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amother

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 9:45 pm

I'm pretty right wing/yeshivish. I usually find myslef agreeing with the hashkafos espoused in the weekly periodicals geared for the frum community.

But I read a story yesterday that bothered me, and wanted to discuss it with someone. So here goes...

The story is written in the Hamodia in a column called Stories of Inspiration or something like that. (I almost never read the Hamodia, but I assumed it was similar to Yated, Mishpacha etc.)

A young boy (kitta ches- 13 years old?)comes home from yeshiva- I believe Satmar in Williamsburg- and tells his parents that his rebbe is a very chashuv person. He was very inspired by something that happened that day.

After learning, the rebbe told the talmidim to put away their sefarim, and then pulled out a box containing cake, and some shnaps. He told the boys that he wants to share with them why he is celebrating.

The rebbe decided to make a kabbala. The kabbala was that if he saw someone using an inappropriate device in shul, he would go over and tell them it was inappropriate. He did this every day. That day, he saw a man pull out a smartphone. He hesitated to go over to him because he knew he had a "wild personality". But he strengthened himself and said, a kabala is a kabala. He went over to the guy and told him that his smartphone is not appropriate. The man proceeded to yell at him and insult him loudly.

Later, the rebbe went to a shiur and the man came into the room and publicly vilified the rebbe.

Several people came over to him afterwards and asked to buy off the zechus of the busha he experienced, but he refused to sell such an incredible zechus.

Then he went to the store and bought the cake and shnaps to celebrate with his students. He wanted them to share in his celebration and teach them this valuable lesson.

That's the story.

Maybe it's because I am not from this world, but this story is disturbing to me on so many levels.

Anyone care to tell me their thoughts on this story?

amother

Purple

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 9:49 pm

Disturbing? Why? I think it's a beautiful story. He's doing it leshem shamayim. Many many shuls have very strict rules that phones may not be brought into or taken out in shul. It's a shame what's going on in some shuls, people have no kavod whatsoever. The person that yelled at him is wrong and out of line.

amother

Tuberose

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 9:51 pm

I'm disturbed that the rebbi is bringing alcohol to his 13 year old students Banging head

realb

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 9:52 pm

Very weird. why come and glorify the whole story to a class of 13 years old?

amother

Purple

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 9:55 pm

realb wrote:

Wow extremely weird. I dont think that's appropriate to come and announce to a class of 13 years old. I'm sure many of those kids have parents with smartphones as well. And since when are we supposed to go and tell random people that they are doing the wrong thing?

The Rebba did not say that a smartphone is inappropriate. He said that it's inappropriate to be used in shul. He's right on that.

amother

Bone

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 9:57 pm

amother [ Purple ] wrote:

The Rebba did not say that a smartphone is inappropriate. He said that it's inappropriate to be used in shul. He's right on that.

Depends on your background I guess. Plenty of people daven from their Smartphone in shul.

realb

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 9:57 pm

amother [ Purple ] wrote:

The Rebba did not say that a smartphone is inappropriate. He said that it's inappropriate to be used in shul. He's right on that.

yes you are right I read it wrong.

amother

Purple

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 9:59 pm

amother [ Bone ] wrote:

Depends on your background I guess. Plenty of people daven from their Smartphone in shul.

I think that it is disrespectful for the shul to daven out of a phone, regardless if it's a smartphone or not.

amother

Bone

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 10:00 pm

amother [ Purple ] wrote:

I think that it is disrespectful for the shul to daven out of a phone, regardless if it's a smartphone or not.

What other phone can you daven out of?

amother

Purple

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 10:01 pm

amother [ Bone ] wrote:

What other phone can you daven out of?

I don't know. My point is that I think that it's disrespectful and inappropriate to use a phone in shul, regardless if it's a smartphone or not.

amother

Wheat

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 10:04 pm

When DH drives through Monroe and stops to daven, he leaves his smartphone in the car.

From what I've heard there are signs indicating that they should not be brought into the shul.

I do think it's a weird story. And not sure what I make of advertising it to the 8th graders.

amother

Cerise

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 10:06 pm

Why is it disrespectful? The person is davening. He is not using the device to see status or Whatsapp.
Who deems what is appropriate. Sometimes, I travel by subway and say Tehillim on my smartphone. Everything can be used the right way. Besides, the melamed is not the ruchnius police. He may have been much younger too

amother

Purple

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 10:14 pm

amother [ Cerise ] wrote:

This is your opinion. In my opinion, it's disrespectful towards the shul. (I'm not talking about using a phone on the subway or elsewhere. I mean specifically in shul. I think it’s a lack of respect towards to shul to use a phone in shul, regardless if it's a smartphone or not. It especially inappropriate to use a smartphone in shul in a community where smartphones are frowned upon.) No, the melamed is not a ruchnias police, but if he means it leshem shamayim, he's doing the right thing.

dena613

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 10:19 pm

One more thought
Though I agree one shouldn't use a phone in shul

You can only give mussar if there is a chance that the listener will receive it.
It's ossur to give missed it you know the listener won't!!

amother

Purple

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 10:21 pm

dena613 wrote:

How is it possible to know that before talking to the person? If this story happened in Williamsburg, then I assume that there are signs around the shul that smartphones shouldn't be used in shul. So the phone user is really in the wrong and should be told off about it.

amother

Lemonlime

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 10:29 pm

Two things stood out to me with this story. One is giving alcohol to 13 year olds. The other is the Rebbe boasting about what he did, and how everyone was jealous of him, there’s just a sense of gaavah there that leaves a bad taste. Leave it to others to praise your actions, that kind of thing. It’s like, he suffered busha, but now he’s being a baal gaavah about it.

allthingsblue

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 10:33 pm

Wow I want to meet this rebbi, he must be such a tzaddik because he clearly perfected himself so much so that he could not find a kabbolah related to improving himself, instead he had to look outward and find kabbolas relating to other people!

Last edited by allthingsblue on Wed, Dec 08 2021, 10:50 pm; edited 1 time in total

dena613

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 10:33 pm

amother [ Purple ] wrote:

I hear your point.

The OP wrote that the rebbe was scared because the person was known to have a wild personality.

Hocheiach tochiach... Velo sisa alav cheit

gr82no

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 10:48 pm

I read this story in a weekly column/ ad about technology. Most of the stories sound not true or pathetic.

amother

Wed, Dec 08 2021, 10:57 pm

Op here.
Everyone said all the points that bothered me.
One thing: I actually don't remember for sure if the kabala was that he would tell the person off if he used a smartphone in general or only in shul.. I know that's an important part of the story becaue it makes a difference. I looked for the magazine to verify but couldn't find it. But I think I remember specifically in shul. If anyone has last week's hamodia they can check...

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