[Avodah] Mechallel Shabbos to destroy a non-kosher phone

[Arie Folger]

In your discussions of the Toldos Aharon Rebbe's statement to his
Chassiedim that they may destroy a non kosher phone on Shabbos, RMB
argues that the TA Rebbe has no authority to force his own view on the
unwilling owner of the internet capable smartphone, while RZS argues
that as a rebbe, he is accepted and empowered by his community to
issue such edicts.

The problem I see with RSZ's argument is that knowing what happens in
that neck of the woods, the TA likely did not mean that one may
destroy a non kosher phone found in the hand of one of his Chassiedim,
but rather, a la vaad mishmeres hatznius, that one may destroy it when
found in the hands of any renegade chossid (who obviously no longer
accepts the rebbe's authority and may have ceased to belong to TA), or
even in the hands of any stranger walking into "their" neighborhoods,
particularly American yeshiva bochrim.

So even if the rebbe has power in his community, that fails to answer
how he could have power over a neighborhood over which he has no
formal authority, or over people who are not within his community.

Kol tuv,
--
Arie Folger,
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