Is it ok to open Mi Yodeya in the bathroom and skim through the questions trying to find ones that aren't really included in limud ha'torah in order to read them? Or is the opening of the app and the skimming the questions in the bathroom already included in degradation of words of Torah?
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1One may not disrespect the Torah. However, respect and disrespect cant be quantified (since they are defined by context; not he mere act). Assuming that no prohibited content is studied, only you can know whether this is degrading. | You (almost certainly) wont find a halakhic source stating whether or not "opening an app that includes some Torah content" is considered disrespectful.– mevaqeshJan 10, 2017 at 5:27
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Accordingly, this seems most probably opinion based.– mevaqeshJan 10, 2017 at 5:28
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@mevaqesh , you would be surprised– samJan 10, 2017 at 5:45
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@sam I agree. If I were incorrect, I would be surprised; by definition. If I would expect to be incorrect, then I evidently never held a position in the first place. | Regarding the case at hand, even were a source to be found, I suspect it would nevertheless amount to just the opinion of that author, for the reason I specified. | Do you have some evidence or arguments to the contrary? If not, then your comment seems fairly useless.– mevaqeshJan 10, 2017 at 5:49
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I came across a Shu"t which discusses texting in bathroom ,it had a lot of info have to remember which one it was ,and your commnet of almost certainty that one will not find such a Shu"t is also quite useless,since there are modern Shu"t which discuss an array of topics one wouldnt believe exist– samJan 10, 2017 at 5:55
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1 Answer
The real issue I would worry about when scrolling through a list of MY questions is the interdiction of thinking thoughts of Torah in a bathroom. Even if our current-day bathrooms are not the bet hakissei of halacha (there is some discussion on this, see e.g., beginning of this), the Mishne Torah (Laws of Shema 3:4) and Shulchan Aruch (OH 85:2) forbid thoughts of Torah in a place where there is urine or feces.
Says the Rambam
Even to meditate silently on the words of the Torah in a latrine, in a bath house, or in any unclean place that contains ordure or urine, is also prohibited.
Bringing a phone with "electronic words of Torah" is not an issue since "electronic words" do not have the status of a Torah text, see e.g., here.
Bottom line as long as one is using the bathroom, it is NOT a good idea to review MY questions unless one is completely sure this will not evoke thoughts of Torah.
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@DanF of course. I agree. But if I had not written this, people would have said "what if I read MY without thinking of Torah" :-> So better safe than sorry !– mblochApr 18, 2018 at 17:33
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