And doesn’t that turn on the light in the phone?
I am not sure if the texting on Shabbos problem only stems from a lack of respect and understanding of Shabbos. Many reknowned frum psychologists who specialize in teens discuss the ADDICTION to texting. They compare it to any other addiction, like drugs, alchohol and gambling. Maybe if we approach the problem from that angle, and focus on the fact that texting “relationships” are generally shallow and can sometimes be dangerous, we might get more results than lectures about Kedushas Shabbos.
Perhaps those challenged can call the cell carrier on Fri. afternoon to block texting to prevent temptation during Shabbos.
(I’ve had my carrier block texting permanently.)
the battery provides an energy source for whatever “fire” there is. it itself is not fire.
Leaving aside the question of electricity, b’pashtus it should be forbidden to text because it is writing. Even though one is not chayav for writing which doesn’t last, it is still assur mid’rabbanan (OC 340:4).
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