Notices appeared on Sunday morning quoting HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita and his adamant opposition to an iPhone. The gadol hador is quoted as responding to a question regarding one requiring the smart phone for business as saying “It is prohibited. It should be burned and one may not sell it to a non-Jew because of the halacha of מכירת כלי זיין לגוי.
The above image is a copy of the notice in Yerushalayim. Click on it to enlarge it.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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12 Responses
Never believe what you read in the media.
This report has already been denied by people close to the Rav. He never said the words “it [the I-Phone] should be burned.”.
is he talking about just the iphone or all smartphones, like blackberry, android and the others?
Seeing as how theyeshivaworld website has a mobile version specifically optimized for smartphones such as the IPhone and Android, is that not considered ‘lifnei Iver lo titen michshol’? Either the editors of theyeshivaworld disagree with the psak of the gadol hador or you accept it and choose to promote your site to those who ignore the psak. Neither of those options seems appropriate for a site claiming to be THE news site of the yeshiva world.
The Godol Hador has spoken.
Us, peanut-sized in comparison to the Godol, know what our duty now is.
Obviously this applies to any smartphone. Whether it is an Android, Blackberry or an iPhone.
ספר וישמע משה-פסקי הגרי”ש אלישיב records Rav Elyashiv as saying one’s permitted to sell non-kosher phones to non-jews, to which a gabay/talmid responds “but with a non-kosher phone one can do all ג’ חמורות!” Rav Elyashiv remained unconvinced.
You know, these sort of postings have an eery irony to them. Kafka and Sartre could not have done better than have a “haredi” website quote its “haredi” leader prohibiting web paraphernalia.
What is the real point of publishing these פליטות פה? The irony — and the attendant difficult questions about the role of rabbinc leadership, etc. — is too much to handle.
Wasn’t it R’ Chaim who a few years ago had to told how a credit card works? Am I wrong for not believing this even for a split second?
Does this mean Android is OK then?
Is it possible to find out a little bit about the context of this statement?
For example, who asked the Rav this question? What was the context? Was the statement meant to go to all of Klal Yisroel or just to the person asking the question?
It is impossible to understand the Rav’s words clearly without some clarification here. The article’s source is listed as YWN – Israel Desk, so I’m hoping that a little more information can be given to us on this important issue.
Thank you in advance.
Still waiting
why is my comment awaiting moderation 18 hours later?