Noisy Jewish Neighbors & Calling Police
Question
My neighbor above me has loud drinking parties every Shabbat. They invite what appears to be dozens of young orthodox men over who get drunk and sing loudly and stomp on the floor all night. The noise they make really bothers me and I can’t stand it. I have tried talking to them, but they refuse. I have also spoken with a local rabbi who says he can’t help me. The apartment management hasn’t been of any help either. I am so frustrated. These men call what they are doing ‘oneg.’ Perhaps it is oneg for them, but for me it is utter cacophony that spoils the oneg of my Shabbat. I have thought of talking to the police about this and arranging in advance of Shabbat for an officer to come at that time and see it firsthand, but I don’t know if it is permitted to call the police on my fellow Orthodox Jews like that. What do you think?
Answers
It is truly a difficult situation and one that I would hope can be worked out with a little flexibility from your neighbor’s side. Firstly, whether the oneg is legally allowed or not depends on the accepted custom in the area that you live in. This is a concept called Dina d’Malchuta Dina. If the local ordinances do not allow such disturbances, what they are doing is illegal. If, however, the amount of noise is legally acceptable, there is little legal recourse.
But, it seems to me that there is an additional problem with turning to the police, which is the more general prohibition of turning to the secular authorities. Subsequently, I feel that, perhaps, a better approach would be to invite the local Rabbi to come to your home to experience the levels of discomfort that are being imposed on you. It is conceivable that the local Rabbi cannot really appreciate just how bad it is until he hears it for himself. As well as that, please allow me to suggest that you pray to Hashem that your neighbor learns very quickly that the feelings and the needs of his neighbor(s) are just as important as his feelings and needs.
It pains me to write what I have written. I would have hoped that your neighbor – being a religious Jew – would understand that causing a fellow Jew such discomfort is forbidden and that he would do his best to come to some kind of a compromise with you. If you find that the situation does not improve, I would suggest that you speak with a local Dayan who is a recognized Halachic expert in Laws of Neighbors, and ask him for advice as to how to proceed.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team