After receiving dozens of emails from concerned readers regarding the picture on the front page of today’s Metro Section in the NY Times, YWN has consulted with a prominent Posek, and one of the Gedoley Hador, as what one should do if they are in possession of the paper.
The large color photo, which is the headline story of the NY Metro Section, is attached to the story posted earlier today on YWN [HERE] regarding the Sefer Torah being re-dedicated to a Reformed congregation
After personally seeing the photo – with the Shem Hashem clearly visible – the Posek said that the photo must be cut out and placed into Shaimos.
Please pass this important alert to anyone who gets the NY Times.
(Yitzchok Lewis – YWN News Desk)
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16 Responses
We had that last year in school. There was a chapter on jews and there was a picture of a sefer torah, and it was clear enough for us to read the words. The problem wasn’t about throwing it out, but the problem was that the picture was upside down. We had to know whether the book has to be packed away upside down for it to be right side up or not. In the end a lot of us tried to keep it upside down, but we usually forgot.
This isn’t the first time this occured in the Times.
It is a shame that a precious sefer Torah goes to a place where it will not be followed after all the suffering it went through. Then,to top of this insult,the shem Hashem is pictured in the slimes!
quick question: don’t we say that the photo copies in school are permitted to be thrown out, since that was the intention, when they were produced,so it doesn’t have real kedusha. why don’t we say the same here?
If it would have been opened up to the nesi’im, it would have been two amudim of from bamidbar and it wouldn’t be shaimos? It is assur to be ma’abed the shem but it is assur to ma’abed kisvei koidesh also. I personally think that the picture printed by the times goes into the category of “sefer torah she’kosev apikores…” However Reb Moshe has a tshuva u’kaw’ais aino tochas yodi) on the difference between writing and printing and it seems it would need geniza, but in a different geniza than regular kisvei koidesh.
YWN should print another notice that one does not have be goinez his computer just because the same picture appeared on it.
with all due respect, there was no intention to endow this item with kedushah, hence it has none and is not shaimos.
Im Kol hakovod v derech eretz
1. I am surprised that YWN now feels itself a posek
2. the idea of a psak without a name is really rochok from mesoras hatorah
3. many poskim would be matir since its akin to “karikaturin” (book galleys) which never were intended for long term use
Why is the name of the Posek anonymous?
why doenst the godel an posek have a name?
its intresting to note that this newspaper is printed by non jews and i wonder why the rabbi decided that it is shamois
Can someone please explain to me why the identity of a “Godol Hador” ruling on a question like this needs to be kept secret.
At the risk of making a mountain out of a molehill, (I’m not sure how to post a letter to teh Editor but I would ask the moderator to post this as a letter.) I think this is precisely the kind of senseless intrigue that causes the frum community needless grief.
We over-complicate every question and every issue as if it is some highly sensitive politically charged matter that will explode if the slightest disagreement should arise.
For goodness sake, Shivim Panim LaTorah and Elu v’Elu divrei Elokim Chaim. When Ravina and Rav Ashi commited Shas Bavli Bavli to writing the result was thousands of pages of recorded Machlokes. Rav Moshe zt”l published hundreds (thousands?) of tshuvos and they were far from all being without disagreement among his comtempoary poskim and on issues far more difficult to resolve. Moerover, Rav Moshe zt’l, notwithstanding his status as posek Hador, was completely willing to refer people to local Rabonim he considered a competent talmidei chachomim, and he was not insulted if someone disagreed with him.
We hear a lot these days about the erosion of emunas chachomim. If we want to restore kovod Hatorah we first need to be willing to at least make known who says what.
Opinions have more validity if they are not anonymous, psakim even more so.
this is only pertinent to new yorkers though.
out of towners do not receive the metro section with their paper.
I never accept on Anonymous Pasak & its like it does not exist as anybody could fabricate anythinig under the disguise of Anonymous & if you give a pesak stand behind it, as far as i am concerned this Godel Hador is PERSONA NON GRATA.
THIS IS THE ONLY TIME I’LL EVER TELL YOU TO TAKE THE TIMES OF OF THE BATHROOM !!
YWN so many questions, give us answeres