Rishon L’Tzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita in a chizuk schmooze to talmidim in Yeshivas Yismach Moshe addressed the matter of kosher and non-kosher cellular telephones. The rav explained the talmidim do not need any kind of cellphone, adding in his Yeshivat Chazon Ovadia talmidim may not bring a kosher cell phone with them.
During the rav’s talk to give a chizuk to talmidim in Elul he explained that talmidei yeshivos do not need a phone, insisting a kosher phone will only lead to bitul Torah. He explained that when he was elected as chief rabbi he received a cell phone from the government but he did not accept it, explaining to this day he does not use a cell phone.
He concluded instructing talmidim who genuinely need to phone someone to use a public phone.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
A basis cellphone is a necessity for communications with family and friends during emergency periods and as a means of navigating basic commerce in the 21st century including banking, travel and shopping (and work if some of these talmidim need to work part-time to support their families). A blanket assur of even smart phones makes no sense but obviously thats something each talmid has to decide for himself and whether or not to ignore the rav’s position.
How quickly we consider ourselves fit to judge our gedolim…oy to this givadik dor
Good for him not needing a cell phone. I imagine that his staff all have, and that he could use theirs if he needs one.
How did people manage before having cell phones?
Why on earth would a student in yeshiva need a phone. If its an emergency, there is probably a yeshiva office someone can call and they’ll fetch him. In the past, no one had a phone in the Beis Medrash, and they got along fine.
Increasingly schools and businesses are banning personal devices unless they are needed for what you are doing, and a cell phone for private calls is not what you are supposed to be doing in a Beis Medrash. You aren’t supposed to be talking to your friends when you are supposed to be in a Beis Medrash learning.
The Rav wasn’t objecting to using telephones (suggest we should send only messages by carrier pigeon or whatever) – he’s saying you don’t need to be chatting to your friends when you are supposed to be learning. That is no hiddush, and is hardly a sentiment limited to the Torah world.
If the issur is limited to a ban on cellphones during learning zman I would have no problem; its when these chumrahs are extended to 24×7 as if the technology itself is assur m’doraisah that its illogical. Why not assur riding in a car since it could be used to drive to some makom pritzus???
Several years ago when my two sons were in Beis Medrash right in Brooklyn, they didn’t have a cell phone, just a calling card. However in both of their yeshivos the payphones never worked or were very staticky. So I ended up having to get them cell phones but with limited minutes.
It’s almost impossible to find a working payphone!