We are concerned about our brethren Bnei Yisroel, to come together with a common idea, to preserve the valuable from the degraded, and to prevent good people of Israel from falling to spiritual depths Rachmono litzlan.
After serious information was brought to our attention about the spiritual damage that has been caused to many as a result of their being exposed to loshon hora and rechilus, leitzonus and mocking all that is holy to Israel, machlokes and other evil things that lurk under the label of Kavei Nayis (Telephone News Lines) in all their variety; and after we heard about youths and adults who became strongly attached to this sickly evil thing, and thereby destroyed their character, precious time and money, and they declined severely from [their previous levels in] learning Torah and avodas Hashem yisborach.
We come hereby with this holy call, to arouse hearts about the serious nature of the awful issur to listen or cooperate with these phone lines, and about the damage they cause to those who listen or tell and to Klal Yisroel, choliloh, and he who seeks to preserve his soul will distance himself from them as it says, "Who is the man who wants life, who loves days to see good? [He should] Restrain your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Go away from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it."
This serious stumbling block, whose operators seek to sustain themselves by causing the community to transgress absolute issurim, is an unequivocal stumbling block and seduces, Rachmono litzlan, to sin. It also causes bitul Torah and tefilloh, and a tremendous chill in service of Hashem boruch Hu. It has felled many casualties and those who repeatedly sin consider it permissible, choliloh.
Therefore in order to guard the matter, we have come to warn the elders about the youth that it is an unequivocal issur to listen to these phone lines, and everyone is forbidden to be interviewed by them, and also those who operate them are forbidden to do so and they are in the category of those who sin and cause others to sin, and their transgression is too great to bear.
We call upon all the operators to close these phone lines, and to the community of yereim and chareidim for Hashem's word to refrain from this sick evil. All educators, fathers and mothers should know that the soul of their children and students which is more precious than anything is dependent on this, that they remove their ears from hearing and their eyes from seeing this opposite of good.
Those who heed our words will be blessed with much nachas and brochoh from all their children, with simchah and expansiveness and good heartedness, and may they merit to see children and grandchildren occupied with Torah and mitzvos, continuing without obstacle the traditions of our forefathers, in the well-worn path from generation to generation.
(signed)
Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Degel HaTorah Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Yisroel
