Update: As I look back months later I feel a need to update this post. At the time of this writing I believed, as anyone would, that the Rabbis in the video and at the convention understood what they were screaming about. Now, after having much more experience and having spoken to many of the Rabonim myself I have come to the conclusion they were being misled by fanatical askanim who convinced them that all technology is evil and they did this for their own purposes. It's a real shame, but it's the realities of the times.
What you have all been waiting for. I have managed to get a hold of an early rehearsal of some of the speeches for the Asifa at Cit-Field. This was recorded just a few months back at the time the Asifa was in the first stage of planning. Many important topics were covered at this gathering but you can some it up as "technology is the worst problem facing Klal Yisroel today"
Feel free to comment below. Please only discuss facts and not people.
The video isn't playing for me.
ReplyDeletenot sure why. let me know if it fixes itself
ReplyDeleteThe video worked for me. I admit I couldn't get through the entire thing but what I did hear seemed like the rantings of people who are afraid of losing their power more than anything else. I also noticed a lack of understanding of the controls every individual has over where they go online and whom they interact with. I won't know what goes on at the asifa since I will be outside protesting the skewed priorities of the communities' leadership (not that I'd be welcome inside being female and all...) but if it's more of this inflamed rhetoric I doubt it'll have much effect even toward encouraging responsible internet use.
ReplyDeleteIn addition - there was one quote that stood out: "The devastating destruction of the chashivus of gedolei torah" THAT is what it is all about. Fear of the potential loss of power...
ReplyDeletegreat stuff! Do you think at the end everyone's going to dance on the field???
ReplyDeleteWell guess what. Teitelbaum with his blog proved that right. The amount of bizuy chachomim that goes on here is borderline Eizeh Apikores, hmvazeh Talmidei chachomim
ReplyDeleteDovid,what do you think about blogs?does it promote loshon hara, rechilos, machlokos and the worst, the devastating destruction of the chashivos of gedolia torah and gedolai Olam?
ReplyDeleteDoes your blog promote harmony or is it in the category of the blogs that we frum yidden suffer from?
The internet with its blogs and social networks overthrow governments,bullied people to the brink of death, people watch all kind of dirt films and worse of all many frum yidden became athiest apikorsim with all the easy access to reading,are you all for it?
Or you will come with a smart aleck solution "that we need to teach how to be responsible? There is an old saying "if you COULD see or read schmutz then you WANT to see and read schmutz.
Dont you think that many people in the last few weeks since this whole asifa thing started have installed filters becuase they became more aware and have some guilt about not having a filter?
I think, just like everything else, blogs can be used for both good and bad. I intend to use mine for the good. Its unfortunate that if I post something that your rabonim said at a convention, without even commenting on it, that you assume Im belittling them?!
ReplyDelete"If I start commenting on all the "brilliant remarks" that were said, I will run out of keystrokes". If by brilliant you didn't mean ludicrous, I'll eat my hat
ReplyDeleteWhere's the final episode to the Chelm saga?
ReplyDeleteWhy are you "הוציא את עצמו מן הכלל" ? "Your Rabonim?" Your father never spoke like that. I knew your father well. Outspoken, absolutely, but with the highest regard for Rabonim. Dovid, I think you are taking this way over board. Regarding your original article, who do you think you have enlightened? Absolutely no one. You have only emboldened the "Letzonei HaDor", the bitter people who have an axe to grind with the community and lifestyle that has failed them. Dovid, you are better than that!! I know you from years back (Camp Rayim days). And why do you say "Without commenting"? Who put all those captions in the youtube clip? If that was not being sarcastic and belittling, I don't know what is. These Rabonim are Yirei Shomayim. It behooves you to give them the prper respect as your father ZT"L would have.
ReplyDeleteI said "your rabonim" because people like you and all the rest of your kind keep saying that If you disagree with a particular rabbi you are "anti Gedolim" and "anti Rabonim". They don't seem to care that my rabayim and most of Klal Yisroel think differently. My father used the internet since day one. NONE of the things these Rabonim say my father would have agreed with. All THEY do is bash technology, they blame all our problems on the internet when everybody knows its not the truth. It is YOUR Rabanim that have emboldened the "Letzonei HaDor", " by not addressing the issues that concern the average person in klal yisroel, and by not dealing with our own problems and standing up for what is right.
ReplyDeleteWho are these rabanim can anyone name them in order?
ReplyDeleteT
ReplyDeleteReb Dovid,
ReplyDeleteI admired your original post and your guts. Now I think you are going down the "Slifkin path" (nothing personal against him!) and destroying yourself. you are so involved you cannot see that you are self destructing.(feel free to delete this comment once you've read it. I would email you privately, but did not see your email address on your profile.)
Would you mind me asking who your Rabonim are?
ReplyDeleteMost rabonim that believe technology can be used for both good or bad. That teach with love not hate. And don't judge others by how black their hat is.
ReplyDeleteTeitlebaum, go through the chazon ish's emunah and bitachon well, then re-read your comments here and decide how they should be characterized. Unless of course you are lumping the chazon ish into "your rabbonim" and including him in your derision. In which case, we know exactly who you are and will wish you a good life until payment time comes.
ReplyDeleteI thought Emunah and Bitchon was for Hashem, not for people. Correct me if I'm wrong.
ReplyDeleteI posted the transcript. You can read the names there.
ReplyDeleteim taking notes
ReplyDeleteThats exactly what bothers me. As if my original post said something that took guts. When I realized that everyone agrees with what I wrote but wont say it, I lost respect for many of these leaders. I didnt write to get respect and I dont want it. All I know is that the more Ive been hearing these past few weeks, mostly from places like lakewood tells me there is a major crisis going on and it has NOTHING to do with the internet.
ReplyDeleteI apologies to the original commentator for the previous reply form Authenticjew but I would like to leave the comment up so that people could see the sick words some of the trolls have.
ReplyDeleteR|' Dovid,
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect, you didn't answer the question.
Today a yid walked up to me in shul and asked me if I'm attending the asifa. I told to please not get me going about this. I didn't realize he was more upset about it than i was. He started saying what a waste of money. How many schools and families could be helped with those dollars. Instead we're wasting it on something like this. "You think we didn't have the yetzer hora back in my day?"
ReplyDeleteI was quite surprised. His son in law is a kollel guy who is quite choshov in this town. I assumed he was all for the asifa.
I wonder how many other people who i assumed are for this asifa but really are against it.
I specifically wont name Rabonim on my blog, unless its a direct quote from them. While I have hundreds of Rabayim that I learnt from, and others that I respect tremendously, I dont see the point of mentioning names just so that they should be dragged into this ridiculous discussion. Lets face it the moetzes is the ONLY group of rabanim that banned the internet. EVERY other jewish organization has a web presents. The fact that I dont agree with a minority of Rabonim in Lakewood shouldnt even be relevant. They are not my Rabayim, I never learnt a single Halacha from them, and they associate themselves with evil kanaim. It is you that should be explaining their actions instead of accusing me of spreading Loshon Hara.
ReplyDeleteguess what.... someone is selling a ticket to this asifa at no other place than right here online.....
ReplyDeletehttp://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=251065143462#ht_2795wt_221
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ReplyDeleteOK, texting on Shabbos, is the Blackberrys fault? Something is wrong with the men we call Gedolim. I'm Chassidish, my kids have a Wii and I have a laptop, and a Galaxy S2, with K9, and never would I or my children who are in their teens KA"H, think of being Michalul Shabbos. I have never heard anyone say that because of technology they can't keep Shabbos. They really scare me. What about the kids who years ago would hide the fact that they were playing with game boys or other electronics on Shabbos? It comes from the inside, how they are taught that Shabbos is beautiful, and should be treasured. I tell my kids on Sunday that I can't wait for Shabbos, and these men and so many like them, can't even say a simple word, and an explanation as to why we are Frum, as to the beauty of Yiddishkiet. All they say is the negative, and how bad things are, and that THEY need to take control and stop people from doing terrible things. Someone has to say something to them, and make it clear that technology doesn't bring people down, PEOPLE bring people down. This is way out of hand, and unfortunately it will continue to get worse. Bloggomg and posting on the one place these Rabbayim, supposedly, don't go to, won't change anything. Someone needs to take a stand and open their eyes, and show them that the real problem is HOW they are teaching children today, and forcing people to be on THEIR level, rather than waiting and being patient and understanding, that not everyone is ready to take such big leaps, in their PERSONAL lives. The harder you push, the further they fall!
ReplyDeleteIts insane. I'm on the computer all week and I cant wait till shabbos to finally spend time with my family.
ReplyDeleteAll the singing and dancing on Shabbos won't help you a ki hu zeh with your kids, as long as you harbor that "something is wrong with the men we call gedolim" attitude.They'll pick it up and carry that "ish kol hayashar b'einav" mindset to its logical conclusion. I hope you've got enough zechus avos behind you to keep your kids frum, despite you.
ReplyDeleteZchus Avos is not what makes a person dwell in the world of the Aibeshter with true Yiros Shamayim, but as a respectful human being, I rewrote the words.
ReplyDelete