LETTER: A letter signed by prominent Poskim against smoking in public places, was recently released. The letter, which was seen hanging in dormitories and other places, states that it’s the responsibility of those smoking to distance themselves from non-smokers, as the second-hand smoke causes extreme harm to those around it.
The letter further states From Harav Moshe Feinstein Zatzal, that smokers who smoke in public places, are ‘Mazik B’yadayim Mammish’, meaning they are directly causing serious bodily harm to those around them and they would be Chayiv according to the Torah.
Click here to view the Hebrew letter, which was signed by Rabbi Forscheimer, Rabbi Katz, Rabbi Felder and Rabbi Lieberman. TLS/NB-Y.
good good!
I’m just waiting for all the complainers to say “Live and let live”. No one is forcing you to smoke, it’s a free country, live and let live!!!
Ahhh, but of course many of you will say that this is different……..
Hypocrites.
I don’t condone smoking. But this needs to be pointed out again and again. When the Rabbonim asser smoking, you all agree. But when the Rabbonim asser zumba, you all cry “Live and let live”.
I think that for some smokers it may be hard to stop cold turkey. Is there a way for BMG and other yeshivos to provide addiction counselors/sessions for those who really want to stop but need help? I don’t know if it is possible to do this at no cost, but maybe the cost could be subsidized partly by the families involved and partly by generous donors?
NJ Quitline
Program Description
NJ Quitline is a toll-free, telephone based, free service that helps people who want to stop smoking. Trained counselors give callers information, advice, encouragement and one-on-one counseling. Counselors design an individualized program to support each smoker’s effort to quit. Participants receive four counseling sessions, with the option of adding sessions as needed.
Fees: No fee
Eligibility and General Requirements:
Tobacco users (cigarette, cigar and pipe smokers, and chew tobacco users)
Income Requirements: None
Areas Served: Statewide
Language Translation Services: 26 languages
Program Web Site Address: www state.nj.us/health/as/ctcp/index.html
Contact Information:
LorieAnn Wilkerson-Leconte, M.P.H., RRT
609-984-3317
Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program
Department of Health and Senior Services
240 West State Street
P. O. Box 373
Trenton, NJ 08625
Hours of Service
Counseling services 7AM to 12AM Monday – Friday
9AM to 10PM Saturday
9AM to 9PM Sunday
How to Apply
NJ Quitline
1-866-NJSTOPS
1-866-657-8677
TTY 1-866-228-4327
its a great idea
my question is why is it limited to 4 poskim. it should expanded out ALL prominent robonim
While i dont smoke or think its good for you, (moderated) What about people driving around with car problems who have smoke or other non desirables coming out of their car? They are endangering everyone as well. Just driving a car releases plenty of undesirables into the air. If smokers cant smoke inside and they cant smoke outside, where should they smoke? I know, people will say to quit but its not so easy if you’ve been smoking for awhile.
what about the smoke from tent city, my neighbors fireplace, my barbque, the restaurants, etc?
#4 – oy veh! they are open on shabbos, it might cause some1 to be michalel shabbos if they have tayva to smoke and wil need to call the hotline!
This letter infers that smoking is permitted just in a private place. According to current health advancements there is no heter to take one puff anywhere even one time.
Sorry, but I am not impressed at all. Until the rabonim all sign a leter saying that smoking, which will shorten your life, is WORSE than eating bacon and breaking shabbos (which it is), then these are just half measures. Rediculous that someone considers himself an erliche yid, shukels three times a day, picks out the perfect esrog after 2 hours of scrutiny, and yet he can defile his body. The SAME body that was made in Hashems very image. What could be more important than keeping the 613 mitzvos? Keeping our bodies pure, since Hashem made a point of saying we are an image of him, before he mentioned keeping ANY mitzvos.
Good shabbos!
about time!
smokers ARE SELFISH PEOPLE!
I’m not a fan of Zumba and would probably be repulsed by the sight and sound of it… However, there IS a clear difference between Zumba and smoking in a dormitory. If someone chooses to go to Zumba, it doesn’t damage me directly. I can choose to distance myself from that kind of lifestyle as long as it is not being shoved down my throat. Second hand smoke on the other hand is directly hurting the people around the smoker as they are forced to breathe in the toxic smoke.
Whoa, cool your jets, man. The fact that tzelem Elokim is mentioned in creating Adam means that not smoking comes before ANY mitzvos? U’shmartem m’od l’nafshoseichem is the mitzva involved, and does not carry a chiyuv misah of s’kilah, which Shabbos does. And treif involves timtum halev, etc. – there are plenty of other very serious mitzvos out there. Ush’martem etc. IS very serious, but you dare to be the arbiter of which mitzva is more important? I don’t know what YOU’RE smoking, but put it in perspective. Smoking is reprehensible, and assur, mazik es harabbim, etc. etc. But you do harm to getting your own point across by making such extreme, false statements.
its actually the LAW in NJ!!!!!
its about time it has allways been a disgrace and a chillul hashem in my years in yeshiva i had relitives who never learnt in yeshiva and it was allways enbarrasing to me when ever the topic of yeshivos would come up i would allways have to here how yeshiva bochurim stand outside infront of the building and “smoke like a chimany” to paraphrase their exact words
We will say it is different BECAUSE IT IS different…smoking in public places can cause HARM to others while zumba (you brought that one up) doesn’t affect others…SEE THE DIFFERENCE THERE?
Not all smokers are selfish people. It is a good idea to try to stop second hand smoke but I’m guessing not a lot of people would listen to it.
Of course it’s ok to not want people to smoke but the main thing is to also take care of ourselves and be happy with what we have.
And the thing is that nobody can tell others what to do. People do what they want and it’s not always right what they do. But we do the best we can to live a good life. We respect ourselves and we respect others. I, myself, am a non smoker and don’t like it when people smoke. I do hang around people who smoke but I’m not gonna make a big deal about it. I simply try not to be near the smoke or breathe it in.
May God help us to be happy and healthy in our daily lives.
Is this a joke? Every day I see more and more, younger and younger ( and allegedly “smart”?) frum men smoking. By the way where are they getting these cigarettes?
I don’t know who you think you are to pasken that smoking is asur. True, many poskim asur smoking, however there are those that don’t. Would it be fair to say that cholov stam is asur because your rav asurs it…. of course not, because many rabonim are matir it.
Further more I don’t know any rabonim that are matir internet use other than business, and certainly don’t know any that use it themselves, however I do know many that smoke themselves.
When the girls absolutely b’shim oyfin nisht refuse to date smokers, it will stop quickly.
I wasn’t talking about second hand smoke. I was talking about smoking. You all want smoking to be assur (even without the issue of second hand smoke) and you don’t agree with “live and let live”. Only by zumba you say “live and let live”. Hypocrites.
for those smokers get an electric cigarette i stoped smoking around 2 weeks ago
I don’t know what planet your from, but the shidach crisis is for girls not boys, so thats not going to happen for a while now. sorry.
When the boys b’shim oyfin nisht lie to the girls ab their smoking habit then ur idea might work.
I once had a boy redt to my daughter and found out he smokes about eight a day. I told the Shadchan my daughter also smokes as long as it doesn’t bother the boy it’s ok with us. They got the hint.
Smoking is a great outlet. If you asser smoking, they’ll go to drugs.
Zumba is also a great outlet.
Get it?
Sorry for my ignorance, but what is zumba?
Not that I was ever a smoker but years ago when you saw a bochur smoking it looked cool – it was just a fact that it was cool to smoke. Today when I see young bochurim ( and I see really young bochurim) smoke it looks so pathetic and frankly sick. And aside from all the health issues that have come to light (no pun intended) over the last few years – you wonder how can a bochur justify spending around 7 or 8 dollars on a pack of cigerettes- or more to the point where to they get the money from.
i personaly quit recently for reasons other than health
(too much money)but i dont have a problem with 2nd hand the harmfull effects are grossly exegerated by the anti smoking lobbyists its only realy harmfull if u live full time with a smoker and most bochurim who smoke wont smoke inside if asked like a mench y do people have a need to verbally barrage smokers its obviously not a good thing but relax a bit