Jerusalem – Report: Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky Calls For iPhones To Be Burned

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    Jerusalem – Rabbi Haim Kanievsky, who ranks in some estimations among the top five most influential rabbinic authorities, issued a public notice on Sunday saying that anyone who owns an Apple iPhone should burn it.

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    In the pronouncement, published on the front page of Yated Neeman – the most influential haredi newspaper – as well as several other ultra-Orthodox dailies, Rabbi Kanievsky said that it is completely forbidden to own an iPhone, comparing the device to weapons of war in its potential to cause harm.

    Rabbi Kanievsy’s public announcement is part of a general offensive being waged by many ultra-Orthodox rabbis at the moment, who frequently denounce smart phones and the Internet because of the ready access they provide to pornography, as well as sources of information beyond the strict confines of the ultra-Orthodox world.

    Many members of the ultra-Orthodox community have “kosher” cell phones that have no Internet connection and cannot send or receive text messages.

    Content provided by the Jerusalem Post


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    119 Comments
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    Halaivy
    Halaivy
    11 years ago

    And anyone who listens to him and burns has a mithvah of V’osisoh Kechol Asher Yorucho

    NeveAliza
    NeveAliza
    11 years ago

    Baruch Hashem I have an android and am not included in this edict.

    Yaakov2
    Yaakov2
    11 years ago

    During the past decade, many such “bans” were made and none ever worked.

    Remember the ban against Lipa Shmeltzer?

    Lipa Shmeltzer is one of the most popular today!

    The Ban actually helped make Lipa even more popular!

    The reason children (and adults) go off the Derech has absolutely nothing at all, whatsoever to do with “the Internet”.

    Justleftkolel
    Justleftkolel
    11 years ago

    Great Idea, issue more rulings that nobody will listen too, this is definitely a great way to strengthen the influence of the Gedolim. Smart phones are part of society, they are not going away, deal with it in a reasonable way, they are here to stay.

    Yaakov2
    Yaakov2
    11 years ago

    Is The “evil” Internet really the most pressing problem which Yiddishkeit faces today?

    What;s the Real cause why we loose so many of of our youth, (and adults), who go off the Derech?

    The Real cause, which makes people disillusioned with yiddishkiet, (is NOT the Internet, rather it) is when they see people making “Bans” instead of addressing the REAL issues, which is that people are disillusioned with all those, whom they are told to “look up to”, when they see in these very same “leaders”, their own corruption in the highest places.

    Just one example is every single Jewish Leadership power and group and organisation, who are ALL covering up Molestation and fighting it’s tougher legislation, because they fear it will come back to bite them.

    Only someone who knows they are guilty has reason to fear tougher legislation to fight Molesters and only someone who has something to hide (like their own corruption) fears that it will be exposed via the Internet.

    The photo is very appropriate to the article showing someone’s who’s entire head is “in the books” with little knowledge of what works and what doesn’t work in the real world, today.

    The Internet is not “THE” problem

    Yechi
    Yechi
    11 years ago

    Does the same apply to laptop computers? Or does he just not like Apple products.

    Perhaps it has to do with thr original sin was (in some opinions )an Apple

    11 years ago

    And here I was just planning on getting the new iphone.
    What if one has a filter would that still be forbidden? (Many people have it) I personally believe that within five years all there would be is smart phones including in israel and its inevitable to stop it. Better to ask everyone to use filters on there internet.

    TexasJew
    TexasJew
    11 years ago

    Everyone is born with a yetzer harah, it is our job to control it. There is so much good to these devices that they far out way the negatives.
    But then again, I’m not a Godoal like the Rav Shlita.

    11 years ago

    When the Rabbanim said that women should burn their shaitels we listened – let us see if the men listen to, or find excuses to dismiss, HaRav Kanievsky. G-d is watching.

    shredready
    shredready
    11 years ago

    the whole story he added

    “it is forbidden to posses” [an iPhone]. And not only can’t you own or posses an iPhone, if you have one, you must burn it. “[O]ne must burn it,” Kanievsky wrote, adding that “just as it is forbidden to sell a weapon to a non-Jew,

    that means all the frum electronic stores cannot sell iphones to the public interesting

    DanielBarbaz
    DanielBarbaz
    11 years ago

    How old is the Rav? And yet he is reading/ learning without wearing glasses!!!

    He must be doing something right.

    shredready
    shredready
    11 years ago

    the same thing was said when the printing press was invented and the phone

    nothing new

    AlbertEinstein
    AlbertEinstein
    11 years ago

    Never believe what you read in the media.

    Rav Kanievsky never said to burn I-Phones. The report is false.

    ChareidiMan
    ChareidiMan
    11 years ago

    Nothing personal against this giant and great person, but he is surrounded by people that have an agenda or are whacked (just like most of the big Rabbis over the past 100 years have been surrounded by bums) and they are the ones that tell him what to do.

    i think everyone would agree that Rabbi Chaim has no clue of any iphone features and he is brainwashed by people that have a lot of spare time on their hands, and it is a shame.

    When the Pupa Rav ZT”L came out against the Eiruv 40 years ago, my father was there and he heard how his people told him that by having an eiruv would bring boys and girls together on the streets, so he came out against it.

    Very unfortunate how easy these big rabbis can be manipulated, so this latest non sense has no value to me at all. He didnt say it, his “close advisors” did.

    CSLMoish
    CSLMoish
    11 years ago

    I doubt he said this at all…….one does not make a ban on something that the majority of the people cannot withstand

    jlq3d3
    jlq3d3
    11 years ago

    The worst thing about these bans is not that they are ignorant and ineffectual, it’s that it shrinks the stature of today’s gedolim.

    cynic
    cynic
    11 years ago

    Hmm, burning an iphone is a bit hazardous, what with all the plastics and toxins in the smoke. Tell you what. Instead of burning them, how’s about giving me a call and I’ll come by and take them off your hands…

    11 years ago

    I don’t believe he went as far as saying they should be burned. Watching R’ Kanievsky saying Kaddish at the Siyum showed him as extremely frail. His father, the Steipler, zt”l in regard to the question of my relative’s parents owning a TV, told him “don’t walk into the room with the TV”. He didn’t say burn it, he didn’t say tell your parents to get rid of it, he didn’t say anything negative about it at all!!!

    MayerAlter
    MayerAlter
    11 years ago

    Senile or totally hoodwinked by those around him. Which is it?

    Sociologist
    Sociologist
    11 years ago

    With all due respect to this rav, but he and his colleagues keep making a joke of the supposed leadership of the frum world.

    11 years ago

    not the smartest idea to burn anything with lithium batteries.

    RebKlemson
    RebKlemson
    11 years ago

    He is talking to a different crowd, not us. we’re already lost forever according to them so just dont get offended. we’re lost together lets get our moneys worth

    11 years ago

    Never mind hassidim, in 30 years, when the civilized world lives in “smart” homes largely controlled by omnipresent electronics, sensitive to numerous triggers, will the “orthodox” Jews of 2042 be living in specially constructed “huts” on Shabbat and Yom Tovim that are carefully designed to be devoid of electronics?

    Will they stay rooted in the house during the entire time, to avoid triggering inevitable electricity?

    11 years ago

    With all the problems in EY, don’t our gadolim have anything better to do than ban the internet, iphones and television?? Its getting tiring week after week to watch families desparately in need of food, better schools, housing and chizuk in general and instead of working with the elected officials on real problems, they are burning iphones and holding asifas about the dangers of the internet.

    peirush-tzovua
    peirush-tzovua
    11 years ago

    This is actually a kula by Rav Kanievsky, since Kull Hanisruphin Ephrun Mootor (although I wouln’t know how to actually burn an iPhone).

    anonymous23
    anonymous23
    11 years ago

    The iPhone 5 is not burnable.

    11 years ago

    Will B&H, Adorama, Focus, Buzz, Duddy’s and all the other Chareidi/chasidish owned stores stop selling these smart phones, tablets etc and join together in a great big advertising bonanza bonfire of these products?

    eschwartz
    eschwartz
    11 years ago

    It’s quite ridiculous to try living in a cave for the rest of your life. You can’t escape from society. That being said, I definitely understand the extreme dangers present in iphones, Internet, computers etc.
    What (many) people don’t seem to get is that there IS a solution. It is a very common solution, used by anyone who has actually had EXPERIENCE with technology: filters. Funnily enough, it’s the goyim who came up with the technology to block unwanted content. With a decent filter (and there are hundreds out there, many of which are free) a parent can block sites according to category, choose specific sites to be blocked on top of that, or simply block all sites except for a few specially selected ones.
    Ads are the easiest. No one really wants stupid pictures popping up that you didn’t ask for, not even goyim, and AdBlock Plus is your friend there, the most important addon available for Firefox Web.
    It is far more dangerous, really, to alienate the whole Jewish world by ridiculous statements which boil down to “technology is evil, lets burn it.” And the gedolim are clever enough to realize this, which is how I know someone misquoted or lied about what Rav Kaniefsky said.

    monseygal
    monseygal
    11 years ago

    why cant we sell it? arois gevorfen yiddish gelt…

    ModernLakewoodGuy
    ModernLakewoodGuy
    11 years ago

    If you do burn your iPhone, make sure to delete your Daf Yomi from it first, or else you run into other issues. Also check with Verizon to see if your phone insurance covers Idiocy fire damage, or just accidental fire damage.

    bracha18
    bracha18
    11 years ago

    In my humble opinion, I feel that alot of our choshuve Gedolei Hador- are pressured in to signing documents that they are not fully informed of its cotent. This also pertains to some organizations…that they suposedly sign under. It is not the language of R’ Kanievsky to speak like a zealot and use that language.
    Now if we want to discuss why adults are going off the derech- this is my personal experience: when living in a community- in which NO ONE will invite a single mother to a shabbos meal in over a year and a half, yet they are very intersted in the gossip- That causes even the strongest and frummest of us to lose faith in the frum world. & when I donated thousands of dollars to a known organization in Israel- & then hit hard times, i called them for a loan- they said they only help aniyei eretz yisrael- so I asked “should I move to eretz yisrael? ” they said they would call me back…im still waiting… Baruch HaShem- HaShem helped me. I know I am not the only one struggling with these feelings. Our issue is not HaShem or His beautiful Torah! It is some of the people/ misguided zealots…..
    May we merit to greet Mashiach & to do HaShems will in the best way that we each can

    TrueGuy
    TrueGuy
    11 years ago

    Take out the real words what he ment to say.. Not to ‘burn’ or to throw in the garbage.. He Ment To Say what EVERYBODY knows already that this causes Not good things and u shouldn’t have it AND HE IS 100% RIGHT!!

    anon1m0us
    anon1m0us
    11 years ago

    Since it is before Yom Kippur and one must to teshuva, I will self sacrifice myself for the sake of the Klal and proclaim that whomever wishes to destroy their iPhone, save yourself the trouble. I will be more than glad to come to your home or place of business and take it off your hands.

    Remember, you must listen to the gadolai hador and ged rid of it. I will take this enormous responsibility and get rid of it for you; free!

    UseYourHead
    UseYourHead
    11 years ago

    Perhaps there was a miscommunication and he meant to say that the Apple iPhone is a smash hit? (This is pure speculation on my part.)

    I’d also point out that if one does choose to burn the iPhone, I would do it from a good distance because there’s got to be some toxic fumes and other nasty stuff when you burn all those electronic components (including the battery).

    PASHUT
    PASHUT
    11 years ago

    I’d like to know who gave the Rav the info on what an iphone is. I don’t have one, and i don’t want one – so this totally doesn’t effect me. But, its hard to really, truly respect a psak if you know 100% for sure that the Rav doesn’t know the difference between an iphone, an 8 track player, a cd player, a beeper or an ipod. Its all the spin of the person who is giving him the info.

    berelw
    berelw
    11 years ago

    perhaps the rav means to burn the 3 or 4,,and then get the iphone 5

    UseYourHead
    UseYourHead
    11 years ago

    I think I know whom Microsoft is going to pick as their new posek.

    UseYourHead
    UseYourHead
    11 years ago

    Okay the p’shat is very simple. We all know that Artscroll recently released a Talmud app for the iPhone (davka, not Android). Since it is already widely recognized that the Artscroll is treife, it follows that the iPhone must be destoryed.

    11 years ago

    Tough life to be given a perfectly good iphone by Hashem only to destroy it in an ugly rage. But say what you want about todays ultra orthodox, they sure know how to control their viewing and their agenda. Too bad that Hashem doesn’t do that himself.

    HaNavon
    HaNavon
    11 years ago

    Yeah, we’ve heard it all before Rabbi…
    Remember when you made all of those women burn their shaitlech? You said it was takruvos avoda zara, but then in the end, it turned out you were fooled.
    You still haven’t reimbursed those women for their financial losses as per the Halacha in Choshen Mishpat.

    11 years ago

    Where does Rav Kanievsky stand on iPads? I was given one as a retirement gift by my colleagues.

    Seriously, I find it extremely useful for studying the daf yomi.

    Alteh-Bucher
    Alteh-Bucher
    11 years ago

    He said Iphone or smartphone ?

    11 years ago

    I’m a deaf shomer shabbos. I’m not giving up iPhone 5! I need many forms of communication as I cannot, I repeat, cannot use voice phone at all. I can use iPhone for video relay service while I am not home. I don’t appreciate being told what to do by them who has no knowledge of deaf needs.

    maxedout
    maxedout
    11 years ago

    I know its erev yom kippur, but the truth is that I stopped caring about any and all “bans” a long time ago. To me, any kol koreh should be used to line a cat’s litter box; then again, it would be redundant. These gedolim should learn once and for all to stop listening to every idiot that comes knocking on his door. Who are these askanim and who asked for them to represent the rest of us?

    Benny
    Benny
    11 years ago

    To # 5
    I am very strongly desagree with you how to talk about our gdoilim
    We might say we don’t understand or it’s hard for us to do
    But to say they they don’t understand?
    Look it at it as my personal “mocho” to you

    MosheHalevi
    MosheHalevi
    11 years ago

    Statements like these make our Gedolim look very foolish and make them loose all credibility.

    Yipyap
    Yipyap
    11 years ago

    If the Steipler’s son says to do, we do. Who are we to argue? I caught my son watching mixed dancing on his phone and immediately took it away and locked in my desk drawer. now he is using my blackberry

    11 years ago

    Everybody calm down! It’s erev Yom Kippur. Every one of us has a da’as and is chelek elokei mima’al. We should have repsect for all shitas, but since Rabonim & Askanim can’t watch everyone else 24/7, ultimately, it’s all about individual self-control. And that’s the bottom line. G’mar chasimah tovah.

    11 years ago

    “Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky Calls For iPhones To Be Burned” – headline to this story.

    What is it about chassidut (a wonderful institution in its own right, I must stress) that makes its adherents suspend all their personal powers of logic and judgment, and blindly follow whatever ‘diktat’ is handed down “in the name of the rav”?

    It’s all in the mind, you know.

    davidj
    davidj
    11 years ago

    Reasonable filters are the way for all internet access (including the Iphone).