1/17/26 – Shiur 544 – Breaking the Phone Habit – From Compulsion to Conscious Use
1/17/26 – Shiur 544 – Breaking the Phone Habit – From Compulsion to Conscious Use  
Podcast: Halacha Headlines
Published On: Thu Jan 15 2026
Description: Can a cellphone be used in shul for non-tefillah purposes? Does mindless scrolling on a phone constitute an issur of bitul zman? Is it preferable to daven from a physical siddur rather than from a phone? How do our phones affect our relationships with our spouse, children, and friends? What practical strategies can help us reduce usage and establish healthy boundaries? Host: Ari Wasserman, author of the newly published, revised and expanded book Making it Work, on workplace challenges and Halachic Q & A on the Job with Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz – Rav of Bais Haknesses of North Woodmere, Head of Semicha at RIETs  – 9:39 with Rabbi Efrem Goldberg – Rav of Boca Raton Synagogue, Founder of the Yeshivah of South Florida – 9:39 with Mr. Noach Levin – digital media expert and former contractor for Google – 54:46 Conclusions and takeaways – 1:18:35 מראי מקומות