Question:
I went to a certain Beis midrash with my smartphone and after leaving noticed a sign saying that anyone who enters with a smartphone has to donate money to the beis as a penalty. Is one required to pay? Does this fall under “daas baal habayis?”
Answer:
What an interesting idea! Halachically though, if the beis midrash is privately owned then the owner has the right to make any conditions that he wants and it is binding to all those that enter it, then he has the right to make such a condition. If however the beis midrash is publicly owned, and built by the members of the bais midrash then it is really up to them to make the rules, and if they appointed gabboim and a Rov to make the shuls decisions then it would also be binding. The exception would be for a really public shul, such as shul that is a real steiblach, where it is really a public place, then it they wouldn’t have the right to decide this unless most people that come to the shul don’t use these type of phones.
Best Wishes
