Op-Ed: But How Can I Listen to Them?

There is something that has always bothered me, both as a bochur and now as a Yungerman in Kollel.

Boruch Hashem, I try to follow the guidance of my Mashpiim and Rabbonim and, as a Frum Yid, I use only filtered devices.

On a side note, I have always been perplexed by how commonplace Spotify has become among Frum Yidden bichlal, and us Lubavitcher Chassidim bifrat. People openly talk about having Spotify and play it in public. Even more concerning is when parents, teachers, counselors, Shluchim in Yeshivos, and head counselors use it around Talmidim and children. Yet Spotify is (in the meantime) completely unfiltered, with access to virtually anything.

But that brings me to my real point:

One of the tremendous Berachos we have today is accessibility. There are so many incredible podcasts and interviews being produced today by some of the best people around the world: Chassidim sharing their zichronos, interviews with Mashpiim, Shluchim, Mechanchim, professionals, people sharing their fascinating stories and experiences, discussions about dating, Sholom Bayis, chinuch, and really so much more.

I have always wanted to listen to them. I really feel like there is so much I can learn from them. And at times I really felt like I needed them.

So much time, effort, and money goes into producing this content, and much of it is genuinely valuable. It is a tremendous tool for someone who wants to learn and grow.

But I keep coming back to one simple question:

How can I listen to them?

If I want to maintain the standards I have accepted, and I don’t want an unfiltered device, unrestricted internet access, YouTube, or Spotify, what is the solution?

It seems to me that there is a real need here. We have invested so much time, effort, and resources into creating valuable content, but many Frum Yidden who would genuinely benefit from it have no appropriate way to access it without compromising the standards they are trying to maintain. Now we need to find a way to make sure that the people who need this content have a way to access it.

Maybe it’s time we start thinking about that.

Because the question isn’t whether this valuable content exists.

The question is:

How can I listen to it?