I wish I could say that I am perplexed by what happened at a
wedding hall in Jerusalem last week. Because that would be the normal response
by someone who had heard that a Rosh Yeshiva disqualified an individual designated as a witness to sign a Kesuva. A Kesuva is the Halachic marriage contract.
It would be shocking to most people that a witness was disqualified
because he owned an I-phone. But the way things are going now, I am not shocked or even perplexed
by it at all. From YWN:
As the kesuva was being written, Rabbi Yosef Ze’ev Feinstein, Rosh Yeshivas ‘עמלה של תורה’, the mesader kedushin, asked to meet the Eidim (witnesses). He asked them to see their cell phones. One pulled out a kosher phone. The second an iPhone. The latter was disqualified as a witness.
There are many Halachic reasons to disqualify a witness. But
owning an I-phone is not one of them. And yet this Rosh Yeshiva decided that owning
an I-phone is so bad that it is enough to… not only disqualify someone from
being a witness, but enough to embarrass him in doing so in front of those who
designated him as such and those who watched this happen.
This is the state of the extremism that runs rampant in
certain Charedi circles in Israel I guess. While I don’t think anyone has yet
been disqualified as a witness in America for owning an I-phone, it can’t be
that far off. In the never ending chase to be seen as the Fummest… what happens
in Israel… doesn’t stay in Israel.
There is always someone here who take up the cause and be
the first to be the “Frummest”! It happened with the devaluing of Limudei Chol
(secular education) and it will easily happen to I-phone owners.
I know all their arguments. The internet is pure evil -
worse than anyone can imagine! If you have any device that can access it… YOU
are evil! Especially if it is a hand held device where one can hide access
and pretend to be “holy”.
And now, post Internet Asifa, one is in direct violation of
the edict against the internet imposed by someone who many consider the Posek HaDor.
An edict about which a key speaker said that violating a public Psak by such
a Posek causes one to lose their Olam Haba. This was not contradicted by
any of the many rabbinic leaders who attended that Asifa.
So this poor ex-witness who very likely does not use his I-phone
for illicit purposes has not only lost his status as a Kosher witness, he may
very well have lost his portion in the world to come too. Nebech!
But… perhaps I’m wrong. Perhaps the Rosh Yeshiva was doing
us all a favor. This witness will now realize the evil of his ways; throw away his I-phone; and do Teshuva.
And the rest of us will now take heed of how terrible owning an I-phone is.
I’m sure glad to know that the worst thing anyone can do is
own any device that can access the internet. (I will now forever spit every
time I say the word “internet”.)
I hope Rabbi Nechmya Weberman is paying attention. He can
rest easy now knowing that compared to owning an I-phone, sexually molesting numerous
young women - teens and pre-teens - who came to him for guidance and “therapy”
wasn’t so bad. At least not compared to owning an I-phone.
I’m sure if he were
one of the witnesses at that wedding he would have passed with flying colors. I
hope the judge in his case takes note of the fact that Rabbi Weberman does not own
an I phone. And never would! Chas V’Shalom! If not I hope his character witness
point that out. I can almost guarantee there will be numerous character
witnesses at his trial testifying to what a Tzadik he is.
Good to know where the Torah world’s priorities are heading.
