New York – There is a growing tendency among the Torah world to reject technology and innovation. The rejection has reached an extremeness bordering on a Talibanesque fundamentalism, unseen throughout our history. A good case can be made that this rejection runs counter to true Torah Judaism, and should not be subsumed under the rubric of Ailu veAilu divrei Elokim Chaim.
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Before we examine and analyze it, it may be instructive to examine a well known Gemorah in Meseches Avodah Zarah (2b). The Talmud tells us that in the future the western powers will stand before Hashem and declare that all their technological innovations were made by them for the sole purpose of enabling Klal Yisroel to learn Torah. Hashem responds, “You are the greatest fools in the world! You paved streets and created side streets for your own licentious purposes! You built bathhouses for your own pleasures!”
The greatest of our commentaries pose the question as to how could these western powers be so foolish? Did they not know they did it for their own purposes which had nothing to do with Torah?
Rav Tzaddok HaKohain (Pri Yitzchok Parshas VaYeirah) explains that Hashem’s purpose in all the technological innovation was, in fact, so that Klal Yisroel could better learn Torah. The mistake of the west will lie in self-deception as to their own motives and rationalizations – but the essence of the issue is true. All technological innovation is so that we can better learn Torah.
Which brings us all to a very significant question: Shouldn’t we recognize this point?
Should we not embrace the fact that there is such a thing as the Otsar HaTeshuvos with 25,000 seforim available to be searched and printed, with the Tzuras haDaf? Should we not marvel that Hashem gave us the Bar Illan Responsa project? Can’t we recognize that Microsoft Word has Hebrew and we can all learn and type and write our chiddushim on Chumash, Shas and beyond? Don’t we recognize that Hashem created all these technologies solely for our benefit?
The Smartboard, for example, is an amazing tool for Chinuch. That combined with the Bar Ilan is one of the greatest tools since the Guttenberg press. And speaking of the Guttenberg press – are we not proud of the fact that our ancestors a mere 500 years ago jumped on the technology and printed Rashi on Chumash, Shulchan Aruch, and so many other Seforim?
The technology of the printing press could have and has been used for so much evil. Yet our Rabbonim, Achronim and mechabrim were smart enough to realize that technology should be embraced for Torah – not rejected. Loudspeakers can be used for some real horrific music. Boruch Hashem we use them for Torah. Tape recorders are used to chazar shiurim.
These were why Hashem made them. Anyone that does not recognize this is in violation of numerous Gemorahs and Chazals.
That is why a YouTube video [below] that is circulating where a laptop is destroyed by a Rosh Yeshiva in a Yeshiva for Baalei Teshuva in Yerushalayim is particularly disturbing.
The viewer is left in a state of utter shock. Is this what we have come to? Rachmana Litzlan! Where is the normalcy, the saichel? Boruch hashem such people did not exist in the time of the Guttenberg press.
The question is now, who is more foolish? The western powers who will recognize that technological innovation was in fact so that Klal Yisroel will learn Torah or those who reject the technology and that it is all from Hashem in the first place?
True, with all innovations comes risk, but our task is to learn how to train ourselves to reduce or eliminate that risk, rather than to destroy the technology itself. All our kochos should be directed toward this end. In doing so we should remember the phrase yagata velo matzasa al taamin. We should also remember the notion that ain davar haomed lifnei haratzon.
If we fail to learn this lesson, then we are ignoring the gifts that Hashem has bestowed upon us. That laptop in the Youtube video could have been used to write seforim, it could and should have been used to search Shas and poskim. What we saw was an example of Bal Tashchis that ekkles the sensitivities of Torah Jews everywhere.
The insanity must stop.
These idiots should at least sell the computers to raise money for the families that are now out of jobs,,
Kol Hakovod to Rav Hoffman for finally responding to these mishugah chumrahs from some Chareidi leaders to ban the internet, bash computers and return yidden to the stone age so their followers have no capability for independent thought and are dependent on their mosdos for a parnassah. The biggest threat to these pseudo gadolim is an intelligent and educated kehillah who can think independently, have the ability to earn a parnassah and will no longer mindlessly follow every psak and kol koreh or letter with the “chumrah of the week”.
Well, I tend to think that it’s pretty foolish (and arrogant) to suggest that technology was made so that Jews could learn Torah– it actually has quite a few uses, many of them very good, and most of them unrelated to Torah. Leaving that aside, I’m in complete agreement with the theme of this article. Watching idiots smash things they can’t understand is bad enough. When they do it in the name of Judaism, it’s absolutely disgusting and embarassing.
This is so taken out of context of understanding what is really happening. Dan Lchaf Zechus. The “newbies” here are learning a lesson in fighting their yetzer hora they have been so immersed in prior to their being in Yeshiva. It is a lesson for them, not neccessarily for you. No one watching this has any clue of the background leading up to this. Perhaps there was a guy who was porn addicted or something and this was some healing process. Really, use your imagination for the good of the klal not more jew bashing which unfotunately I have been reading here.
If only a fraction of the big rabbonim who said the internet is assur for yidden had the intelligence rav hoffman, shlita, the yiddeshe community would be in much better shape. Hopefully, they will learn from him and adjust their outlook accordingly.
i call theese followers of this rabbi mindless morons so is the rabbi himself a mindless empty person all his learning is for naught
A-men. Rabbi , you express the will and feelings of so many frum Jews who are afraid to speak out.
I agree with the sentiments of the writer of this piece, however to attack this Rabbi for breaking the computer is slightly off the point. This Rabbi is merely making a deliberately startling point to the newly-religious, namely, that we should not let ourselves become controlled and influenced by television, movies and shmutz found on the internet. Breaking the laptop is an obvious metaphor for this, however it does not mean that this Rabbi is saying that all technological innovation is wrong.
Thank You Rabbi.
I have been saying this for years (although I did not know about this Gemorah) everything in life could be used for good and evil. We are given the choice and told to choose the good.
Moderation is key, striking the proper balance is the question.
Comparing a printing press with the intrnet is not even a comparison.
Rabbi Hoffman
This is not real. It is guerilla theater. It is meant to shock.
When the good Rosh Yeshivah forswears going to any and all hospitals in Israel because all medicine these days is computerized then we will know he is a true luddite,
There are “spiritual” dangers in the home/yeshivah use of computers for entertainment.
He is not alone in believing so The entire ashkenazi charedi leadership seems to have agreed with the good Rosh Yeshiva. and tried to supress all non business use of the internet in Charedi Israel.
Whether the good Rosh Yeshiva’ methods are effective in mitigating those dangers is debatable. I believe that his methods will do more harm the good.
. .
Rabbi hoffman in his classic way confuses issues.
Always with a sweeping claim that his thinking is the simple obvious glatt way.
It would be nice to see editorials from others.
Does vin not get it. He has what to say about everything on a moments notice.
Hasn’t it always been our way to think before we talk.
He apparently writes then thinks.
Had the you tube clip not existed and ryh only heard about the event. What would he have said or done.
So what truly upsets him. Is it the non embracing of technology that many non jews and surely jews have come to realize is a problem.
Or is it some nut rabbi acting as a nut does.
Maybe he should focus on how to properly make a bt. Or maybe he should focus on training institutes for the fusion of torah and technology.
Maybe he should ban jews from uploading nutty ceremonys of nutty rabbis.
But to draw his conclusion that hashem intended us to embrace the internet and wireless because tech advances were created for us is sheer foolishness bordering on insanity as well.
We are taught to live modestly and simply go look how the gedolim lived and live and then come discuss why they haven’t embraced western advances.
Please rabbi with all due respect skip one temptation to lash out and fix us. See if you regret the decision.
I think you will be happy to control the urge and have time to really think a matter through before talking about it.
Hatzlacha
This will be my last post, as I am following the Rosh Yeshivas advice and smash my computer. Goodbye, this site has been wonderful in providing accurate and reasonable halckik information
Thank you again, Rabbi Hoffman.
virtually everything in this world has good uses and negative uses, it all depends if one is mature enough to use it for the good…
The real apikorsim are those rabbonim and leaders who deny that hashem gave yiddin the ability to think and adopt to modern developments. They are so fixated on their own frail emunah and inability to discipline their own yetzer horah that they project their weaknesses on to the rest of klal yisroel. If the Ebeshter believes in our ability to use the chachma he gave, our leaders should have as much faith as hashem does and not be obcessed with their yetzer horahs.
In the 50’s there was an asifas Rabbonim of that generation in the US about Pirtzos H’Dor of those times and one Choshive Rav was pushing for a ban on radio that it should be banned from use from the Heimishe Olam, at that meeting was also seeted the Divrei Yoal M’Satmar who was a real gadol with a broad vision and he got so angry at this Rav that was pushing for tha ban, the Rav couldn’t understand why the Satmar Rav who was the symbol of frumkeit in america didn’t go for the ban! The Satmar Rav later explained that a couple of year earlier all the Rabbonim came out to ban the television and the ban was susessful and most Hemishe Yiden no longer had a TV in there homes! Therfore by adding a ban to radio it will just diminish the ban on the TV and people will start having TV in their homes!
We need more of those Gedolim with a open minded realistic view of situations!
Comments arnt necessecory!
It was probably an old outdated non-functioning computer, not worth fixing. Even the most extreme Rabbis fully comprehend the benefits of computer technology separate of issues regarding online connection and usage. The same office that tries to make the extreme statement of destroying the technology is definitely still using the technology for fundraising purposes. The extreme act just reflects the severe risks of technology in today’s day and age. It will hopefully not encourage fanatics to damage other people’s technological devices L’Shem Mitzva.
The point is much more simple, we have to teach the next generation how to deal with the problem because if the world is based on digital technology then you can be sure that the youth will never listen to us, so the only way is guide them how to use it on a Jewish way.
I pose this question to Rabbi Hoffman [or anyone for that matter]. Over the last 3 Months of internet usage,how many times have you been exposed to sexual material ???
Great point. and I know that’s lots of people agree with it.
Here’s the problem….and whats the solution?
when a teenager that has low self control takes a PSP nintendo and goes to a hotspot, when every body who has an Ipod with wifi accessability let’s a young adult just use it for a “short time”. they then go behind a closed door for an hour. etc… who doesn’t have a blackberry with no inet but can access inet via wifi and all there child does is play “tetris” (right), what to do.
My question is how to be proactive to prevent or mimimize these situations?
I have not yet heard a solution to this issue.
So,granted, the computers and internet is good. BUT its no different then a bottle of shnops in your closet.
they destroyed the laptop – but forgot to destroy the video camera…:-) I’ve also noticed a garbage can….what gives? You must put your garbage in a pit in the backyard.
Seems like part of a purim shpiel, can anyone verify that this was done in seriousness??
Lubavitcher Rebbe emphasized the fact “Kol poal Hashem l’maano”
I really wanna do the same and break my computers laptops and blackberry. I know its destroying my life , but I don’t have the guts . Kol Hakakvod to these people. all the posters here are intellectually dishonest. I don’t think there’s even one poster here who hasn’t viewed inappropriate images. I think there’s not one poster here who can honestly say the internet is not wasting his time . its not worth all the good , for all the bad the net has to offer . You people who break have my blessings .
It is legendary that the yetzer horoh will be punished by HKBH (סוכה נב). The question is asked – why? He just fulfilled his mission of enticing Yidden to sin. Among the answers given, based on principles from the Baal Shem Tov, is that the mission was to make Yidden sin, not do “מצות”. When he entices to fulfill “מצות”, this is not part of his job, and punishment is deserved.
Unfortunately, there is much today that we treat as “מצות” that are nothing of the sort. The expulsion (spiritual murder) of young people from schools and yeshivos, done in the name of “protection” is one. The proclamation against careers – in the name of creating bigger kollelim and dependents is another. The violence during protests of chilul Shabbos, autopsies, and other wrongs that could have avoided chilul Hashem is another. The involvement of our holy mosdos in fraud, tax evasion, and other dishonesties in the name of supporting Torah institutions is another. The acts of לשון הרע, מסירה, splitting families, and the like that occur among factions of frum communities, especially chassidishe families is another.
All yetzer horah. When will our עיני העדה recognize this and guide us accordingly?
Actually, double standard since the smashing of the laptop (technology) was recorded with a video camera (technology) and both can be used for nefarious purposes just the same….why did he allow the video camera?
Anyway, sick sick sick. Ball Tashchit!!
I don’t know who Rabbi Hoffman is, but his articles are like a breath of fresh air. It’s about time a straight thinker speaks his mind.
Does anyone else not see the blatant irony of the video? How was it recorded in the first place? How was it publicized?
I’m a big fan of rabbi hoffman but I must disagree this time. Its not to compare the technology of the past to tech of the comp & the web. Of course its all helpful for good things but think for a second. If there would be a magazine stand with XXX magazines on it & also some chidushei torah on the stand would u say “the stand was only created to hold the tora stuff so the children can be at that stand”?! or since there is adult stuff on it you would think differently? The fact that the tech that is meant to help us for good things have given terrible access to toeiva we have to be extra sensitive.
1 more point, if u do compare the comp & web to the tech of the past do u know if those in the past was the cause for such a big percentage of teens going off the D as is the tech of today? I doubt it.
They smash a computer.. only to film it with a digital camera and put it up on the Internet through a computer..
The laptops are “toiva stations” for unsupervised, single students, nothing more. I get what the rav is saying. And for all the naysayers, be honest, your problem is not with the destruction of your laptops, it is with the destruction of your yetzer hora. You want the freedom to have a peek or two. These baaley teshuva are fresh off the streets and don’t need that kind of readily available filth and temptation.
I would agree with those Roshei Yeshiva. If you’re learning in Bais Medrash, not working and not going to school, then you would not need a computer. When I was in Yeshiva, they did not allow radios and newspapers. What’s the difference?
I’m sorry but the comparison to the Gutenberg Press is not valid. It would be more accurate if the original seforim published by the press would ALSO come packaged with all the books that were detrimental to Torah hashkafa. In that case there would be no doubt that none of the seforim would have been published.
What Rav Hoffman says about the printing press is so true. I recommend a book called the Victorian Internet which will give you an idea of how society was changed by the telegraph.
Open communication is always a threat to any status quo. Banning communication is the surest way to ensure an insurrection.
At the asifa on the internet in E”Y yesterday, the Rabbonim were discussing filters. Ensuring that every single computer in the world is protected by a filter may be the most important task the Rabbonim can take on.
Yiddishkeit is about education and the WEB is where the next wave of education is. The minority who will not have internet access in their homes are not the issue here, the focus needs to be on the majority.
Videos like this one do much to discredit the Rabbonim in the eyes of the majority and hurt the overall goal of keeping frum yidden frum.
Shame on this “Rabbi” for being a meshuganeh extremist and telling the world about via Youtube. This is hypocrisy in its purest form.
One has to ask as several have pointed out, how is it that a video camera, was used for this? And then posted on the internet (YouTube)? This goes to show that these ‘rabbis’ are taliban cult leaders who are sick and need to be ousted. Wether it is Israel, BMG, Lakewood, NY, .. anywhere USA or the world, ‘rabbis’ are crazy and have shown that they talk from 2 sides of their mouth, including hoffboy.
These animals are making a mockery out of a religion and have hijacked it. It is embarrassing to be a ‘jew’ in this modern era. This is the ‘chutzpah’ that the Bible says will happen in the end of days. These are animals and no one should listen to them as it is the same as idolatry. When one uses ‘religion’ as a guise for behavior (jewish, muslim, mormon, or any other), , then you need to run the other way as fast as you can. Save yourselves!
you tell them rabbi hoffman. people have to live in this world, not try and hide from it.
everyone needs to have computer access nowadays, or they will be unable to communicate, learn or function. This Rabbi should be embarrassed about his little publicity stunt.
i think that both sides of this argument have merit. i know that i have seen inappropriate things online. that being said, there is no way to make the internet “go away”, notwithstanding the many bans. it is here to stay and is becoming more pervasive as time progresses. what needs to be emphasized is that people need to be aware of the dangers of the internet and use whatever tools available to minimize the threat. Filters, accountability software, and good old-fashioned parenting and awareness are the key. they are far from fool-proof but at the moment they are the tools we have. for comprehensive info and to see what the internet has done to people check out guardyoureyes dot org which has helped hundreds or thousands of people and is under the auspices of Rav Avraham Twerski and Dr. Philip Rosenthal.
Religious extremists only know one direction, and that’s to become more extreme.
Please note that there are towels hanging at the washing slop sink in the cheder ochel. These towels allow the spread of diseases like Hepatitis A. While the yeshiva rejects technology, they are not sophisticated enough to recognize the need for hygiene and the potential spread of disease. Just one example of a lack of sophistication in dealing with certain problems. While technology has it’s risks, it cannot be ignored as there are virtually no jobs that allow a complete lack of technology use. This broad brush approach is a bad one.
Rabbi Hoffman:
If youy were running for gadol hador, you would have 100 % of my vote. Finally a Rabbi with some sense.
Rabbi Hoffman, as usual, has not fully investigated the issue at hand or is totally clueless and insensitive to the moral issues at stake. No one is bashing the technology. Should a safe forum be provided the hareidi public, i am sure, would adopt it and would probably be the first to use it ands expand its advancement as they, enviably, are generally in the forefront of using any new enhancement. But why not ask the educators out there what is happening to our kids. Even if they are fine and functioning individuals… so is the guy who is an occasional porn reader. Does the Rabbi find that acceptable as we as a people seek spiritual purity? Nor is this limited to the baser instincts…I really would prefer not to expound on this further. I assume you get the essence here
it all began with the biggest insanity of all,and that a whole generation of chareidi young people were brought up with this criminaly insane ignorant notion that the torah and our religion does not want them to go to work,and a good jew has to sit and learn and live from handouts from parents,in laws,welfare,govt.grants etc.etc.
and look what we have now especially in Israel,a whole generation of bored aimless pathetic young men who cannot afford to feed their families.are bored out of their minds roaming the streets of jerusalem and cannot wait for any excuse to riot and burn down their own neighborhoods.
the only solution is SEND THEM ALL TO WORK
“Hashem responds, “You are the greatest fools in the world! You paved streets and created side streets for your own licentious purposes! You built bathhouses for your own pleasures!”
Really? And who did Hashem make these comments to? And he hasnt spoken to anyone is thousands of years……but for this? C’mon? How gullible are you?
And I am almost certain that everyone fell for a Purim prank.
I have been following Rabbi Yair Hoffman’s articles for a while now, and I agree that he raises a lot of valid points, and gives me lots of food for thought. However, having said that, it seems that Rabbi Hoffman is becoming more and more emboldened with his views, especially with all the positive feedback he gets on this website. He makes broad and unqualified statements, that even though they seem very logical at face value, that isn’t always the case. He has no “great vision” as others on here would like to say, he merely is a good writer who articulates well what many balei batim think but cant express it as well. The “sources” from chazal that he brings, seens to me to not be more that “filler material”. Every chazal can be twisted both ways.I am not at all one to just follow the flock blindly, but things aren’t so simple as Rabbi Hoffman would make it seem. In the end, what is happening here is that Rabbi Hoffman is becoming the “gadol” of the people that hate judaism, but cannot admit it to themselves. This is the feeling I got not long after I started reading his opinions on here, and I am becoming more and more convinced that it is actually so. Anybody else agrees?
This video makes me happy and the anger it arouses makes me happier 🙂
“In the end, what is happening here is that Rabbi Hoffman is becoming the “gadol” of the people that hate judaism, but cannot admit it to themselves. This is the feeling I got not long after I started reading his opinions on here, and I am becoming more and more convinced that it is actually so. Anybody else agrees?”
Actually, 99 percent of us disagree with you and we are NOT simple minded yiddin looking for a pseudo “gadol” of those who hate yiddishkeit. To the contrary. We hate what is becoming of the yiddeshkeit of our parents and grandparents by those who are presented to us as “real gadolim” but whose insularity from the real world and distorted view of daas torah are turning off more and more of our people from being shomrei torah umitzvot. We are not making a golden calf out of Rav Hoffman but resent the golden mules of the alternative.
It is utter foolishness to compare the printing press with computers. Everyone including those unrelated to religion at all are aware of the dangers of the internet. It is putting “everything” at your fingertips without “anyone” seeing. How could that be compared to the printing press?!? What about addiction??
Me and my husband are ultra ultra orthodox. We both use computers/internet at work with a (sometimes worthless) filter. Our young kids have no computer access. They are baruch hashem progressing in their torah learning without it. I can appreciate the gains, but I appreciate the risks so much more. I thing one greatly outweighs the other. Therefore they have time, when they are a lot more mature to come into contact with the computer. My parents did the same with me, and I managed just fine.
There might be some developments in the future which will force us to expose our kids to computers, but that is for the future. Now is now.
Rabbi Hoffman, Alas, your profound and erudite articles are too rare and far in between.Y’yasher koach .
It appears that Rabbi Hoffman is justifying his deicsion to ‘go against’ the many robbonim, charedi and the non-like, who oppose the use of Internet, by availing himself of this ‘technological innonvation’. Rabbi Hoffman is an adult and is able to make that decision . The greater risk is our youth, who at the click of a mouse can be chatting with pedophiles or exposed to the perversions of the world that the observant world tries so hard to shelter from. The opposition that he is referring to , is the banning in the homes, where let’s face it, the larger the household, the less supervision.
What is Rabbi Hoffman’s view of owning a TV? National Geogragphic and the History Channel teach you all about ‘ma raboo ma’asecha Hashem’, no?! It seems to me that while technology is a brocha to the world, the world itself is full of corruptions. It started when the world became desensitized and accepting of the the immoral portrayls fed thru the tube. Now the danger lurks on the web, where thanks to anonymity, the immoral images can be easily accepted.
Let’s not kid ourselves those blocks can be easily unblocked…just post a question on the web for help with that.