If a person has a CD with Torah content, is it permissible to erase the material, or would this fall under the prohibition against discarding words of Torah?
Rav Moshe Feinstein (Russia-New York, 1895-1986), in his Iggerot Moshe (Y.D. 1:173), addresses the related question of audio cassettes, and concludes that material recorded onto a cassette is not Halachically considered "written." Even though there are marks and the like on the device that turn into sounds of Torah content, this does not qualify as written words of Torah. As such, removing such material would not constitute "erasing," as one can only "erase" something that is written. By the same token, then, it would be permissible to walk into a restroom with a Torah CD. Since we do not consider the CD to have words of Torah written on it, there is no prohibition at all against bringing it into a restroom. If the CD has a title with a Pasuk or some words of Torah written on its surface, then it would be forbidden to bring it into the restroom, though one can avoid this problem by placing the CD in its sleeve or case and then putting the case into one’s pocket. A double covering ("Kis Be’toch Kis") allows bringing an article of sanctity into the restroom, and this would thus be an acceptable solution if one has with him a disk with words of Torah written on it.
Summary: It is permissible to erase a recording of words of Torah, such as a Torah CD, and such a disk may be brought into a restroom. If words of Torah are actually written on the surface of the disk, it should not be brought into the restroom unless it is in a case and then placed in a pocket or bag.
