Dear Alumni Sheyichyu!
Sholom U’Brocho!
Mazel Tov to Rabbi Hirsch Rabiskin on the engagement of his daughter. Mazel Tov to Hirsh Melech (Shmeilach) Rosenfeld on the occasion of his chasunah, may the home be set up in accordance with the Rebbe’s wishes, and be a keli for all brochos! Mazel Tov to Rabbi & Mrs. Yaakov Tzvi Kantor on the birth of their son. Mazel Tov to Rabbi & Mrs. Shmully Bendett on the birth of their son. May they bring them up lTOveCHuMAA”T mitoch harchovo, and to be true chayolim! (If anyone is aware of any mazel tov’s that I omitted please let me know).
Thank you as always for the feedback, it is much appreciated.
In the middle of the last e-mail there was mention of R’ Hillel Paritcher, and his extraordinary hiddurim in mitzvos. Following is a story on the same subject (heard from R’ Mendel Aronow):
R’ Hillel was once visiting the Tzemach Tzedek. In honor of the illustrious guest, a bowl of cherries (strawberries?) – a delicacy at the time – was placed on the table. Both the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek and R’ Hillel made a brocho, and partook of the treat. However, while the Tzemach Tzedek ate them whole, R’ Hillel first opened each one and carefully inspected it for worms and bugs. Only after assuring himself of its kashrus, did he place it in his mouth.
Some of the Chassidim, who were closely monitoring the visit of the famed chosid with the Rebbe, found the behavior of R’ Hillel an affront to the Tzemach Tzedek. As soon as R’ Hillel emerged from the room, he was accosted: “Hillel”, they demanded, “how could you act differently from the Rebbe in his presence? Are you perhaps more frum than the Rebbe?” “It is very simple”, R’ Hillel reassured them, “the Rebbe, being a true tzaddik, can be assured that he will not encounter anything objectionable, as the Possuk says אלה נועיק יד צל לכן וא. Therefore he has no need to be overly cautious. I, on the other hand, have no such protection; I, therefore, have to personally verify the appropriateness of anything I take into my mouth”.
Are we supposed to behave, in this instance, like R’ Hillel or like the Tzemach Tzedek? On the one hand, we surely can’t expect to depend on Divine protection. But, on a practical note, the risk of various foods being infested with bugs or worms differs greatly according to the region in which they grow. Do our berries have the same degree of necessity to check as those consumed by R’ Hillel? Perhaps not. [Now that a new Rov has been elected to Crown Heights–Yaarich Yomim al mamlachto–surely this can be one of the important issues that the Rabbonim wrangle over]. At any rate, my understanding is that both the strawberries and cherries in our parts of the world are generally clean and bug-free (unless of course they were rinsed with New York State water...) But that is not true about all berries. There are others, apparently, that are so infested, that they may not be used at all. Namely, the blackberry. That’s a berry that’s so infested, crawling with the most dangerous and treacherous kinds of bugs and worms, that just bringing it into a Jewish home puts all of the inhabitants at risk. And they are the most lethal, poisonous, hazardous, harmful bugs imaginable.
Seriously speaking, not being even close to the level of R’ Hillel, isn’t it nonetheless inconceivable that any of us would take a bite out of a berry that we know has a bunch of big black juicy worms embedded in it? Yechh! It is nauseating and repulsive, both physically and spiritually. It doesn’t require any great levels of Yiras Shomayim for such an act to be unthinkable! So why do you proudly sport your blackberry for all to see, and use it constantly? Or two. Or three.
It’s not as if any of us are unaware, or enough articles haven’t already been written, about the dangers of internet. We all know well about the insidious worms that reside within it, ready to mercilessly attack an unsuspecting visitor, and cause him drastic harm and irreparable damage. Even with perfect intentions, a person is liable to be exposed to pop-ups and shmop-ups that take him places that are detrimental to his spiritual well-being. And the potential, the nisayon that one places himself in through a split second of lowering his guard is mighty r”l.
Yet, the world today is such, that many people consider (rightly or wrongly) that the internet is indispensable. A workplace that’s not internet accessible is unfathomable. Even shlichus and hafotzas hamayonos appear to be totally dependent on cyberspace. Unfortunately, many people conclude that they can’t survive at home without constant availability of all kinds of websites (causing, in most cases, immeasurable damage to family members r”l, despite parents convincing themselves that their computer is password protected and parental control protected and no-one is allowed to use it except... etc. etc.). v’ein l’haarich b’dvorim hamavhilim. But that’s not for now.
But why, at any rate, do you need it on your phone? On your cell phone? So that it is with you 24/7?! Chazal tell us that one should not go 4 amos without tzitzis and teffillin and words of Torah. But to be unable to move even 4 amos without your internet provider? How much of a slave can you allow yourself to become to your animal within?!
Once upon a time (and I’m not talking thousands of years ago) people didn’t have cellphones. You waited until you were near a phone to converse (when beepers came out, they were the mark of a busy person, because he could be summoned anytime from anywhere). And still, people managed to learn and daven and serve the Eibishter despite that deficiency.
A couple from Brazil were once in yechidus by the Rebbe. The wife was saying that she wanted to move away from Brazil, because she didn’t see good opportunities for chinuch for her son (children?) there. The Rebbe, in response, shared with them the following episode from his own youth: “When I was a child (5 or 6?), my father was unhappy with the absence of an environment of learning in Yeketrinislav, and felt that it was time to send me away to one of the bigger out of town Yeshivos. My mother, however, wouldn’t hear of it. ‘My son (and the Rebbe said his name) to send away?!’ And she prevailed; - I remained learning in my hometown all of the ensuing years. “And you see” the Rebbe concluded with a smile, “I didn’t turn out so bad” (or he said ‘I turned out OK’).
While I won’t suggest that my generation was anything spectacular, nonetheless we remained, overall, connected to Yiddishkeit, and generally healthy both spiritually and physically. And all this, without being permanently shackled to our wireless. So apparently being in constant reach of a phone is not vital to a Jew’s – a chosid’s – survival.
But, you say, that was then. Today, now that the Eibishter created this phenomenon in the world, He obviously intends for us to make use of it. Be that as it may, even if you want to be reachable at all times, you want to be a slave during your every waking hour, but let it be a plain phone. Why a blackberry? Why the internet? Why the unending obsession with this portable yetzer hora?
[You say you want to chat? You don’t need the web for that, you can chat the old fashioned way; - in the mikva, the way Yidden have been doing successfully for many generations!]
We are coming from Yud Shvat, and we are all still in the mode of Bosi L’Gani. One of the central themes of the maamar is about how the ultimate purpose of the creation, the causing of a dira batachtonim, is achieved through iskafya (and ishapcha). What is iskafya? We may conjure up images of old Chassidim with white beards in mud-covered villages, who are abstaining from any physical pleasures and punishing their bodies. But, in fact, iskafya is for each and every one of us. It’s a very practical and realistic piece of instruction (not to mention beneficial). It means to break yourself in some area. Hold yourself back from doing something that you want to do, that you feel inclined to do. Force yourself to do something even though you don’t feel like it or you’re not in the mood.
It doesn’t matter if you expect to be ultimately successful in effecting an overall change. For the time being, the act that you do (for as long as it lasts) by fighting your urges is of paramount importance. That is the iskafya sitra achra, that brings about the revelation of G-dliness in the world. With a fringe benefit; through this you are less of a slave to your urges and impulses. You experience a measure of yetzias mitzrayim; - of being liberated from the limitations and boundaries that confine you.
We all look for practical implementations of this, especially as we try to ensure that the experiences of Yud Shvat permeate our day-to-day lives. Perhaps we need to consider some INTERNET ISKAFYA. Here are a few possible ways to go about it:
- If you can get rid of your wormy blackberry, and exchange it for – if anything – a plain old cellphone, that’s great!
- And if you have to have a cellphone, whichever kind, start lessening your dependency on it. Start taking control of your own life, and liberating yourself from your restrictive mitzrayim. That means, set your limits, and set times when you put your phone in the shelf, in the drawer, or any place out of your sight and hearing range, so that you are a free man. Some of the most important examples:
a) During davening.
Think about it, it’s ridiculous, the way you see people sometimes checking or answering their phones in the middle of davening in teffillin. Is that the shibud halev vehamoach of the teffillin? Or is that an indication of the extent of the worldly shackles that bind them? When you’re going to daven, detach yourself completely from your phone, either turn it off, or leave it behind.
b) Before davening.
Chazal teach us that it is inappropriate to eat prior to davening, and they derive this from a Possuk. If you’re unprepared to start leading - as yet - an internet-free existence altogether, at least decide that until after davening you will refrain from any association with the internet. The texts and shmexts and emails and world news and even col.com can all wait until after davening. It will be hard sometimes, especially when you’re awaiting something specific. But let that be part of your iskafya practice, and one that will liberate you from a harsh prison.
c) During learning.
We just celebrated Tu B’Shvat, a day that – as the Rebbe explained often - is connected to learning Torah in the best possible way (with great enthusiasm and enjoyment). A day on which, 40 years ago, the Rebbe announced a mivtza of learning Torah with extreme diligence, to the extent of “ein nemmen di velt durch limud haTorah” (conquering the world through Torah). It’s impossible to be properly engrossed in learning when one eye is constantly on the phone (even if just to check the incoming number to decide whether or not to answer). You’re learning now, or attending a shiur? Make a clean break – for the duration - with your portable yetzer hora.
d) During family time.
(for those of you for whom this applies). Think honestly. Is it possible that your family members find themselves unable to carry on a complete conversation with you without being interrupted by the insolent (pocket) interloper? Is the tiny piece of plastic or metal serving as a deterrent from properly carrying out even our most sacred of duties, as a distraction even from those most precious to us? If there’s even the slightest chance that that is the case, well then you know yourself what the obvious conclusion is.
e) As a matter of fact, why seek times to limit your internet/phone/blackberry usage, times when not to use the phone?
If you can’t completely cut off ties with the signals from cyberspace (and don’t say you need it because of my e-mails, that’s not nice, du vilst zindegen, un ich zol gein tzu gehenom...), well then designate specific times when (and where) you will allow yourself to use it (and under what conditions). And, any other time, it’s non-existent. Bal Yero’eh u bal yemo’eh!
Let’s take our cue from R’ Hillel, and avoid at all costs (at least as much as we can) the berries with the bugs. We’ll be liberated, and both our bodies and our souls will be healthier as a result!
L’chaim! May we all put in the effort and practice the necessary iskafya and ishapcha, liberating ourselves with a geula protis, and may the Eibishter bring us the geula klolis with the immediate revelation of Moshiach Tzidkeinu TUMYM!!!
Rabbi Akiva Wagner
