In his motzei Simchas Torah address, the Belzer Rebbe Shlita came out in no uncertain terms against the internet, citing the many hazards to it brings to the Jewish home.
In the Belzer tradition, the Rebbe Shlita delivers an address on motzei Simchas Torah, a type of summation of the Tishrei yomim tovim. This year’s address focused on the dangers to “ones home and children” as a result of bringing the internet into one’s home.
The Rebbe spoke of those who circumvent well-intended measures, explaining today there are ‘kosher’ cellular telephones. In addition, today there are internet connections that are filtered, to exclude unwanted material. The Rebbe however made it clear, warning he is well-aware of the many who have two cellular telephones, the kosher one and the ‘non-kosher’ one to satisfy their needs, and others who wisely bypass internet restrictions.
The Rebbe also commented on sheitels, “peya nochri” as they are referred to in Hebrew, mentioning how today, some women wear a ribbon (“seret”) on their heads and walk around as if their hair is properly covered. The Rebbe mentioned the Belzer tradition of wearing a “covered sheitel”, that is to say a hat [or covering] atop of the wig.
Regarding chinuch, the Rebbe explained even those parents who send their children to Belz mosdos cannot rely on the yeshivos alone, but must take an interest in their child’s education and what is going on in their lives day-to-day.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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10 Responses
I doubt that the Rebbe intended his speech for general public consumption. However, it seems to be an undying principle of journalism to widen the target audience in order to create sensationalism.
With this in mind, I’d like to caution my fellow commentators by saying that if you were not at this speech, it was probably not addressed to you. Take from it what you will, or not, if you choose not to. But let’s try not to give Spira the type of satisfaction he usually gets from this type of publication by blogging hate-filled comments.
BiMechilas Kvodo Shel HaAMDO”R SHLIT”A —
Like my cousin, the current Rebbe SHLIT”A, I am priviledged to be a descendant of the earlier ADMO”REI Belz TZ”L. I do not know whether the headline “Belzer Rebbe SHLIT”A Comes Out Forcibly Against the Internet” is accurate or an honest misunderstanding by your correspondent of the Rebbe’s Yiddish.
However, based on what I learned from my Father ZT”L, who worked closely with the previous Belzer Rebbe, HaRav Aharon ZT”L, I believe all the earlier Belzer Rebbes ZT”L would have welcomed Yeshiva World News and would have approved a properly filtered Internet.
Will this be the last update of YWN before unplugging the server?
Absolutely fantastic wonderous man. A true leader of klal yisroel and a mechanech and madrech and manhig of yiddishe kinder. May Hashem grant the Belzer Rebbe Shlita many many more productive years with good health and simcha.
I wouldve never known about this without the internet
no 2 What exactly is your problem? The Rebbe Shlita spoke postively about using only kosher or filtered internet where it is available…. I was there!
tina18 took the words right out of my fingertips.
What a misleading headline.
The Rebbe has from understood right from the beggining of the proliferation of the internet that its a fact on the ground thats why he never ‘banned’ the internet.
But he has made it clear again and again, and thats what he said Meotzie Simchas Torah, that the only heter to have internet is with 2 conditions,
#1 That its strictly for business and not for convenience or pleasure,
#2 It MUST have a filter or else its like have a TV or even worse.
I don’t understand the part about the ribbon (“seret”). Is that referring to women who don’t have their hair covered but put on some kind of ribbon to trick people into thinking it’s a shaytel, or is he talking about women wearing a tichel with too much hair showing?
To Avraham #2
I am a big fan of Belzer chassidus, so to have the Rebbe’s shlita mishpuche comment over here, is awesome. Where did you learn to spell English? If it’s in the Belzer cheider, I am stunned, your spelling is flawless.
Heard that Jom Kippur ended one hour and twenty minutes after the zeman, gewaldig, wish I could have been there.