Question:
Hi,
I have a few questions,
1: If I’m listening a shiur in person, whether about gemara or chumash, or anything, do I actually need to say the words of the gemara or whatever it is, or would it be ok to just listen, like שומע כעונה.
2: If I’m listening to a recorded shiur or daf yomi am I yotzei for a siyum on a masechta just by listening or would I need to repeat the words?
3: What are the halachos regarding having a smartphone and without a filter what is the correct thing to do, if someone doesn’t have a filter and they can’t get a filter or a different phone then what should they do?
Thank you
Answer:
Hello,
- Listening to Torah is also considered learning, however it isn’t as good as speaking out the words yourself, when listening to a shiur it is highly impractical to speak out the words yourself, as you will be missing the shiur if you are the one talking.
- You may make a siyum when finishing a mesechta even though you only heard it and didn’t say it.
- The gedolim from all walks of Klal Yisroel have made it very clear, that an orthodox Jew may not have an unfiltered smartphone. They spoke very strongly about it, and they said that it is ossur, because of the terrible things that it can lead to. If you can’t get a filter for that phone, get a different one. I once heard a speech about this from a famous speaker, who related the following story. He was once talking to a large group of businessmen about getting filters for their phones, and they all said, nah, I don’t look at anything… it’s only for business…”. Then he told them, I have $500 in my pocket, and I will give it to anyone who will give me their smartphone, right now, so I can look at all the places that they have been in the last three days. NO one was willing to give him their phone! No one can say that they are stronger than the yetzer hora. And if anyone really is, he will be strong enough to overcome the yetzer hora of having an unfiltered smartphone, and get a kosher or filtered one.
Best wishes
Sources:
ע’ בס’ יומא טבא לרבנן פ”ב אות ו’ שאפשר לעשות סיום אפילו אם לא גמר המסכת אלא במחשבה, ושכ”כ בס’ אוהל תמיד ( על מס’ תמיד) משמיה של הרב אלישיב זצ”ל, וכן בס’ הדרן עלך אות ט”ו.
