During seudas shlishis in the Vishnitz Beis Medrash in Bnei Brak, HaRav Yisrael Hager addressed the dangers of non-kosher cellular telephones, phones with a gateway to the internet.
The rav questioned why people who fear having internet at home seem less concerned with the same threat carried in a pocket, referring the cellular phones. The rav made reference to the Nadvorna Rebbe ZT”L, who was niftar on Thursday, stating the rebbe was close to Vishnitz, “a real yiras Shomayim and a true tzaddik”. He spoke of a meeting with the late rebbe where they spoke of the difficulty of ‘shmiras einayim’ in this generation, watching one’s eyes. The rav explained that this applies to those who walk around with a non-kosher cellular telephone in their pocket, “it is as if one walks around with a bomb in one’s pocket”.
“We can’t say that we cannot do without this” added Rav Hager, stating “anyone with a non-kosher phone should sell it to a non-Jew and not to a Jew, who may stumble as a result”.
The rav concluded by telling chassidim that one should not hire a video photographer for a simcha. “Those who invite me to a simcha I will ask if there will be a video. If a video photographer was ordered I will not attend t he simcha since the video was the predecessor to the internet”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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15 Responses
Chassidim always are more vigilant due to their isolation from the world at large. They are less aware of the filter systems that are available for use, also.
“We can’t say that we cannot do without this” added Rav Hager, stating “anyone with a non-kosher phone should sell it to a non-Jew and not to a Jew, who may stumble as a result”.
I don’t understand.
If we really feel that the phone is harmful, how could you say “sell it to a Non-Jew”. Does HKB”H derive any Nachas Ruach from such kind of talk?
Is this the way we talk about the Brious of HKB”H in a time that we need so much Rachmei Shomayim?
“video was the predecessor to the internet”. Not really.
Anyone knowing the history of the internet will tell you that it was the telegraph, telephone, and fax machine. Video was an addition to the internet.
We should therefore the telegraph, phone and fax machine!
Hmmm, I can think of worse things than the Internet, but it is true there are possibilities of nasty things popping up, but this is true of walking down the street. So what are we to do?
If our educational system is good and our haskafa is good, we will avoid these foul things whether in the street or on the net. If our educational was lousy and our haskafa farkrumpt, so we are going to be drawn after the toaiva int he street. It seems to me that the problem is the chinuch and the Internet reflects the lackings.
Perhaps a stronger emphasis should be on education and not on the manifestations of its lackings.
@All of you- Once again you all think the rabbi is backward and oblivious. Did it dawn upon you that maybe he knows more then you and you should open your ears to some criticism? You are not the smartest person who ever lived, and you have what to learn
@Yira Are non-Jews forbidden to view inappropriate things?
3
You know exactly what he was talking about so don’t try behind your smugness by thinking you’re smarter, because you are NOT.
#5: He was speaking to his kehillah. For others, “yesh al mi lismoch”.
The words, and sell it to a Non-Jew, bothered me alot. Since we believe that this phone can cause harm to the Boy’s future familly relationship, how can we give it to a child of another family.?
#5 He is relevant to his chassidim…
@ Toi- thank you when i first read it i thought that i cant release the internet on my phone i neeeeed it but after reading the first four comments it dawned on me this is our generations yetzer hara none of the people above could grasp the severity of the danger and like me couldnt relinquish the internet i will now get a filter system put on my phones internet just a small amount of effort to bring the geulah
#8 tell me ONE gadol/rebbe/chasiddish/olem hayeshivois/sfardish/ashknaz/or any other sect. that has permitted it! what do u mean “yesh al mi lismoich”??? me persanol if i’ll find a bachur or yungerman with internet in my yeshiva i would throw him out imidiatly! from my yeshiva (i’d maybe try to settel him with a job ect.) cause i stand on the chazakah that he’s a “shorash poreh rosh v’lana” that he’s a,,,,,,,,, (btw i just heard of this conversation by a other yungerman and i told him he cold post it in my name) but i’ll post it without saying wich rosh yeshiva it is.
The smugness of some and the desire of others to bash and criticize is amazing.
Then there are the smug self righteous criticizers who are in a league of their own.
#12. Can I assume you wrote your comment from the Library or have the haskama of anonymous “rosh yeshiva” to have internet access at home?
I dunno – I have a smartphone with Sprint. I find it quite useful in day to day life, and I’m not using it for… assur things.
Not sure what the hyperbole is all about…