Perhaps a unique ‘seudas mitzvah’ or a new trend, but whatever the case, bochrim of the Darkei Shalom Yeshiva in Telshe Stone on motzei Shabbos took part in a seudas mitzvah as they called it marking the burning of their cellular telephones.
After a schmooze from the mashgiach of the yeshiva, HaRav Yerucham Schechter, the talmidim collected their cellular telephones and placed them in a collective fire to remove the evil influence from their midst.
According to Chadrei Chareidim, rabbonim of the yeshiva took part in the event, labeled a Seudas Kiddush Hashem.
Rav Zechariah Gruenwald, the founder of the yeshiva added, “A number of years ago, I was involved in a serious vehicular accident and I was spared. On my way here I wondered what saved me. I immediately received the response, that Hashem merited me to see just how students are MeKadesh Shem Shomayim”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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13 Responses
Cell phones are not any more evil than regular landlines. They are simply portable. In the last paragraph they mention a car accident..How many peoples lives have been saved because of cell phones, especially in rural areas.
I guess now they will not be able to be mikayem the mitzva of Kibud Av v’Aim because they can not call their parents on erev shabbos.
You win some you lose some…
Donate the phones instead to a Bet AVOS (senior home) so that the seniors can get calls from family members, doctors and friends instead of DESTRUCTION.
Is there no other way to teach Restraint, Negative Behaviour, and Substance Abuse then a burning fire? Maybe they should have added cartons of cigarettes to the bonefire to discourage ‘substance abuse’….
1, 2 & 3
For a Bochur in Yeshiva it makes a lot of sense. A cell phone can be a major distraction and an evil in disguise. and the only way to get rid of them successfully is to do it with a big event.
“After a schmooze from the mashgiach of the yeshiva, HaRav Yerucham Schechter, the talmidim collected…”
You forgot to add Shlita after his name!
@3 they destroy the cigarettes with fire…just one at a time
Right. What comes next? Burning food, women… because you can’t control yourself?!
This is TERRIBLE clinch. The problem of our generation is that Yeshiva don’t teach us how to control our Yetzer Hara. They only tell us how to ban burn and destroy.
This is FAR from a Kiddush Hashem and its probably a Chillul Hashem. They are basically saying we don’t believe Hashem gave us bechira chofshis: free will to choose and make proper decisions. Mamish kefira.
Chinuch not clinch
Stupidity…
you might as well burn cars, offices, land lines, airplanes, banks etc… you can do bad with those as well…. why stop there? lets go march on wall street.
I was as at a toss on this one. I wasn’t sure if this was something to be commended or the actions of extreme radicals (the Rabbanim), so I decided to look them up on line. (There’s a video of the place on line).
Basically they are a Yeshiva for At-Risk kids. Looks like they are pretty successful. Seems to be a positive place.
My only complaint here is that this event, in my opinion, should have been kept quite from public knowledge. For these boys this burning was symbolic for removing a stumbling block from their lives. However, for the general public this would be an extreme reaction bordering on fanatic. That is why I feel that this article should not have come to light.
We live in hard times and each step needs great contemplation. 🙁
PLEASE EVERYONE STOP YOUR NEGATIVE CRITICISM. (I wish I had the strength to burn MY phone, but sadly i don’t)
I try to understand everybody; so I would like people to understand this; I am not against celluar phones since I require one to work. I am tire of seeing people especially bochurim and seminary girls texting like crazy; I am tire of see mothers with children crossing the street with the 2 year old holding onto the pram, one in the pram and the woman talking and not looking at where she is going, I am tire of man who have enough of a problem to drive with out a phone talking on a phone this including truck drivers, and bus drivers. And for sure I am tire of peoples’ phone going off in shul while davening or talking on phone while davening. Enough is enough. Maybe by burning the phone they will realize how much they really really don’t need it. I got buy in business for years with out instant contact and could again. In fact I think with all the talking going on People listen Less
#4 Big events should be saved for Matan Torah or Heralding in the Mesheiach.
This is absurd and cultured absurd and extreme behavior. Be mechanach children without extreme scences.