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IN-DEPTH FEATURES
Shifra was infused with a love of Torah. She always
proclaimed that her only ambition was to marry a talmid
chochom who never left the tents of Torah. When she
eventually married, she agreed to bear the burden of
parnossoh to allow her husband to learn without
worries, and she found a job.
But Shifra was a worrier by nature. She told her husband she
was willing to forego many things, but not a cell phone. In
fact she wanted a his-and-her pair of cell phones. Seeing it
was a real necessity for Shifra, her husband grudgingly
agreed and bought a pair.
The next day, as he sat in his kollel, Shifra sat in
her office. He opened his gemora and she opened her
cellular. He began his learning, humming a melody, and his
cell phone suddenly emitted a melody of its own. It was
Shifra on the line. She began to tell him she was worried
about her mother, who hadn't been feeling well that morning
and now she wasn't answering her home phone and didn't have a
cell phone . . . He allayed her fears and then tried to delve
back into the sugyo, but soon he heard another ring.
It was Shifra again. This time she wanted to know if he could
buy some vegetables on the way home.
"You know I wouldn't be asking without a good reason. We have
guests coming over for dinner. That young couple, Yoel and
Peninoh, called to accept our invitation." Again he
apologized to his chavrusa, but half an hour later
there was another ring...
*
"Hello, Shifra. I understand you're having guests over
tonight," says her neighbor Shoshanoh, walking up to her
after they left the bus using different doors.
"B-but how do you know?" asks Shifra, flustered.
"I understand you're short on vegetables, too. I have plenty
at home. Feel free to come up and take what you need. I
overheard your telephone conversation. I didn't mean to, but
you were talking out loud and you could be heard across the
bus. By the way, how's your mother feeling?"
Shifra is dumbfounded. "They say some people know everything
about you," she thinks to herself. "I always thought that was
an exaggeration, but now I see it's entirely true. Who knows
what else she's heard or whether other pairs of ears have
heard every word as well?
*
Shifra puts the kids to sleep early so that she can host her
guests without disruption. Finally the table is set with an
impressive array of scrumptious fare. The guests wash their
hands and sit down at the table for a festive meal. The
atmosphere is fabulous and it promises to be a very pleasant
evening. As the first course is served, Yoel's cell phone
rings in the background. His conversation with Shifra's
husband is cut short as he reaches for the phone. Soon he is
drawn into an extended conversation. Meanwhile the host's
cell phone rings as well, and soon he is busy talking too.
Shifra tries to save the situation by talking with Peninoh to
make her feel at ease, but before she can get a word in,
Peninoh's cell phone begins to chime as well. Now the
festivities have reached their peak. Each of the diners is
absorbed in a different conversation. One strolls toward the
window, another leans against the door and a third steps out
onto the balcony (where reception is better). One
conversation ends and the next begins and the evening
intended to bring them closer merely distances them
further.
*
Today Shifra promised her children a prize. Since they went
to sleep early last night before the guests came, she would
take them out to the playground. The children get ready
eagerly, for it is much more fun when Ima comes with them,
rather than going alone or with a baby- sitter.
The children begin to play happily and as Shifra sits down on
the bench, as you may surmise, out comes the cell phone to
call up a friend. The call takes longer than expected. The
children, periodically approaching Shifra with a request or
complaint, notice that although she's here on the bench,
their mother is not really here with them, but somewhere else
-- far, far away.
They pull at her skirt, but she responds with gesticulations
that demonstrate the phone conversation is her foremost
priority at the moment. To her friend on the other end of the
line she is chipper and courteous, while to them she casts
angry looks and makes threatening hand gestures indicating
she is not to be disturbed. Had this been a brief and
pressing call, perhaps they would have understood. But
children are graced with keen sensors and they can detect
immediately that their mother is involved in nothing more
than a casual conversation.
On the way back home the children act disappointed and Shifra
cannot understand the reason behind this display of
ingratitude. After all, she put everything aside to come with
them--yet they're not satisfied.
*
Shifra's husband sensed how fatigued she was and a decision
was made to send her to a "mothers' camp" for some fresh air.
It was a considerable financial outlay for an avreich,
but any price is worth paying for the sake of the
recuperation of a mother who works so hard all year long.
Shifra gets ready to leave and then parts from her children
emotionally.
While still on the bus, as she tries to enjoy the scenery and
to doze off, the familiar sound of the cell phone rings in
her ears. At first she hoped it was someone else's phone, but
the insistent ring told no lies. It was her ten-year-old, her
oldest daughter, asking what to serve that day for lunch.
Although her mother had prepared a detailed list, apparently
she much preferred to hear her mother's voice.
That was merely a taste of what was to come. From that point
on the cell phone lay idle only for occasional intermissions.
The children would call to update her on everything that took
place, who was quarreling with whom, who spilled the
chocolate milk, as well as inquiries such as who should throw
out the trash and who was first in line for the shower.
The children couldn't understand why their mother returned so
exhausted, not realizing how hard it can be to run the house
by remote control.
*
Shifra calls her husband to tell him the gemach called
to let him know he could come by to pick up the loan. "Why
are you sighing?" she asks.
"I'll tell you when I get home," he says. Shifra waits
anxiously for evening and she puts the children to sleep
early so she can speak with her husband undisturbed.
"I've been keeping it from you for a long time, but you
should know our financial situation is really bad," he says,
dropping his gaze to the floor. "Lately I've been wondering
what I should do next."
"Just not--don't tell me you're going to go look for a job,"
Shifra murmurs, fearfully.
"I'm at a loss. Not only is it hard to make ends meet, but
we've been accumulating debts, too."
"How can that be? You know I don't make any demands. I didn't
buy something new to wear to the wedding last month. We don't
have couches in the living room. I don't have a remodeled
kitchen, not even a microwave . . . " she says and continues
to enumerate everything she had given up for the sake of
building a Torah home.
"I am aware of all your sacrifices and I appreciate them a
great deal. I've been thinking about this a lot and I've come
to the conclusion there is someone who has made his way in
and am very worried over what he is doing to us. Every cent
you save he steals and puts in his own pocket."
"A thief has been nosing around our apartment and we didn't
know about it?" she asks in amazement.
"I wish he had only been stealing our money. The problem is
that his chutzpah has gotten out of hand. He has been
interfering with our children's chinuch, robbing them
of the attention they deserve, making them spoiled and
harming their ability to cope with problems. And as if that
weren't enough, he has been introducing estrangement and
alienation, getting involved in our connections with other
people in a potentially harmful way and has even been letting
other people know what takes place within our own walls."
"I'm totally shocked," mutters Shifra.
"And the list of his crimes goes on. He steals our time
without us noticing, sabotages our peace and quiet, prevents
us from relaxing and worst of all, disturbs the peace of mind
and concentration I need to learn a page of
gemora!"
"That I won't stand for under any circumstances!" declares
Shifra, leaping up from her seat. This is too much for her.
Torah learning, for which she is prepared to sacrifice
whatever it takes, cannot be disrupted!
"Nu, haven't you figured out who this dastardly thief is?"
*
The next day a pair of cell phones are offered for sale.
Shifra decided to get rid of them before it was too late. All
at one peace settles on her home once again. The children are
calmer, her husband can learn in peace -- without
interruptions and the anxiety of running up debts.
*
While this account may be exaggerated, it is rooted in
reality. Today the cell phone has made its way into almost
every family (only one at best) and our intention is not to
turn back the clock. It is indeed beneficial -- when one
knows how to use it properly, in the right time and place.
But the damage this little device is liable to cause cannot
be ignored. Buying a cell phone can be like buying an
overlord, but not if the appropriate restrictions are imposed
on it. There are places where it must be turned off and there
are ages at which access should be almost completely denied
(even under subscription programs intended for the chareidi
sector). In short, one must ensure this little golem
does not get the best of you.
Taking the Cell Phones out of the Kollelim
by Chaim Arbelli
A few months ago, at the end of Nisan, more than 50 roshei
kollelim from Bnei Brak, Elad and Kiryat Sefer gathered
to consult gedolei Yisroel on the issue of cell phones
in the kollelim. As a result gedolei Yisroel
issued a new, fundamental takonoh: No cell phones can
be brought inside the beis medrash while turned on.
Now the takonoh is being brought to the
kollelim.
A distinction must be made between the campaign being waged
against the kilkulim caused by some cell phones in
calling inappropriate places, and the takonos now
being formulated to control their use in kollelim.
This article addresses the latter issue.
Chazal say, "Im poga becho menuval zeh, moshcheihu lebeis
hamedrash ["If this villain comes upon you, drag him into
the beis medrash"] (Sukkah 52b). This means when the
yetzer hora strikes, it is not enough to learn Torah
at home, but rather it must be dragged into the beis
medrash. Why? Because the beis medrash, a mokom
Torah, has segulos of its own.
And this is precisely what happens today: the villain is
brought into the beis medrash.
Apparently people have interpreted this exactly the opposite,
assuming "drag him into the beis medrash" means one
should learn together with him bechavrusa. Yet they
fail to realize this villain is the street, and when the
street is brought into the beis medrash, the
segulos of mokom Torah are lost.
Stepping into a hall of Torah should mean a complete
severance from the profane and planting oneself in the house
of Hashem. Only a place cut off from the rest of the world
can be called a place of Torah. According to the holy Zohar,
he who speaks of the profane in the beis medrash
dishonors the Shechinoh (Parshas Terumoh). Botei
medrash contain a bit of the kedushoh of Beis
Hamikdosh (kemikdosh me'at) and their sanctity derives
from within.
The letter written by gedolei Yisroel opens with the
words, "Recently the fences have been breached and the number
of people who use this device has increased, while failing to
discern the boundaries of places of Torah." The cell phone
blurs the border between inside and outside.
Recently we spoke with Rav Yisroel Marmoresh, a dayan
in the beis din of HaRav Nissim Karelitz and the
menahel ruchani of Kollel Breslev in Bnei Brak, on the
dangers and disturbances when the border separating the
outside world is blurred because of a ring that shouldn't be
heard.
*
Rav Marmoresh: In our generation people are not as
focused as in the past on one issue. Advanced communications
has created a situation in which one can be involved with any
place or thing in the world. The reality is that people
periodically escape to various other places. They get updated
on the news via the newspaper and then they essentially step
out of themselves, out of their inner world.
This soul scattering is one of the reasons our generation is
weaker inside than previous generations. This escape from one
thing to the next, without continuity, makes individuals less
consistent and less grounded. The need to be connected,
updated, in touch, makes one present in every location, but
not with himself. Things have reached the point where people
feel a need to update their wife and children on an hourly
basis.
Yated Ne'eman: How are women to cope with the new
takonos? Are they too restrictive?
Rav Marmoresh: Chazal say women are rewarded for
waiting for their husbands to come home from the beis
medrash. Today sometimes the situation is reversed: the
husband waits for a ring from home. Under this state of
affairs we are robbing the woman of her reward! I think it's
a shame to take away their reward and their partnership in
Torah. The takonos will merely bring us back to the
situation of a few years ago.
Y.N.: What if there is a genuine need to maintain
contact with home?
Rav Marmoresh: This situation is mentioned clearly in
the letter by the rabbonim, which reads, " . . . with the
exception of he who has a family member urgently in need of
him (e.g. medical necessity)." But even in such cases there
are limits: Cell phone use must have the rosh kollel's
consent and be outside the beis medrash in an
unobtrusive place.
Some pointed out that the very act of carrying a working cell
phone in one's pocket already represents a certain severance
from the beis medrash. Such an individual has a
migo that he can receive a phone call, a migo
that he can contact the outside world . . . The big question
is: What has changed over the last few years? Why is it now
impossible to manage with what was fine until recently?
Y.N.: Since this is the situation today, has thought
gone into possible solutions?
Rav Marmoresh: Definitely. One solution is the public
phone, which was always good enough, and for some reason no
longer satisfies people. Gedolei Yisroel do not
overlook the fact that our generation is different. If an
avreich has an urgent need, he should let his rosh
kollel know. The very act of having to report to him will
make him realize this is an irregularity.
There are a few kollelim where one avreich (or
the rosh kollel) volunteers to carry a cell phone, and
when there is an urgent message he passes it on. The reality
is that an urgent message comes about once a week . . . When
this idea was brought before gedolei Yisroel they
asked, "And who would volunteer to be the Shabbos
goy?"
Y.N.: Do the takonos apply to roshei
kollelim as well?
Rav Marmoresh: Without a doubt the call was intended
for roshei kollelim first and foremost.
Y.N.: And if the kollel's benefactor calls?
Rav Marmoresh: Roshei kollelim do have to
attend to their material needs, but it's safe to assume every
rosh kollel can find a way to manage.
Y.N.: The way the Menahel Ruchani of Kollel Breslev
found a way?
Rav Marmoresh: Boruch Hashem I don't have a
cell phone. I think anyone who tries to live for two weeks
without a cell phone will feel much more pure, and much more
tranquil.
At our kollel we instituted the takonos before
they were made by the rabbonim. About a week later several
avreichim came up to me, thanking me for the new
atmosphere.
Y.N.: What will make the takonos succeed in the
long term?
Rav Marmoresh: This is not an external, abstract
takonoh. When every rosh kollel is signed on
the takonoh it will obligate the avreichim at
that kollel. At one of the prominent kollelim
in Bnei Brak, for instance, today it is already forbidden to
bring in even a turned off cell phone, and this is one of the
conditions of acceptance. Already, just one month after the
takonoh was instituted, we see various Torah halls
competing with one another to implement it.
*
Everyone understands the gravity of the matter of talking on
a cell phone inside the beis knesses or beis
medrash, but not everyone notices that it is disruptive
even when done in the area of the beis medrash, i.e.
in the stairwell or in the immediate vicinity.
A cell phone conversation also creates a disturbance for
people nearby. The ring severs the train of thought of
everyone present. Right away people's brains check "who's
talking to whom?" It is human nature to connect to what one
sees or hears, and when someone talks on a cell phone he
drags in everybody nearby. Even if a person sitting near the
speaker does not sever himself from his learning completely,
some of his thought processes do get cut off. One of the ways
Torah is acquired is through uninterrupted learning. Only
this type of learning has the brochoh and the
ma'alos of amalei Torah.
*
Y.N.: The yetzer hora has thousands of
different routes available to it. Why the focus on the cell
phone route?
Rav Marmoresh: This is true. But the cell phone has
something the others lack. One who knows that Toraso
umnuso tries hard to maintain his learning times. He is
well aware of the various disturbances and he makes an effort
to fight them. But he is unaware of the influence the cell
phone has. He thinks he is just talking for thirty seconds
into the receiver and he has no idea of the extent to which
this tears down the walls sheltering him from the outside
world.
I, too, think there is no end to the technological
innovations that will affect the cell phone of the future. We
must create an unambiguous awareness before it is too late:
cell phones in the beis medrash represent a total
contradiction to the concept of a mokom Torah.
Otherwise, in the future we may find ourselves not between
the four walls of the beis medrash, but out in the
streets.
Rav Yisroel Marmoresh recalls that when a state of emergency
was declared in the US, the roshei yeshivos from one
of the leading yeshivas there asked HaRav Chaim Kanievsky
what steps should be taken. They received the following
response:
A mokom Torah is not in need of protection.
But when the great gaon heard that cell phones were in
use there he took back his previous advice.
At a gathering of roshei kollelim, Rav M.T. Bergman
recalled that when HaRav Shach zt'l was asked whether
to have a public phone installed at his kollel (by
then there were already 100 avreichim), Maran asked,
"What for?"
When Rav Bergman explained that sometimes there are cases of
pikuach nefesh, Maran replied that if one is among
Jews the case of pikuach nefesh will work itself out
and that there are many ways to manage.
BS'D, Sivan 5763
Sholom Uvrocho,
At the end of the month of Nisan this year, dozens of
roshei kollelim gathered in Bnei Brak at the
initiative of maranan verabonon, who led the meeting,
in order to establish regulations on the use of cellular
phones in kollelim in order to fortify the halls of
Torah and preserve appropriate standards.
Following the meeting, maranan verabonon issued a
letter addressed to all of the kollelim, which we
hereby bring to your attention.
This matter can only be conveyed to those who truly
understand the gravity of the stumbling-block and the great
responsibility involved in maintaining a mokom Torah.
He who upholds the regulations fulfills the verse, "Boruch
asher yokim es divrei haTorah hazos."
With our blessings, respectfully yours,
Shelucho Derabbonon
*
Tikkun Godol Regarding the Use of Cellular Telephones in
the Halls of Torah and Tefilloh
Recently the walls have been breached, and the number of
users of this device who fail to recognize the borders of the
mokom Torah have multiplied. Instead of this space
being cut off from worldly vanities as a separate and special
place for Torah and tefilloh, secular affairs are
brought into the heichalei Torah, with all of the
concomitant chatting and lightheadedness. The sounds from
these devices distract and disjoint the learning of others
nearby as well.
Even those who step outside to speak about pressing matters
sever themselves from the place of their sustenance, thereby
creating a distraction that is one of the biggest causes of
losses in Torah learning.
Although the proper and correct policy would be to totally
refrain from bringing these devices into heichalei
hakollelim--which is the path leading to perfection in
esek haTorah--since not all places are alike and not
all necessities are identical, roshei kollelim
gathered at our behest and, in order to prevent the use of
these devices improperly, the following limits and restraints
have been established:
A. No (operative) cellular phone devices may be brought into
the heichal hakollel, with the exception of situations
that are at least bordering on pikuach nefesh, and
then with the consent of the rosh kollel.
B. This device may not be used [at all] during the
sedorim, with the exception of one whose household
members are urgently in need of him (e.g.
extraordinary medical necessity), and even this shall
only be outside the beis medrash in a discreet place
and with the consent of the rosh kollel.
This shall serve as a tikkun godol to maintain the
watch over the protective walls of heichalei
haTorah.
For the honor of Torah and those who toil in it,
Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman
Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz
Nissim Karelitz
I join in this.
Yosef Sholom Eliashiv
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