Mir Rosh Yeshiva HaGaon HaRav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel has announced a computer ban in The Mir. The ban also includes any non-kosher cellular telephone.
The letter, the rosh yeshiva’s first, dated “Teves 5772” speaks of the rosh yeshiva’s decision to fight against technology, those devices capable of connecting to the internet. The stationary is that of his late father, HaGaon HaRav Nosson Tzvi Finkel ZT”L.
The ban pertains to any and all of the yeshiva grounds, beis medrash, dining areas, dorms and apartments.
In addition, one’s phone should not be on during learning times in the beis medrash, and no one has permission to bring a computer into the yeshiva premises.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
Perhaps the Mir should impose a airplane-mode like setting in their batei midrash — I can’t be hard to block all incoming cellular and wifi signals, even many universities do it selectively in their classrooms.
Perhaps we shouldn’t just throw away all of modern technology, which can be very helpful (Yes even in learning and in spreading Torah, all you Luddite commentators) when there are also simple modern technology fixes for the Yeshiva’s specific concerns.
The Rosh Yeshiva Shlita himself said that computers are allowed in the Otzar HaSeforim and in the Shiur rooms.
Ha! Good luck with that dorm part!!! 🙂
When I was in yeshiva, no one had a personal computer or a personal telephone, and everyone managed to learn Torah just fine. Indeed, that statement can be said of virtually everyone who was in yeshiva prior to 20 years ago, and that covers millions of Bnei Torah over the last few millenia. Except for odd situations, such as people who need helping seeing a page (more than readsing glasses, which are a truely useful invention, and are relatively quite new), learning Torah does not require much beyond intgelligence and hard work, neither of which are dependent on, nor derived from, technology.
To #4 times have changed 20 years ago there was no A.C.in the Beis Medrash and they learnt just fine.
Times have changed, but so has the Yetzer Hara. For buchrim learning is paramount, they do not need to write their devrei Toras yet. The cell phone is a help when you have a family, but few buchrim need to be in touch for 24/7.
Bottom line, everything in proper proportion.