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Feb 3, 2012
Recording Shiur On Shabbos
As a child I always wanted to record the Cubs and Bears games that were played on Shabbos so I could watch them later. We never did. Probably more because technology then made such a thing with a timer more difficult but also because that was a sacrifice for Shabbos (I had it really hard as a kid, can't you see?)... When I was a bit older and in yeshiva, I always wondered if it would be possible to record a drasha by setting up a walkman, or eventually a voice recorder in a hidden spot near the speaker.. the biggest challenge would have been leaving it on and not running out of battery power or recording time by the time the drasha was to be given. Another sacrifice for Shabbos.
In a yeshiva in Bnei Braq there has been a special shiur given once a week on a weeknight. because of the complexity involved, and to allow the shiur to be accessible to many alumni and avreichim who cannot make it at the scheduled time of the shiur, the shiur would be recorded and then saved to a yeshiva computer from which the boys could then transfer to their audio devices for further reviewing of the shiur.
Two weeks ago the Rosh Yeshiva decided to move the shiur from a weeknight to Friday night. This presented the students with a dilemma. How would they record it for listening later? They solved the problem by placing a recorder on Friday afternoon in an unnoticed spot near the Rosh Yeshiva and setting it to record. When he gave his speech later on Friday night, the shiur was recorded as usual. After shabbos it was then downloaded to the computer and shalom al yisrael.
When it was discovered that the shiur was subversively recorded on Shabbos, the rosh yeshiva got upset. The shiur was erased from the computer (and I imagine he made each boy erase it from whatever device they might have copied it to), and he also changed the shiur back to the weeknight schedule. If it would cause such a grave breach in proper behavior and relation to Shabbos, the shiur could not be given then. (source: Kikar)
It seems like a great idea, but the implementation by people who are generally looking to keep kala k'chamura is a bit of a corruption.. The rosh yeshiva made a good decision to reschedule it again so as to avoid such behavior in the future.
In a yeshiva in Bnei Braq there has been a special shiur given once a week on a weeknight. because of the complexity involved, and to allow the shiur to be accessible to many alumni and avreichim who cannot make it at the scheduled time of the shiur, the shiur would be recorded and then saved to a yeshiva computer from which the boys could then transfer to their audio devices for further reviewing of the shiur.
Two weeks ago the Rosh Yeshiva decided to move the shiur from a weeknight to Friday night. This presented the students with a dilemma. How would they record it for listening later? They solved the problem by placing a recorder on Friday afternoon in an unnoticed spot near the Rosh Yeshiva and setting it to record. When he gave his speech later on Friday night, the shiur was recorded as usual. After shabbos it was then downloaded to the computer and shalom al yisrael.
When it was discovered that the shiur was subversively recorded on Shabbos, the rosh yeshiva got upset. The shiur was erased from the computer (and I imagine he made each boy erase it from whatever device they might have copied it to), and he also changed the shiur back to the weeknight schedule. If it would cause such a grave breach in proper behavior and relation to Shabbos, the shiur could not be given then. (source: Kikar)
It seems like a great idea, but the implementation by people who are generally looking to keep kala k'chamura is a bit of a corruption.. The rosh yeshiva made a good decision to reschedule it again so as to avoid such behavior in the future.
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this isn't the first time this happened:
ReplyDeleteIn a large Florida City, the rabbi developed quite a reputation for his sermons; so much so that everyone who was Jewish in the community came every Shabbat.
Unfortunately, one weekend a member had to visit Long Island for his nephew's bar mitzvah. But he didn't want to miss the rabbi's sermon. So he decided to hire a Shabbat goy to sit in the congregation and tape the sermon so he could listen to it when he returned.
Other congregants saw what was going on, and they also decided to hire Shabbat goys to tape the sermon so they could play golf instead of going to shul.
Within a few weeks time there were 500 gentiles sitting in shul taping the rabbi. The rabbi got wise to this. The following Shabbat he, too, hired a Shabbat goy who brought a tape recorder to play his prerecorded sermon to the 500 gentiles in the congregation who dutifully recorded his words on their machines.
Witnesses said this marked the first incidence in history of artificial insermonation!
I think the Rosh Yeshiva's decision does "de-complicate" the matter and in this regard probably a wise move.
ReplyDeleteHowever, to think critically about the issue raised by this situation..don't we all use many devices (lighting equipment, devices for keeping food warm, cooling and heating devices to control ambient temperature etc.) on Shabbat that we do not touch or adjust on Shabbat? Shall we destroy these devices which make Shabbat more enjoyable because they were left "on" during Shabbat?
If we are recording a devar torah on Shabbat to hopefully use to allow other Jews to hear some words of Torah who would not normally get to hear them, is that not enabling the blessing of Shabbat to be "enjoyed" or "experienced" by Jews where ever they may find themselves to be?
Danny - thats a good question. I dont know the answer why some things are ok and others not. Even way back when Rav Moshe differentiated between activities when he said its ok to use a timer for lights but not for anything else. We obviously do more than that, using timers for air conditioners and other things..
ReplyDeletethe only idea i can come up with is whether the activity is being done to enhance shabbos or to get around shabbos.
to set a timer to use lights or air conditioner is a way of enhancing shabbos, to enjoy it more. To record the shiur is to use technology to get around shabbos.
What do you think the reason is?
"To record the shiur is to use technology to get around shabbos. "
ReplyDeleteI get that it doesn't enhance shabbat, but how does it get around it? (It's really enhancing your week after shabbat)
I suspect that maybe the rabbis are just trying to limit the use of technological devices (even if there is not technically a violation of Shabbat) just to prevent any embarrassing or challenging situations. For example, if there was a malfunction that was causing a disturbance. Also, there's also the "slippery slope" idea that the more you allow the more and more that will be used to contravene the whole philosophical and spiritual basis of the Shabbat. Thus, while I think it could be that such a practice could be done in a particular situation or likely in a more liberal community (like a Conservative synagogue which is actually done by the way where I live at Sinai Temple in LA with Rabbi Wolpe's sermons all of which are available for DL on the shul's website)and technically there is no Shabbos violation, but maybe there are times when it is better to play it safe rather than risk any un-intended consequences.
ReplyDeletethe only idea i can come up with is whether the activity is being done to enhance shabbos or to get around shabbos.
ReplyDeleteto set a timer to use lights or air conditioner is a way of enhancing shabbos, to enjoy it more. To record the shiur is to use technology to get around shabbos.
But talmud Torah k'neged kulam ... even shabbat! If the recording device is placed solely for the purposes of learning Torah, then it ought to be permitted.
And now that I think of it, I have a recording device in my house that is constantly recording things - the TiVo is always recording stuff from TV! In fact, since getting a TiVo many years ago, I have no idea when anything is on anymore.
"But talmud Torah k'neged kulam ... even shabbat!"
DeleteThat's not what that means. You can't invoke a philosophical statement to make a halachic point.
That said, I hear what you're saying. I think it really does depend on the situation - the slippery slope concern is real, though it probably does not apply in every situation. May be one of those things you can do but can't publicize (and that would include distributing the shiur such that others would know that it was recorded on shabbos.
However, I'm not sure everyone agrees that it's totally mutar halachically to begin with. This should be confirmed.
"But talmud Torah k'neged kulam ... even shabbat!"
DeleteThat's not what that means. You can't invoke a philosophical statement to make a halachic point.
That said, I hear what you're saying. I think it really does depend on the situation - the slippery slope concern is real, though it probably does not apply in every situation. May be one of those things you can do but can't publicize (and that would include distributing the shiur such that others would know that it was recorded on shabbos.
However, I'm not sure everyone agrees that it's totally mutar halachically to begin with. This should be confirmed.