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Rav Schach (born 1898 CE, died 2001 CE)
was a heavy smoker in his younger years,
before it was known how injurious smoking is to health.After an operation, he asked his doctor if he could start smoking again.
The doctor said:
‘It would be better for you not to begin again.’Rav Schach reacted:
‘If smoking is dangerous for my health,
even slightly, I will stop completely.’He threw his cigarettes away and never smoked again.
SOURCE: condensed from HaRav Schach: Conversations (page 234) by Feldheim Publishers
Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, considered one the greatest
Halachic authorities of the previous generation, wrote:“I never joined with those Rabbis who permit smoking.”
SOURCE: article by Matthew Wagner in The Jewish Herald, 2010/1/29, page 26
Rabbi Efraim Greenblatt of Memphis, Tennessee,
likened smoking to lying down on a busy highway.SOURCE: article by Matthew Wagner in The Jewish Herald, 2010/1/29, page 26
SQRT> Any yeshivah man who smokes cigarettes is a behemah
This is similar to R Kronglass, Ner Isroel as quoed b R Mintz: if a bochur is not satisfied with yeshiva food and goes to eat in a restaurant, he behaves as behama, as he is tryingt to satisfy his animal soul
It is a feature and not a bug that halakha is a slow process. As R Steinsaltz used to say – when physicists finally figure out what electricity is, then we will make halakha about it.
But this contradicts speed of changes in modern life – both medical and social. And the natural reflex is to resist changes – just in case. So, this explains smoking and distrust of linear algebra – but does not excuse them!
This quote is from Matzav dot com, from an article titled:
“Rav Rules on E-Cigarettes During Tishah B’Av: They Are Forbidden on a Fast Day”:====================================================
As Tishah B’Av approaches, Rav Ofir Malka addressed a common
halachic question regarding the use of electronic cigarettes during the fast,
ruling that vaping is prohibited because of the flavored liquid used in the devices.Speaking on his Halachah Lemaaseh radio program,
Rav Malka was asked whether smoking an electronic cigarette is permitted on Tishah B’Av.His response was unequivocal.
“Electronic cigarettes may not be smoked on fast days,
and certainly not on Tishah B’Av,” he said.Rav Malka added that even the limited leniency some authorities
extend to conventional cigarettes applies only “privately after chatzos.”He explained that the prohibition stems from the flavored liquid contained in electronic cigarettes.
“It has moisture, and that is considered like taste, similar to sucking on something,” he said.
When the caller argued that the liquid is not fit for consumption,
Rav Malka responded that, in its diluted form, it nevertheless has a pleasant taste.“It is moisture that is enjoyable to you. In low concentrations, it tastes good to you,”
he explained, concluding that vaping is therefore prohibited during a fast.Rav Malka also noted that because the liquid has flavor,
it requires kosher certification throughout the year—not only on Pesach.“It has an enjoyable taste in every respect, together with that moisture,” he said.
Later in the program, Rav Malka was asked about someone who accidentally ate during a fast.
His answer was clear: “He certainly must stop immediately and continue fasting.”
He explained that inadvertently eating does not exempt a person from completing the remainder of the fast.
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