TWAS THE HEADLINE THAT CAUGHT OUR EYE

We subscribe to HaModia- a chareidi newspaper. (We like the ads.) On Friday, March 3rd, a headline caught our eye:

THE ERLAUER RAV CALLS FOR TOTAL BAN ON UNAUTHORIZED CELL PHONES

We were totally taken aback! Is this a big problem in the chareidi community, ie, people using illegal cell phones? How unusual!

So we read on………..

Oops, we were wrong!

A few sentences later in the article it said, “The Rav talked at length about the absolute prohibition against using unauthorized, NON-KOSHER (caps ours) cell phones and he compared them to chametz on Pesach- not to be seen and not to be found.”

Further clarity came with this sentences: “The Rav also spoke out against using computers that are linked to the internet- except for parnassah- and only then if no other family members have access to them.”

Wow! Ok, we get it. Just one question: What is a kosher cell phone? O wait, maybe it means that it only plays klezmer music for the ring tone?

We have seen kosher dog food, is this more of the same? What makes a cell phone kosher? Do the kosher ones have the (Alexander Graham) Bell K on them?

All of this begs the question: how you gonna keep ’em in the shtetl once they’ve seen just about any place elese?

Kosher cell phones? Pluch!