Author Topic: Cell-phones/talking in Shul  (Read 12976 times)

Offline aarony

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Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« on: May 02, 2017, 11:47:18 PM »
One thing I did when I was an avel (and am trying to continue) is leave my cellphone at home or in my car.  I found that I davened better.  - even if the cellphone is totally turned off if it was in my pocket it was a distraction.  I figured if I am going to daven for the amud for 11 months, let me at least try to daven like a mentsh.

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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2017, 11:50:43 PM »
One thing I did when I was an avel (and am trying to continue) is leave my cellphone at home or in my car.  I found that I davened better.  - even if the cellphone is totally turned off if it was in my pocket it was a distraction.  I figured if I am going to daven for the amud for 11 months, let me at least try to daven like a mentsh.
Wow. Kudos. I didn't make it that far...  :(

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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2017, 11:56:36 PM »
One thing I did when I was an avel (and am trying to continue) is leave my cellphone at home or in my car.  I found that I davened better.  - even if the cellphone is totally turned off if it was in my pocket it was a distraction.  I figured if I am going to daven for the amud for 11 months, let me at least try to daven like a mentsh.
I don't understand the shuls that have phone lockers. Why can't you just shut it and leave it in your pocket? However, your post gives me some insight to answer this.

Offline myi

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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2017, 01:39:18 AM »
I don't understand the shuls that have phone lockers. Why can't you just shut it and leave it in your pocket? However, your post gives me some insight to answer this.
You know how it goes, you go in for a mincha and you will be done in 15 minutes why should I bother to shut my phone let it be on vibrate, and then while waiting for chasaras hashas you take it out and start to text your wife.
 You must have never heard rav Lazer ginsburg speak about this topic!
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Offline myi

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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2017, 01:45:31 AM »
One thing I did when I was an avel (and am trying to continue) is leave my cellphone at home or in my car.  I found that I davened better.  - even if the cellphone is totally turned off if it was in my pocket it was a distraction.  I figured if I am going to daven for the amud for 11 months, let me at least try to daven like a mentsh.
Wow, I must say I'm impressed, that's how it should be,really a beautiful thing.
 If only others would actually do the same.
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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #5 on: May 03, 2017, 09:12:16 AM »
One thing I did when I was an avel (and am trying to continue) is leave my cellphone at home or in my car.  I found that I davened better.  - even if the cellphone is totally turned off if it was in my pocket it was a distraction.  I figured if I am going to daven for the amud for 11 months, let me at least try to daven like a mentsh.
While I am not sure what daven for the amud has to do with it, if it is simply that it gave the hisorerus to do it then that may be a bigger zechus for the neshama than your having davened for the amud. See 22 in the wiki.
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Offline ExGingi

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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #6 on: May 03, 2017, 11:07:15 AM »
One thing I did when I was an avel (and am trying to continue) is leave my cellphone at home or in my car.  I found that I davened better.  - even if the cellphone is totally turned off if it was in my pocket it was a distraction.  I figured if I am going to daven for the amud for 11 months, let me at least try to daven like a mentsh.
This deserves its own thread.

When I go for Shachris, I bury my phone in the tallis bag. It has happened to me that I forgot it there, and had to go back to get it, but being distracted in shul is by far worse. I would have loved to have cell-phone lockers in 770 (and have spoken to the Gaboim a few times about it, including offering to sponsor), so as to have a convenient solution for Mincha and Maariv.

IMHO, cell phones and talking in shul are major factors in the OTD pandemic. Think about it, if you were to go in from on the SCOTUS and be the only one in the chamber with the justices, given the opportunity to plead your case, would you have a side conversation? Would you allow your phone to ring, or even vibrate? What if you were to get an audience with Bill Gates, one-on-one to ask for participation from his foundation in a project. Would you have a side conversation? Would you allow your phone to ring, or even vibrate? What if Baron Trump would go into his father, who would stop everything in order to be present with his son, and give him full undivided attention, would Baron dare to have a side conversation or have a phone ring while his father has his eyes, ears and thoughts 100% towards him?

When we go into shul, we are one-on-one with Hashem. The above examples don't even come close to what that reality is!

ETA: I just added emphasis above to stress that we all know about דעת עליון and דעת תחתון. While in our physical eyes, material things might seem more real and possibly durable than things we only see בעיני השכל, the reality is the exact opposite!
« Last Edit: May 03, 2017, 11:28:09 AM by ExGingi »
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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #7 on: May 03, 2017, 11:18:51 AM »
This deserves its own thread.

When I go for Shachris, I bury my phone in the tallis bag. It has happened to me that I forgot it there, and had to go back to get it, but being distracted in shul is by far worse. I would have loved to have cell-phone lockers in 770 (and have spoken to the Gaboim a few times about it, including offering to sponsor), so as to have a convenient solution for Mincha and Maariv.

IMHO, cell phones and talking in shul are major factors in the OTD pandemic. Think about it, if you were to go in from on the SCOTUS and be the only one in the chamber with the justices, given the opportunity to plead your case. Would you have a side conversation? Would you allow your phone to ring, or even vibrate? What if you were to get an audience with Bill Gates, one-on-one to ask for participation from his foundation in a project. Would you have a side conversation? Would you allow your phone to ring, or even vibrate? What if Baron Trump would go into his father, who would stop everything in order to be present with his son, and give him full undivided attention, would Baron dare to have a side conversation or have a phone ring while his father has his eyes, ears and thoughts 100% towards him?

When we go into shul, we are one-on-one with Hashem. The above examples don't even come close to what that reality is!
VERY WELL PUT!!!
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Offline ExGingi

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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #8 on: May 03, 2017, 11:25:06 AM »
VERY WELL PUT!!!
Please spread this idea. Who knows, if one teenager sees their parents thinking of their time in shul as per my post, that might save a yiddishe neshomo!
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
-- Dan

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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #9 on: May 03, 2017, 11:35:54 AM »
Please spread this idea. Who knows, if one teenager sees their parents thinking of their time in shul as per my post, that might save a yiddishe neshomo!
I do think though that the looking at a cell phone in a symptom not a cause.
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Offline ExGingi

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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #10 on: May 03, 2017, 11:42:04 AM »
I do think though that the looking at a cell phone in a symptom not a cause.
I would call it an attribute, rather than a symptom. Unfortunately we are blinded by what our eyes see. A few minutes or even seconds of התבוננות will go a long way to acknowledge true reality, which will affect our actions and behaviors.

The Rebbe advocated for a moment of silence in public schools. In our private schools, there's no reason to have that moment silent. The teachers can and should start the day (especially just before davening) with such a message, and as the Alter Rebbe writes in Tanya, that, with a brief reminder once an hour, could help for the entire day.
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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #11 on: May 03, 2017, 12:57:44 PM »
I feel like there are a bunch of different discussions to be had re: cell phones and shul/bais medrash.

One thing that annoys me to no end is the people whose phones make noise in shul frequently. Personally, I leave my phone on vibrate all the time - plus, I guess I'm just not that popular, so I don't even have to worry about the noise from it vibrating (though it has happened on the rare occasion). If your phone rings a good percentage of the time that you come to shul (even 5% would be bad IMO), you should probably figure out a way to prevent that from happening.

Offline ExGingi

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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #12 on: May 03, 2017, 02:02:33 PM »
I feel like there are a bunch of different discussions to be had re: cell phones and shul/bais medrash.

One thing that annoys me to no end is the people whose phones make noise in shul frequently. Personally, I leave my phone on vibrate all the time - plus, I guess I'm just not that popular, so I don't even have to worry about the noise from it vibrating (though it has happened on the rare occasion). If your phone rings a good percentage of the time that you come to shul (even 5% would be bad IMO), you should probably figure out a way to prevent that from happening.
I agree with you 100% (and have similar experience/usage), but feel that this is a totally separate discussion. The points I was making (and OP of this thread) are equally applicable if it's just a friend next to you, rather than a cell-phone.
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Offline ChaimMoskowitz

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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #13 on: May 03, 2017, 03:50:12 PM »
Just shut the phone off. Teach your kids some common sense and respect for others.
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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #14 on: May 03, 2017, 04:21:01 PM »
Just shut the phone off. Teach your kids some common sense and respect for others.
You're right, but for some reason it seems to be a challenge of high order in today's day and age.

I would add that this is also about self respect. Just imagine how embarrassed one would be if said behavior is caught on tape and played back to them, in context.
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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #15 on: May 03, 2017, 05:15:10 PM »
Once when I was in shul I got so annoyed by someone talking loud on his phone during chazzaras hashatz. I felt like screaming at him "Let alone hashem, you don't give a damn about him anyway; but what about some mentchlichkeit??!!" People are so busy being proper toward others, but what happened when it came to such things?!

In today's world everything is in such haste that we don't have a second for piece-of-mind. At least these few moments that we have the opportunity to talk (or even to wander off into our thoughts), at least then it should be without distractions.

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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #16 on: May 03, 2017, 05:54:41 PM »
Once when I was in shul I got so annoyed by someone talking loud on his phone during chazzaras hashatz. I felt like screaming at him "Let alone hashem, you don't give a damn about him anyway; but what about some mentchlichkeit??!!" People are so busy being proper toward others, but what happened when it came to such things?!

In today's world everything is in such haste that we don't have a second for piece-of-mind. At least these few moments that we have the opportunity to talk (or even to wander off into our thoughts), at least then it should be without distractions.
According to the poskim you probably should have.
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Offline ExGingi

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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #17 on: May 03, 2017, 05:59:15 PM »
According to the poskim you probably should have.
One shouldn't even be looking into a Sefer during Chazaras HaShatz.



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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #18 on: May 03, 2017, 06:03:00 PM »
Why is this in JS?  ???

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Re: Cell-phones/talking in Shul
« Reply #19 on: May 03, 2017, 06:03:08 PM »
One shouldn't even be looking into a Sefer during Chazaras HaShatz.
That is already a machlokes haposkim and also may be primarily referring to learning with saying the words and not just looking into a sefer.

R' Chaim Kanievsky writes that one who does shnayim mikro vechad targum during chazaras hashatz is not yotzei since it is a mitzva habo biaveiro.
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