Rosh Yeshivas Ohr Yisrael, HaGaon HaRav Yigal Rosen, expelled five bochrim from the yeshiva after they were found in procession of kosher cellphones.
One of the bochrim spoke with Kikar Shabbos News, explaining the summer zman has begun, and Rav Rosen learned bochrim in shiur bet had kosher cellphones in yeshiva, a violation of regulations. He decided this was sufficient grounds for their expulsion.
The yeshiva is known for its extremely strict regulations, according to some, more so than all other litvish yeshivos.
The kosher cellphones in this case is one example. Bochrim know the penalty is their immediate expulsion. The report adds that when the rosh yeshiva learned of their cellular telephones, he was heard saying “I will prepare a surprise for them at the end of the zman”. It is explained the rosh yeshiva preferred to oust them at the end of the zman and not immediately, to make it more difficult for them to find another yeshiva at that late hour.
Others opine that the opposite is true, and while the bochrim crossed a red line with their phones, the rosh yeshiva nevertheless waited, to permit them to continue learning rather than lose the summer zman.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
Its time bucherim learn the consequences of breaking the rules.
If this is the policy and you can not keep to it then join the IDF army and they will open their arms for you
rules are rules, the sooner theses immature bucherim get it the better off they are
How was their learning? Did these kosher phones disturb their learning in any way? Did the devices tempt them to be oveir any of the Mitzvos of the Torah, or were they only a violation of the gezeiroh of the Rosh Hayeshiva? I am not minimizing the authority of a Rosh Hayeshiva. But I am questioning whether this was a statement of power or a genuine move to purify the environment from aveiros. If the latter, we can debate the issue. If the former, we have a bigger problem here. The Torah gives us 613 Mitzvos, of which 365 are restrictions. Adding to that list is as serious as subtracting.
The Chazon Ish would not allow a Rosh Hayeshiva to expel a bochur that was mechalel Shabbos. When the Rosh Hayeshiva heard that, he told the Chazon Ish he cannot co-exist with a mechalel Shabbos. The Chazon Ish suggested and accepted his resignation, and the bochur remained. That bochur has not only done requisite teshuvah, but is a talmid chochom today who is a marbitz Torah. What do we recall from the story of the Chofetz Chaim being informed of a bochur who was smoking on Shabbos?
Should we expelling a bochur with a kosher phone? Is that a fitting consequence? Does this Rosh Hayeshiva care to insure the bochurim will be able to continue learning?
A rule is a rule, whether you like it or not.
“If you don’t like the rules, don’t play the game”.
If they knew the rule and it’s consequence, they messed up by breaking it.
Whether this should or shouldn’t be the rule, that’s honestly no one’s business – but the boss’s.
Therefore – I agree with the decision to throw them out.
It sounds reasonable that either the Yeshiva changes its rules or it enforces the ones it has evenly. Anyone who doesn’t want to live by those rules can find another Yeshiva was more relaxed ones.
What in your opinion is the issue based on.
SATIRE:
…and yet there is a third opinion of what happened…. The Rosh Yeshiva began to open his mind….. as some reported the RHY sat down and said that phone read backwards in hebrew is Nof and nof means view or perspective and he said loudl enough for peopel to hear “I am taking a new perspective on the phones and I will keep the Bochurim and see if they themselves get rid of the phones, if not I will have them expelled.”
I’m not understanding what the big deal is about this story. They broke the rules of the Yeshiva, so they suffer the consequences. It has nothing to do with how strict the Yeshiva is. The rules are rules.
Fanatical Rosh Yeshiva
I hope the Bachurim grow in Torah and Mitzvot and do not rebel from such harshness. Harsness leaves a sour taste, people prefer sweet and kind.
im having trouble comprehending this rule. maybe they broke the rules. but the consequences for this rule are overly harsh and stupid. didn’t they make kosher phones for chariedim that don’t want the internet in the first place? i don’t get what the diff between having a kosher phone and a house phone? these kosher flip phones hardly even Text and have no internet what is distracting about them more than making a phone call from a payphone or house phone? with such strict rules your better off in a different yeshiva anyways