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Does the internet belong in the jewish home/office?
Look at it this way. This site is purportedly kosher. And look what kind of non-Torahdik ideas are propagated here, all in the name of Judaism.
If this place is this bad, what place could be good?
A place not frequented by people who are religous fanatics and yet so ignorant at the same time.
“Look at it this way. This site is purportedly kosher. And look what kind of non-Torahdik ideas are propagated here, all in the name of Judaism.
If this place is this bad, what place could be good?”
And yet, nonetheless here you are, reading and posting on this site in SPITE of that!
Thank you oomis1105 for saying exactly what I was thinking. I don’t understand why there will always be people who look for the bad in everything. B”H for this sight because I’m sure it has opened the eyes as well as minds of others who would never see the perspective from a different veiwpoint. Everything from Kashurus, Tznius, Teens off the derech and even a better understanding of all Jews from different backgrounds. I can not begin to count how many times that due to reading YWN and this coffee room I have stopped and looked at my own actions to see that I’m acting properly.
So back to the original question if it belongs at home or at work. The answer it it depends. If you live in an environment that is sheltered from the world at large and you are able to make a living without going into the world at large, then no. You don’t need it nor do you need the exposure to the many distractions it brings in. As for the rest, you have to ask yourself what you will gain. For me it allows me to work andspend more hours at home to be with my family, it allows me to keep up with Daf Yomi as well to exposure to many shirim I would never be able to attened. I’ve been able to learn with a young man who is interested in becoming frum, but lives in a place where there are no frum people. I’ve been able to keep in contact with Rebbiem and friends from Eretz Yisroel and overseas. It also allows me to unwind after a busy day with out having to pick up a newspaper or listen to the radio. So for me as well as many others it has a significant place.
After all is said and done, we will all have a din hachshbon. We need to keep this in mind, because only we can control what we seem hear and do. If the internet will prove to be too much then we have the answer as well.
If someone who (unfortunately) eats treif is asked if eating treif is okay, he can’t say treif is treif?
I believe some rabbis have said it should be avoided if not needed. That makes it into a question. Please ask your own Rav for further Halachic Guidance.
If it is a hashkafic question, that presupposes that your rav has said it is OK.
The reason on the online forums and blogs you get such a heavy dose of leftist apikorus, is simply because most of the true ehrlich yidden are not online, and if they are certainly are not in the blogs, so the folks that do populate the blogs represent no one but the far left/apikorus/non-ehrlich.
That’s a good point Zalman. I got specific permission from my Rebbi due to what I do, but most Yeshiva Bochurim (and beyond) don’t have internet, either because of hashkafa reasons, or just for the pragmatic reason of, well, they’re in Yeshiva/Kollel, whatever. So most people who have it WILL be those who aren’t as ehrlich.
(Necessary disclaimers:
1. I said most, not all
2. Ehrlich doesn’t mean keeping all the chumras, it means caring about what Hashem wants and asking yourself, “how would Hashem want me to act in this scenario?” instead of “What does strict Halacha say so that I can do that and nothing else?”)
But the other reality is that Rav Mattisyahu Solomon said in Monsey that the time will come when the internet is as necessary as a phone, and we must prepare for it. That doesn’t mean everyone should get it, but it does mean that everyone should know what it is, how to use it safely, etc. and not act like it’s poison. It’s not like TV which is purely entertainment, and it shouldn’t be treated the same.
“A place not frequented by people who are religous fanatics and yet so ignorant at the same time.”
Just because someone doesn’t agree with you does not mean that he is ignorant or fanatical as an ‘openminded’ person would undoubtedly agree.
Why is everything discussed in terms of (Insert modern development here) vs. Yiddishkeit? Would it not be more productive to find ways to integrate things to make them compatible with Yiddishkeit (this site being an example in itself)?
hilarious….any one to the left of zalman is an apikorus/non ehrlich. Great ahavas yisroel !!
Internet vs Yiddishkeit? Is that like Yankees vs Red Sox?
Internet vs. Yiddishkeit? I’ll take Internet.
Give me a break- i guess you got yourself into the exclusive club of freikeit now???
If anyone thinks that internet in general is wrong- they should not be looking at this post right now, so move your cursor to the little “x” in the right hand corner and exit the internet! I agree with the idea set forth by illini07-we need to make modern technology compatible with the frum world. Some of us cannot be without the internet, whether for work or other reasons. Make it a more kosher place, with kosher sites like this one, where we can learn the news, discuss important topics relevant to yiddishkeit and other tasks.
The internet itself is neutral – its just a virtual space where information can be found. Its what you do on the internet thats a problem. If you have a taaveh for pornography, you should probably stay off the internet.
Personally, I dont visit any sites that I consider “treif” – most of what I look for on the internet relates to my day to day life. For example, now that my son is eating solids, I have been looking up information on what foods I can serve him at what month. This information is available in books, but this information is more updated and easy to get. Instead of purusing the library, I can get the information almost instantaneously.
havesomeseichel:
Care to vote for me on the “Should pro-freikeit commentors be given a voice?” thread? I’d appreciate it.
Internet VERSUS frumkeit? It doesn’t need to be a battle. Moderate, moderate, moderate. If one feels he cannot control himself, best to stay away. If one is a better self-regulator and requires the internet, he should have it. The only thing that makes the internet incompatible with Judaism is one’s actions on it. Otherwise, it’s an exercise in absurdity for anyone with anti-internet views to be posted an anti-internet message on an internet forum. Think about it; it’s not a tremendous leap of logic.
Like all things in life, the internet can be used for good or for bad. There are illegal drugs being abused – should the medical world not be allwoed to prescribe medicine for the PROPER reasons? There are people abusing alcohol – maybe no Jew should be allowed to buy wine or schnaaps. There are people who overeat and become obese – maybe all food should be outlawed, too. Come on, there will always be SOMEONE who uses a good and valuable tool for an inappropriate purpose. That does not mean we should throw the baby out with the bathwater.
What about all the new cell phones that I see Yeshiva Bachurim have that have web browsers? With just a push of a button you can search anything!!
Furthurmore, don’t tell me they can all be locked, where there is a will there is a way!
Give me a break- it was sarchasm, just like your comment was….
you are not frei, just a little too to the left of my views….
Being on the internet puts oneself in a compromising situation, and unless great care is taken along with a lot of siyata dishmaya, one WILL find themselves in hot water.
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