“The Shul President Threw out His Cellphones”
A Moral Dilemma for the Shabbos Table
By Rabbi Yitzi Weiner
This week’s Torah portion discusses Avraham’s lengthy prayer to Hashem, attempting to save the wicked people of Sedom.
There is a mitzva in the Torah to pray whenever one has any need. (Click HERE for inspirational stores I have collected about the mitzva of prayer that you might like to share at your table.)
The following true story pertains to a dilemma that occurred during prayer.
There was a busy shul that had new minyanim every few minutes (Some use the relatively undignified term “Minyan Factory” for this type of shul” 😉 ). One day Yossi walked into the shul to daven mincha, and went to a seat that he usually sat in. His pockets were heavy with two cellphones and his bulky keys. One cellphone was his personal phone and the other was used for work. He took out the phones and keys from his pocket and placed them on the table in front of him. Yossi went outside for a minute and then stopped to speak to a friend. Meanwhile the minyan began to daven shemona esra, the silent prayer.
While Yossi was outside talking to his friend, one of his phones rang. It had a loud garish ringtone, and because he was not in the room, he did not hear it to turn it off. The shul president happened to be in the room when the phone went off and he went over to turn off the ringer. The phone was a model that he was not familiar with and he struggled for a few moments, in obvious frustration, to turn off the ringer. The president was unsuccessful, but the ringing finally stooped on its own. Then, as he was about to turn back to his seat, the other phone went off. This also had a loud, unusual ringtone and it rang for a few moments. It was clear that the ringing was disturbing most of the shul. The president could not turn that phone off and he was furious.
“What extraordinary chutzpa”, the president thought.
Being unable to turn off the ringing phone, the president picked up both phones and put them outside the shul sanctuary, on a chair in the busy lobby.
Yossi eventually went back to his seat and realized that his phones were gone. He asked around for a while and he was eventually told that the president took them outside.
Yossi approached the president and asked about the phones.
“Ahh, you are the one who let the phones ring in the middle of davening”, he replied. “I put the phones on a chair in the lobby”.
Yossi went to the chair with the president but the phones were nowhere to be found.
“My phones were stolen! They cost more than $200 each. But not only that, I have priceless contacts in those phones. They aren’t backed up and I really need that contact info for business.”
Yossi turned to the president. “What right did you have to put my phones outside where they could get stolen”?
“What right did you have to leave two phones on in a shul and let them ring?” the president retorted. “I couldn’t turn them off.”
“You should have asked someone to turn them off”, Yossi said. “I think you have to make restitution for the lost phones and for the lost Information, “Yossi declared. “Together they are worth at least $2000.”
“I feel sorry for your loss, but I will not pay anything”. The president quietly responded. You had no right to leave your phones in the sanctuary.
Who do you think is right?
According to Jewish law, does the president have an obligation to pay anything to Yossi? Did he have a right to bring the phones outside?
See Veharev Na Volume Three page 216
(If you need to know the answer to this dilemma before next week, or if you would like to be added to a list to receive the answers right away, feel free to email me at [email protected].)
Answer to last week’s moral dilemma:
(click here to review the question)
This story is discussed in Veharev Na Volume Three page 133
Rav Zilberstein held that Tzvi should pay for the dog. He had a requirement to first try to speak to his neighbor. He shoud have called the authorities only after first trying to speak to the owner. Not doing so put him in the category of Moser, a severe form of lashon hara . A moser has an obligation to pay for any financial damages he may have caused, as stated in Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat 382, 2
Have a wonderful Shabbos!
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