A General Outlook
Today, we will share a general idea about how one should properly view the challenge of technology, based on a concept explained by Harav Pesach Eliyahu Falk Z"l.
Note: We will be making reference to 13th Avenue. For those unfamiliar with this street, it is the busiest thoroughfare in the Charedi neighborhood of Boro Park, with the most Jewish stores in the city located on this street. It is comparable to Rechov Malchei Yisrael in Yerushalayim.
Imagine the following scene: It is the beginning of the month of Nissan. A pleasant breeze blows through the streets and the trees are in bloom. The bachurim are home for bein hazmanim and can be seen in the streets. The smell of matzos, fresh from the oven, wafts from the matzah bakeries. People hurry about, purchasing their Pesach needs.
In the middle of the busy street, R’ Meir is taking a leisurely stroll. Suddenly, he notices a group of people on a corner who look quite agitated and upset. As he draws closer, he sees the crowd growing larger and angrier. It now looks more like a large protest than a small group of men. The tone of their speech seems to be getting louder. Something is definitely not right and R’ Meir hurries over to see what the tumult is about.
He turns to the first person he meets and asks, “R’ Yid, what’s happening here?”
The man answers with a question, “Haven’t you heard?”
“What was I supposed to hear?” R’ Meir replies.
The man responds, “It’s just terrible! It’s awful! We have to take a stand. We can’t allow such a thing. How could they do this to us?”
R’ Meir saw that he wasn’t going to get any answers from this frantic man, so he moved on to the next person. After speaking to a few people, he was able to connect the dots and get a picture of the problem.
He found out that it had just been announced that the leftist elements, who never miss an opportunity to make problems for the traditional societies, had come up with a new plan to get their feet into the Orthodox Jewish community. They had taken out permits to hold a massive “expo” in Boro Park a few days after Pesach — at a time when the bachurim would still be home for bein hazmanim and the girls would also still be home from school.
What was this planned expo all about?
The plan was to shut down 13th Avenue to traffic and create an open-air fair where every group that wished to promote their ideology could set up a booth. There would be booths for all different beliefs, cultures, cults, clubs, etc. They would all be given the chance to distribute their material and peddle their ideologies and services. They would give out recordings of speeches, books, or even set up screens with pictures and videos depicting their ideas and beliefs. Everything would be allowed, as long as it met the minimal standards that are accepted by the lowliest of gentiles and as long as no one tried to coerce others to accept their beliefs against their will.
The expo would be open to all, with no charge for admission.
Additionally, a huge stage would be erected on the corner of 13th Ave. and 50th St., upon which another presentation would be made every half-hour to give every group a chance to describe and explain their ideology, ideas, and beliefs.
How did this come about?
R’ Meir was told that the leftist activists first proposed the idea of an expo to a few kiruv organizations, who unwittingly agreed, not realizing what exactly this expo entailed. Once the proposal had a “stamp of approval” from a few Jewish organizations, the activists brought the other groups and organizations on board. Aside from the missionary and ideological groups that had reserved booths, there also would be a presence of the lowest elements of society, including proponents of despicable lifestyles, drug dealers, distributors of obscene books and magazines and the type of material that wouldn’t even be allowed in most classless stores, and advocates of all types of heresy and blasphemy.
R’ Meir was shocked and perturbed. What would happen to all the bachurim, girls, young men and women who would be in the area and would be unable to withstand the temptation to get a glimpse of the spectacle and would find themselves in this horrific place?
Not long thereafter, announcements were made over microphones mounted on cars and placards were placed on the walls of the neighborhood informing the residents that the concerned rabbanim and leaders of the community had designated the following Tuesday as a “Yom Tefillah and Hisorerus” to daven to Hashem to annul the terrible decree. At the same time, the local askanim and those with political connections began utilizing all of their influence to get the authorities to rescind the permits to hold the public gathering, and the menahalim, roshei yeshiva, roshei kollel and educators arranged meetings to discuss how to deal with the danger. They all understood the danger that was hovering over the community and were prepared to do all they could to stop it.
This story might sound a bit farfetched. But the truth is that if we think about it, everything described in this story — and much more — happens every second of every day on the internet and social media. This “expo” doesn’t take place physically and is not found in the streets; rather, it takes place on the computer, tablet or the cellphone in your pocket. We all are well aware of what unfiltered internet has to offer. The things that we described above are only a drop in the bucket of what can be found there.
At the very least, we should admit the truth and not fool ourselves. Let’s look at technology with honesty and acknowledge how precipitously close we are to the worst possible things in the world when we engage in its usage. Although this might not be a tangible danger like the one described in the story, the virtual danger is just as perilous and it necessitates that at least the same level of precautions be taken. The dangers of the internet are just as “real” as physical, tangible dangers.
(Oz V'Hadar Levusha)
