Posted to Op-Ed on
by Rabbi Yair Hoffman - 5 Town Jewish Times

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.

Op-Ed: Our Growing Insanity

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman – 5 Town Jewish Times

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.

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 where a laptop is destroyed by a Rosh Yeshiva in a Yeshiva for Baalei Teshuva in Yerushalayim is particularly disturbing. The link can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7A6nKuvuk0&feature=player_embedded for those who wish to see it for themselves. 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.

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33 Comments

  • non-chabad

    wow – this is so embarrassing and opposite of chabad.
    Imagine us with no computers?
    Torah promotes technology, we all just have to learn how to use it in the right way, like anything else

  • CN

    It was probably already broken before they smashed it. Notice how they didn’t show it worked before smashing it.

  • Upset

    This video that is posted only brings out dis-unity between us jews, Chillul Hashem, And Chillul Lubavitch. It is obviously an embarrasment for the religious community, from the perspective of a non- religious jew. It hurts to watch them destroy all that money. So why post something to make us haveto further defend orthodox Jews. And between us Jews, why does a video like this have to be posted on a Chabad website that many other jews that aren’t chabad browse, to see comments that mock other Jews? Why??

  • Israeli Soldeir (chabadnik)

    So they break computers but video camera’s are ok???? i bet you he used a computer to upload and edit the video!!!

    Its scary how ppl can be so closed minded.

  • just wondering

    quick question here. did anyone else notice that they are using a video camera and posting the video on youtube? those are both technological advancements. am I the only one that sees a contradiction here?

  • Funny

    the best part of the video is that someone in the crowd took the video and then went to a COMPUTER and put it on YouTube

  • shame

    besides ironically having used a comp to capture the video it hurts to see the smash, step on , break and even enjoy while they are at it.
    a) I hope they dont do that to other things or people
    b) want to throw, go ahead but not in such a destructive way!

  • shocked

    Why aren’t the learning in grass huts and using candles to learn? After all, you need modern technology to build such sound structures along with electricity…

  • Translation, Please!

    BS“D

    So I generally agree with the gist of this article, but if you trust the translation in the video posted by ”RabbiMustNotLikeDells” (above) it seems that they are complaining about this particular computer, not technology. I smashed a broken computer monitor once in college and took a photo, but that doesn’t mean I’m anti-technology, or deserving of mass criticism. If you can understand what they are saying, please clarify for us so we don’t continue to insult a group of people without all the details.

  • BP 10-

    This is just Vild! IF YOU DONT WANT A COMPUTER DONT BUY IT IN THE FIRST PLACE BUT THERE ARE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THAT WISH THEY HAD THAT COMPUTER. This is just a chillul Hashem. PERIOD!

  • funny recall.

    Reminds me of the time I, the only lubavitcher in my ultra Bais yaakovy class, was sitting dumbfounded as we watched a video in school of some holy famous gadol Hador preaching away about this terrible thing called a TV. He was going on and on about how we shouldn’t allow TV in our house and not only that, we shouldn’t even allow a video machine in our house, and direct quote: “even if when you buy it you promise your self you will only watch your daughter’s chasunah and such on it, you will see how it will lead to more terrible things.”
    As this gadol is preaching away, my entire narrow minded class and principal was sitting and sagely nodding away in agreement, and I was the only one laughing at the irony of watching this preach and speech ON A VIDEO MACHINE!!!!!!!

  • WTVR

    This video in my humbel opinon is is a bunch of crazy guy’s looking for attention.

    BUT no jewish home NEEDS a computer!!!

    you will ask if so how can lubavitch be any where with out comuters?

    The answer is you are right and the rebbe WANTED that we should use technology to make this world a better place.

    BUT that DOESIN’T mean you need one in your home, you can have it in your office in your chabad house etc.
    HAPPY PURIM!!!!!!!!!

  • wait....

    wait…how did they take that video? how did it get out? how did i just see it on my traif computer?