Despite the haredi ban on smartphone use, the Sefardi haredi Shas Party –
which draws a significant number of votes from traditional non-haredi
Sefardi voters – has released a free Android smartphone app, Maran
Shlita, which allows users to virtually follow Shas spiritual leader
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef throughout his daily activities. But this time, it isn’t haredi rabbis who want the evil technology
banned – it’s Hiddush, a secular group that advocates for freedom from
religion.
Secular Group Seeks Ban For Shas Smartphone App
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Despite the haredi ban on smartphone use, the Sefardi haredi Shas Party – which draws a significant number of votes from traditional non-haredi Sefardi voters – has released a free Android smartphone app, Maran Shlita, which allows users to virtually follow Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef throughout his daily activities.
But this time, it isn’t haredi rabbis who want the evil technology banned – it’s Hiddush, a secular group that advocates for freedom from religion, Arutz Sheva reported.
The Shas app provides information about Yosef's schedule, his writings, and has a daily question and answer on Jewish law. Yosef’s recent lectures are available on streaming video.
In some of the videos available on a website the app links to, Yosef tells viewers to vote for Shas, promising that doing so is a “mitzvah” and promising that those who follow his advice and vote for Shas will “benefit.”
Users are told that they can also send a letter directly to Yosef via the app in the hope of receiving a special blessing from the venerated sage in return.
Promising to vote for Shas is not a requirement for getting one of those special blessings from Yosef.
But in a letter to Israel’s State Elections Committee, Hiddush asked committee head Judge Elyakim Rubinstein to ban distribution of the app, claiming that the app was designed to convince people to vote for Shas based on the promise of receiving a blessing from Yosef.
In previous elections, the committee banned promises of blessings – including promises made by Yosef – in return for votes.
Shas responded to the Hiddush petition to the Elections Committee by denying any wrongdoing. The app was for informational purposes only, a Shas Party statement reportedly said, and no one using the app is required to promise to vote for Shas.
Rubinstein and the Elections Committee have reportedly not yet responded to the Hiddush petition.