The Moetzas Gedolei Torah of Agudas Yisroel (in Eretz Yisroel) on Tuesday morning, 23 Iyar, released a kol korei in chareidi newspapers to warn the tzibur of the dangers of the smartphone.
The kol korei adds that even those who have an authorized or kosher smartphone, for parnasa or another authorized need, this is a ‘very b’dieved and the least of the evils at best’ and in no way removes the concerns associated with the young impressionable getting hold of one.
The admorim point out that even if one has it with a heter, one should ponder if one really requires a smartphone, and if so, usage must be limited to private places and not in front of others, family and friends. Rabbonim and gabboim of shuls are expected to confront mispallalim with such devices and to amend the shul regulations to include the prohibition. Educational institutions are also instructed not to accept students from homes in which parents use smartphones.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem / Photo Credit: HaMevaser)
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8 Responses
Yeah ok. No one who owns a smartphone will get an Aliyah. Sure. I see AY in EY wants to become as relevant to the oilam as AY in USA.
What is being added with this kol korei, that hasn’t been said before? (many times)
Interesting that Aguda is against smartphones. Thought that in the USA it was accepted to have one.
Of course they can be disruptive, but also can be used for good too….
My husband and I have managed not to have smartphones ’til now. We just got new kosher dumb phones and they are pieces of junk. Apparently Nokia doesn’t even make the dumb phone anymore. I honestly don’t know if we’ll be able to avoid getting smartphones the next time around. Also, recently a few things came up where I really needed SMS capabilities. SMS is used here in Israel for various functions and there aren’t always other options. Why can’t the kosher dumb phones have SMS?
i have some very troubling news. whatsapp, that works only on smartphones, is used by the grandson of the chareidi world’s leading icon. meetings with his grandfather are set with some that way.
And how is the gabbai going to know when to “confront” someone? Maybe he has a heter, and it’s filtered, and he’s doing a permitted action, (and it’s not during davening).
And here we go again……
To join my shul, one has to sign a form where, if I understand it correctly, he promises that if there is a computer at home for permitted uses, it must be in the very easily accessible part of the house, basically, where everybody, at least everybody who lives in your house, can see him use it.
Now, there is this Kol Korei which states “even if one has it with a heter, […], usage must be limited to private places and not in front of others, family and friends. ”
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