At a kenos of Roshei Yeshivos in the Continental Hall, Maran HaGaon HaRav Aaron Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita spoke out harshly against the internet. Also attending the kenos was HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita and members of the Moetzas Gedolei Yisrael of Degel Hatorah.
Maran Rav Shteinman explained that in every time period there are elements that are contrary to the Torah way of life, and in this case, the internet is a major factor in that category. The gadol hador quoted Rabbeinu Yona and the sefer שערי תשובה (ש”ג אות קמא).
The sugya addresses one who embarrasses another publically, stating that person has no share in Olam Haba while regarding a murderer this is not so. It does not say a murderer does not have a share in Olam Haba. The rav explains that regarding a murderer R”L, due to the severity of the act one may be drawn to repent for his actions but regarding one who embarrasses another, this is not so.
Hence, we learn that regarding certain aveiros, one may be drawn to teshuvah, even a very serious avreira and we take this into consideration but one who is far from teshuvah, we do not give him the same consideration.
The rav continued to extrapolate regarding the internet, the fact that many are far from realizing they must do teshuvah and how the internet can draw one in and lead to worse things R”L. Rav Shteinman called on the tzibur to distance from the internet and to do teshuvah as part of our Avodas Hashem in this world.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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26 Responses
The leitzonim should be here soon enough to explain to us all why Rav Shteinman and Rav Kanievsky “got it wrong” on this.
How ironic that I’m reading this via the internet.
There’s good and bad in everything. One can spend his life looking only at the bad in things, or one can be positive and look for good in everything.
Yeshiva World. You should close down your site!
He talked about doing aveiros on the internet, not mitzvos like reading yeshivaworld.
I’ve made many Shidduchim, some with older singles, some in different parts of the globe, on the internet. Its amazing.
SYAS has made more than 1,000 Shidduchim. Help with Shidduchim is something we need more of, not less.
Like fire, everything can be used for good and for bad.
Arent filters the answer?
some godol will have to reconcile the present way we live with the internet. the internet is problematic but the time is coming that it will be the only way to do business of any sort, financial, government and so on. Every yeshiva of importance has a website etc.
Well, certainly there are many opportunities to do aveirot on the internet.
It seems that the opportunity that HaRav Shlita compared it to…embarrassing another could be easily done on even a forum composed of shomrei mitzvot people.
HaRav Aviner says that one can read the news articles on internet sites but one should not read the comments.
People often comment in an unseemly manner on the internet especially when using a pseudonym.
I’d like to ask forgiveness of anyone on this site I may have offended in my comments, please forgive me.
Thank you for this article.
Without the internet thousands of more shidduchim would have gone through.
The internet is a creation Hashem decided to put on this earth as he did everything else.
The internet is no different than many of Hashem’s creations can be used for both good and evil.
Our job is to bring Kedusha to things that are not completely Kadosh, why would our job be different with the internet?
This issue first has to be address to organization who is publish Divrey Torah on internet.If they wouldn’t we all would not have excuses to go online for Divrey Tora first!Do not blame consumers(users).
@10: I dont think that Al Gore thinks he is hashem…Obama now…
Lets keep in mind rav shteinmans position comes from a mind permeated with kedusha only, the bashers’ opinion comes from a da’as polluted by years of internet browsing.. hmm who should i side with.
I sincerely wish Rav Shteinman would make a distinction about the internet. He is undoubtedly concerned about the part that has news, articles, blogs, advertisements, videos.
But the internet is a lot more than You Tube. If you shut down the internet, the banks would all close. You could not book a flight. The airports and flight controllers would be unable to function. Businesses could not order inventory. Most point of sale systems would stop working, so stores would not be able to sell. There would be no email. The electric, water and phone utilities would grind to a halt. Hospitals would be unable to retrieve medical records. In short, without the internet, we would all be sitting at home in the dark. Society would be unable to function and many of us would die of starvation.
I’m a web developer. I make programs that allow my company to process orders and track their inventory. Without the internet, we would be back to doing our accounting on paper, like in the 1950s.
roshvrishon: Yes, you’re right. The governments, police, electric utilities, airports and postal services would all stop functioning the moment we turn off the internet. Instantly.
While no one doubts that some of the older generation of rabbonim such as Shteinman, Kanievsky, Aurbach, etc. have only the best interests of the tzibur in their hearts and words, the internet is a fait acompli that will have to be accepted and accommodated. We may need to wait for the next generation of rabbonim to take the mantle of leadership before their is a serious dialogue as to how yidden should best harness the internet as a positive force in yiddeshkeit.
The internet has caused many chorbonos that’s why there are Asifas to make an awareness about its danger and how to have internet for businesses etc-
I don’t think Rav Shteinman is dissing the internet like the article wants to imply at first.
With my admittedly limited wisdom, I cant see how anyone in their right mind would think that organizations like Torahanytime and Sawyouatsinai, both genius brain-childs, could be replaced with non-Internet organizations and be nearly as powerful and effective for World Jewry.
Both are of immense and immeasurable benefit for the masses.
What about the 1000’s of shiurim on TorahAnytime or the half dozen other sites with shiurim?
I think Yeshiva world is AhhhhGeshmak
Of course and Yakov doe
You’re missing the point. The fact is that there are many people who don’t go to those sites and unfortunately marriages are being destroyed and many people have ruined their lives with the Internet either via Internet addiction or addiction to certain content that I won’t mention or to meeting people online…. I need not elaborate. The Internet can be used for good. But many don’t do so and the yetzer hora to get into trouble online is oh so powerful.
@iamfenster…do you really think the world would stop turning without the internet? What do you think we did before the internet? Banks ran and stores sold items…the only thing that would change is the ease with which it is done.
@of course…the internet is many useful for shidduchem it also responsable for ruining many. I’d be willing to bet more than what it gained.
Its interesting how many people here are attempting to justify and go against the rav…the bottom line is hes right and either you agree and watch ive yourself or just admit you dont care what he says. To try and justify is a childish thing to do…there are many things I have done wrong in my life but I dont justify I admit.
WIY, as adults, we are all well aware of the pitfalls of the internet. With that, internet is here to stay, without question, so lets focus on preventing negative usage, while making use of all of its very powerful benefits, that have no equal known to man, at this time.
@Realisticguy: Yes, we all used to function without the internet. But there are huge armies of people (including me) out there who have spent the last 15+ years integrating banks, insurance companies, stock markets, etc. into the internet.
Remember old time stock and commodity exchanges with guys in colored jackets yelling and waving and trading? All completely gone, just in the last 5 years. Replaced by the internet. Switching back would take years.
@Realisticguy:
I have no problem with Rabbi Shteinman rejecting the internet for personal use, if that’s what he is doing. However, I suspect that if you asked Rav Shteinman whether it’s OK for banks to process financial transactions over an internet connection, he would not have a problem with it. As a professional tech guy, I wish he would clarify whether he thinks I’m doing something wrong.