Digital temptations

THE Council of Torah Greats, a forum of some of the most distinguished ultra-Orthodox (or Haredi) rabbis in Israel, gathered on June 30th to discuss a “great spiritual danger”. WhatsApp, a messaging app for smartphones, it turns out, has become a popular method for their followers to form groups for exchanging gossip and even “immodest” images and video clips.

So the rabbis issued a long list of edicts including an injunction to stop using WhatsApp, and instructions to purchase only specially programmed smartphones with filters keeping out all but rabbinically-approved data services. To enforce the prohibitions, they declared that those who are found to own non-kosher devices will have their children expelled from ultra-Orthodox schools and will not be allowed to work in their institutions.