iPhones Make Mikvas Unkosher, Invalidate Weddings And Divorces, Leading Haredi Rabbi Rules

Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky says anyone who owns an iPhone or similar phone or device that has full internet capabilities is halakhicly considered damaged and is therefore forbidden to serve as a witness at a wedding or a divorce. If an iPhone user with such a smartphone had already served as a witness at a wedding or a divorce, then the wedding or divorce is invalid and must be done over again, and this holds true not only a priori, but also as a secondary position (i.e., even b’diavad). And this holds true for many other things, including the validity of women's mikvas.

Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky

Originally published at 10:40 pm CST 12-24-2013

iPhones Make Mikvas Unkosher, Invalidate Weddings And Divorces, Haredi Gadol Says
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

Rabbi Aaron Feinhandler reportedly heads the haredi Committee for Clean Communications, a group that campaigns against smartphone use by haredim.

He recently visited Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, the second most important non-hasidic Ashkenazi haredi rabbinic leader in Israel, to discuss the issue with Kanievsky, Yeshiva World reported based on a report in the haredi news website Kikar HaShabbat. Also at that meeting was Kanievsky’s grandson, Rabbi Aryeh Kanievsky.

Feinhandler wrote a letter summing up what took place. He quotes Kanievsky as saying that anyone who owns an iPhone or similar phone or device that has full internet capabilities is halakhicly considered damaged and is therefore forbidden to serve as a witness at a wedding or a divorce. If an iPhone user with such a smartphone had already served as a witness at a wedding or a divorce, then the wedding or divorce is invalid and must be done over again, and this holds true not only a priori, but also as a secondary position (i.e., even b’diavad).

Rabbis who certify women’s mikvas also fall under this ruling, Kanievsky said. Therefore, Kanievsky asserted, in cities like Jerusalem where many, perhaps most, employees of the religious council carry a smartphone, this disqualifies the kosher status of women’s mikvas.

Similarly, many employees of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel’s religious court system carry smartphones, and the same is true for independent haredi beit dins, as well – and all of their rulings would also be voided by this fact, Kanievsky allegedly asserted.

Rabbi Aaron Feinhandler's letter. Please click to enlarge:

Comments

[rebitzman - $101 to read my posts]

As I type this on my iPad (iPhone close at hand) I am curious, if my marriage us invalid because of them, why should I worry about the validity of the divorce?

[DAMishMan]

The only evidence that Rav Kanievsky said this is from a well known eccentric. To post something like this without making clear that the information comes second hand via an unreliable source is an insult to Rav Kanievsky and contributes to the erosion of faith in our Gedolim among people who don't know better than to accept these types of reports at face value.

[Frummie Where?]

The Rabbinate was just getting used to the iPhones. Okay, guess they will go back to carrying around two dixie cups connected with a string for all their communication needs.

[RWisler]

DAMishMan,

Why should anyone have any faith in "gedolim"? They have no more experience or knowledge of the world than I do. These demagogues of yours are morally bankrupt rashoy'im who your society of "yeshivish" dolts have propagandized as the "voice of God". The level of cult-worship in your circles is as bad as that of Lubavitch or North Korea.

Perhaps you need to get an education and an honest trade so that you aren't duped by evil men like Kanievsky.

[S M L]

Total freaking insanity - in other words, business as usual in the world of the frum.

[Western Jew]

Kaneivsky is like the TSA of Judaism. And if you think that is funny, wait until you have to remove your home to get into the mikveh too.

[shmuel]

The English translation is not accurate, the Hebrew is even more machmir!

The Hebrew version says the ruling concerns anyone who possesses "an iphone, unfiltered internet, etc" clearly meaning that any iphone is forbidden, whether or not with internet,and aslo having unfiltered internet on any device even a table computer is forbidden.

I don't understand why Androids are allowed - are chareidim invested in Galaxy and Samsung?

You really can't make this stuff up!!

[shmuel]

Maybe this is what happens when they stop learning Torah on Christmas and play cards instead.
Kanievski must have lost, and as forfeit had to invent the funniest chumrah he could come up with - and boy did he come to the challenge!

[Account Deleted]

Taken to the logical conclusion, all charity contributed to any institution must be returned to the charity giver if that person used the evil instrument, thereby making the funds ill gotten.

Odd that they never go that far.

[David]

I have had unfiltered Internet since around 1992. Shall I recall all my donations to frumma institutions?

Thought not.

[jancsibacsi]

What if you have 2 or 3 iphones?

[Bas Melech]

In recent years, he and other rabbis overstep and abuse their authority. It must be his meds speaking.

[Bas Melech]

@ RWisler | December 25, 2013 at 12:02
You correctly state that the Litvish rabbis have become more like chasidic rebbes. The more power, the more unrealistic the yeshivish rabbis become.

[Feminista]

I guess this means that almost all his followers under a certain age are either living in sin or are illegitimate. Does this mean they must leave off being frum and get normal lives?

[Chicago Sam]

The world of great halacha scholars is at an end. These men are charlatans who will do anything for power or money. The rabbi belongs on SNL.

[plus.google.com/105365650738687784925]

As Rav Eliashiv, zt"l, once said: If you didn't hear it directly from me, don't believe it.
And even if the answer is accurate who knows what the question was? Probably: An iPhone is a small device that is freely available and is packed with pornography. Owning it leads to mixed dancing! What does the Rav have to say about that?

As computer geeks used to say in the 1970's: GIGO. Garbage in = garbage out

[!]

Posted by: DAMishMan | December 24, 2013 at 11:00 PM
Ridiculous.
If you know he's an eccentric then certainly the Rabbi's handlers do and would not have allowed him an interview no less a public statement.

Somehow, I get the feeling that if someone else interviewed the Rabbi and then published a statement claiming this was all a mistake, the Rabbi actually has an iphone himself and requires his followers to do the same and that unless one learns the daf daily on his iphone he is not a kosher witness, it wouldnt take two days for a public statement of denial to be issued.

They know well this is being said and they like it that way!

[ruthie]

who owns an iPhone or similar phone or device that has full internet capabilities is halakhicly considered damaged

wow! i am SO halakhicly damaged according to this guy.
these guys just appoint themselves as g-d. shocking really.
also kind of disappointing....they represent having brains...where are the brains?

[Sarah D,]

Haters here are always "don l'kaf" gain. shame on you. no evidence the Rav ever said this.

This could be just another anti-haredi scam like the soy accusation etc...

But the haters here alway jump to knee jerk conclusions. Unimpressive.

[Sarah D,]

lkaf gnai

[Allan]

I-phones, internet, secular books etc. are rightfully feared by our self-appointed rabbinic “leaders” because they are sources of INFORMATION. That is the kryptonite against which they are powerless. By resorting to censorship, the rabbis are, in effect, conceding defeat and admitting that their beliefs cannot stand up in open debate with a system of knowledge that relies on evidence, experiment and reason rather than faith and submission to authority.

[NeverFrum]

What does the other old grumpy man from the muppets think about this?

[SkepticalYid]

Posted by: Sarah D, | December 25, 2013 at 10:02 AM

Commenters on YWN verified it. But why accept facts, when you can attack people here, instead?

[Yochanan Lavie]

iPhones Make Mikvas Unkosher, Invalidate Weddings And Divorces, Haredi Gadol Says

Where can I download those apps? ;)

[(The other) Eli]

I have an Android. I guess I'll just stick to eating pork and violating shabbat to make sure I'm not hallachically suitable to be a witness.
When is this cretin gonna kick the bucket already, anyway?

[WoolSilkCotton; I must be seen to be believed]

The Soy Accusation! What a religion.

When you accuse others of eating soy, or whatever other bullcrap 'the soy accusation' refers to, it's time for these folks to be taken off welfare, and have them occupy their time with working a real job, so they would have less time to argue about soy.

[ah-pee-chorus]

SkepticalYid-

I just checked YWN and dont see any confirmation.

[Steven W]

As it is written:

Immerse a Samsung Galaxy S4 Active waterproof smartphone in a mikvah and recite the proper blessing to make it kosher. All screen protectors must be removed prior to immersion.

All Android devises running OS 4.4 (Kit Kat) are certified OU-D. If you drop one in your cholent, consult your local rabbi.

An iPhone cannot be kashered because it requires a waterproof case which interferes with the free flowing of the water.

[LAM]

A sagacious fatwa by the learned Mullah.

I now understand my left hand is turning green because of its regular contact with Apple devices and, thank G-d, not because of some other shmutzik acts.

[Moisheb]

It doesn't even have reb chaim signature on this paper this is just another peice of bad journalism and misleading your readers.

[Shmarya Rosenberg]

Idiot.

The letter is N-O-T from Rabbi Kanievsky and I do N-O-T claim that it is from him.

If you could read and process, you'd know that.

But like always with you, your big mouth and your fingers move much faster than your tiny little brain.

[Moisheb]

Omg !!!read your own headline. "iPhones Make Mikvas Unkosher, Invalidate Weddings And Divorces, Haredi Gadol Says
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com"

Yes the report was about this Feinhandler Guy but COME ON READ YOUR OWN HEADLINE AND TELL ME THATS NOT MISLEADING

[Sarah D,]

"Commenters on YWN verified it"

OMG - it must be true....

another non-story w/no verification

[Shmarya Rosenberg]

Moisheb and Sarah D –

Please.

The rabbi making the claim is known and, by all accounts, Kanievsky's grandson was in the meeting.

Bit NO ONE who was in that meeting denies the letter is accurate – not Kanievsky, not his grandson.

Your dishonesty is astounding

[sambatyonerchosid]

When will there be a Cards Against Humanity - Hareidi Edition? I think the need for such is daily increasing. SMH