From the Rav’s Desk: Geniza to Torah cassette tapes

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  1. Question: [Monday 28th Tishrei 5781]

We are moving homes and downsizing and thus need to get rid of a lot of extra stuff. Over the years we collected hundreds of cassette tapes of Torah classes which we no longer use due to the advancement of society to digital technology. I don’t even know where to buy a tape recorder. I would like to know if I could just throw them out or if they require Geniza.

 

Answer:

Cassette tapes do not require Geniza even if they contain Torah classes, and hence may technically be discarded in the garbage. Nonetheless, if the tape contains a label of the Torah class it is proper to remove it prior to throwing into the garbage. Also, I would suggest researching if there are any institutions or gemachim who would be interested in the tapes, rather than throwing them out.

Explanation: Geniza is only required to items that actually contain physical and viewable words of Torah. Digital and film recordings do not consist of letters which can be considered to contain holiness, and the same way it is permitted for a great Torah scholar who contains all the Torah in his memory to go to the bathroom, so too cassette tapes may be discarded.

Sources: See Chelkas Yaakov 3:98; Igros Moshe Y.D. 1:173; Minchas Yitzchak 3:102; Halichos Shlomo 2 footnote 34; Beir Moshe 7: 106-62; Shevet Halevi 2:155; Kinyan torah 1:34; Tzitz Eliezer 13:1; Yabia Omer 4:20; 8:26; Mishneh Halachos 5:158; Piskeiy Teshuvos 154:19

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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