Thursday, February 19, 2015

Maran HaRav Shteinman: iPhone Users are Pasul L’Eidus


This month, 26% of my audience used the i phone to access my site.....
That's quite a % of my audience......21% used the Android....

 My question is.... how many are now going to run to buy an Android?
 Maybe, Rav Shteinman didn't mean "davkeh" an i phone, maybe he meant any Smartphone!
But if he meant any smartphone, why did he "davkeh" say "i phone?" 

My second question is:
How about a guy who abused and molested countless girls in a well known Seminary in Yerushalayim, but doesn't have an i phone, is he "Pasul L'Eidus?"

How about a guy, who beats up a Frum IDF soldier in Uniform, a block away from Rav Shteinman's residence, but doesn't have an iphone, is he "Pasul L'Eidus?"

How about the guy in Ponovitz that threw a Shtender on the Rosh Yeshivah and drew blood, but doesn't have an i phone, is he "Pasul L'Eidus?"

Or does Rav Shteinman's psak only concern the guy who possesses an i phone? 
And the abuser, the bully,etc.. are all, according to Rav Shteinman, full fledged Kosher Eidim?

Maran HaGaon HaRav Aaron Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita spoke out regarding persons using iPhones, stating they are pasul l’eidus. 


HaGaon HaRav Moshe Yehuda Schneider tells of the gadol hador’s words in the weekly Pri Chaim publication. 

He explains “we merited hearing Maran’s opinion regarding iPhones, the impure device, and I am presenting these words after Rabbeinu questioned regarding a bochur that R”L fell victim as a result”.

He begins by stating the Rosh Yeshiva was made aware of the high cost of such a phone, resulting in his response that it is quite costly to sin and people are willing to pay a great deal of money – the main thing is to sin. 

He adds that a good esrog is less expensive and when he heard one person say that one who spends so much on an iPhone will not buy an expensive esrog, Rav Shteinman stated this is not necessarily so, for there are those who will pay for an esrog, as well as for an iPhone l’havdil.

Rav Shteinman was informed that HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Halevy Wosner Shlita ruled one who possesses an iPhone is ‘pasul l’eidus’ as Rav Wosner disqualified a witness at a chupah when learning of his phone. 

Rav Shteinman stated “The Klall is a prohibition that incurs malkos renders one pasul from d’oraissa and a prohibition that does not incur malkos only pasuls d’rabbonon. Hence, one with an iPhone is pasul from eidus d’rabbonon since malkos are not involved here. 

3 comments:

  1. Yuppee..!!!!!!
    Yippee....!!!!

    I still only have a little flip phone, still afraid of the iPhones or whatever they're called, don't have Internet on my little shmichik, only last year got rid of my rotary dial house phone,still wear these old wide tie clips, so I'm kosher L'eidus.
    I'm getting tons of calls to be an eidus for ksubas, chupas, hoopies,wills,court cases, divorces,estate deals.
    I'm offering my services to the highest bidder... It's cold & freezing this week and I haven't made a dime yet.... My rent is due, the little ones are yelling for borscht, wife nudging for a new shaitel and I need new pants... Or does taking $$$$$ passel me.. ?
    Never mind that, I'm ready to Affirm first and ask questions later..


    the Derby

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  2. 'Or does Rav Shteinman's psak only concern the guy who possesses an i phone?
    And the abuser, the bully,etc.. are all, according to Rav Shteinman, full fledged Kosher Eidim?'

    You are like a little kid.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 5:40
    So, do you have an iphone? Big "kid"?

    ReplyDelete