Because I realize the chinuch and educational
achievements of our children are of primary concern to our
readers, I feel it essential to underscore several pressing
topics some of which even carry a "kosher" label -- and
precisely because of this the required alertness pertaining
their dangers is lacking.
Grave reservations about this subject are slowly spreading
among parents and educators. I believe the level of criticism
must be heightened and its scope accelerated. We should be
much more resolute to do something about this problem.
The enemy is nearby, ready to pounce on us.
We are urged to experience one of the most characteristic
temptations of modern times. Sizable newspaper advertisements
and huge posters displayed in public areas convey the
message: Because they are concerned about finding a good way
of filling up our children's time and also preventing their
growing up deprived in comparison with secular children,
shrewd promoters are organizing entertainment evenings and
impressive song, music, and dance shows. Although adults are
invited too, the main stress is on teenage and even younger
audiences. Those behind the programs promise solemnly that
they do not violate any halocho in Shulchan
Oruch.
Rabbonim and educators do not have to attend these shows to
know what they are. Having seen the effects on our children,
they are prompted to voice their objections. They warn the
public not to be beguiled into participating.
But how clever our "benefactors" are! They have even found a
way to bypass the rabbonim, a way to listen to the rabbonim
but . . .
There is now no need to be physically present at the show to
experience it. One can slide a CD-ROM disk into the
convenient computer drive and see the show at home, in the
family circle, parents and children together.
And what they see on the screen is devastating! One does not
need to be a professional psychologist to understand how
harmful what they see and hear is. Although the singers wear
yarmulkes, they still engage in unrefined movements
and wild behavior.
@BIG LET BODY = We realize that parents truly want to educate
their children to dignity and refined demeanor. We
therefore feel it our duty to point out hidden shortcomings
that, with all their good will, parents sometimes do not
notice.
For instance, there are some people who think that there is
nothing wrong with these video disks although their influence
on the soul can actually be disastrous. These disks do not
induce gentleness but the diametric opposite, not refinement
but repulsive behavior and impure foolhardiness.
Let us pay attention to what is happening: Just as we do not
rely on a storekeeper's claims that his products are kosher,
and we stand up for our rights to see the authorization
signed by reliable rabbonim, no less must we be careful with
the spiritual food that we see and hear. We must be mindful
of the atmosphere and effect upon our children that all sorts
of experiences, gadgets, and electronic apparatus have. It is
totally impossible to rely on a simple stamp of "inspected"
on the label or an anonymous message heard on the disk
announcing it was "censored by avreichim." Everyone
agrees that Divine food must be supervised even more than
material food.
We feel that one of our educational responsibilities is to
inform parents that they should not allow their daughters to
accept invitations to look even at (nameless or unauthorized)
"censored" disks at a relative or neighbor's house. We cannot
treat this matter lightly.
Sometimes seemingly innocent sights are shown on the screen
that in truth are suffused with alien symbols. Sometimes they
have Catholic themes, or just the tone is the antithesis of
our Jewish world. We are well aware that there is nothing
that penetrates our senses without leaving a trace.
We, therefore, again request: Keep your eyes open and explain
to all your household members the threat hiding behind those
"innocent" sights and "censored" sounds. Prevent them from
meeting with an influence alien and contradictory to our
precious values. The modern world forces us to grapple with
new tests to our ruchniyus. Do not allow routine to
dull our alertness and upset the sensitive sensors of our
power of criticism.
Let us remember that only a short time of gazing at a disk or
even (yet another malady of contemporary times) aimless
wandering in a mall, are liable to extinguish the sacred
flame that with all our might and main we have ignited in the
talmidos throughout the many years they were educated
in Beis Yaakov schools. Doubtless the desire to see these
sights and hear these peculiar sounds cools down any desire
to see kedusha and hear voices of Torah study and
Judaism. The Sochotchover Rebbe zt'l said on the
posuk, "You shall be holy" (Vayikro 19:2) that,
"although a person through his own efforts cannot become
perfect in kedusha, he should at least incessantly
aspire to reach this level of kedusha. `You shall be
holy' -- through a ceaseless craving for kedusha."
Accordingly, although we can never guarantee what level of
kedusha we will attain, we must not stifle, even for
one moment, our craving for kedusha. These sacred
cravings are inimical to allowing the use of CD-ROM and DVD
disks, videos, television, and attending entertainment shows
that strengthen only the opposite of kedusha.
"My son, give me your heart" (Mishlei 23:26). True
chinuch is not only creating good habits and
converting virtuous behavior to routine. All of our combined
power should be harnessed to the supreme educational task:
instilling a love of spirituality in our girls' hearts. We
are commanded to permeate divrei Torah within our
intellect and emotions, as the Torah writes: "Place these
words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul"
(Devorim 11:18). The Seforno (ibid.) explains
that "`upon your heart' means we should reflect about
divrei Torah, and `upon your soul' means we must
fulfill them willingly." We are required to reflect, not to
think superficially, and not to perform mitzvos by rote.
"With all your heart, with all your soul" (ibid.,
6:5). Ibn Ezra interprets the heart as being daas
(intelligence) a cognomen for the nefesh hamaskeles
(the discerning soul). Rashi explains (Sanhedrin 74)
that "you should cherish His love more than anything
else."
Directing our children to what is good and implanting within
them a desire to distance themselves from anything even
mildly negative is good solid chinuch. This is
especially so in our times when new technological
temptations, which are frequently disguised as innocent means
of entertainment and business, are devised daily. Only
devotion to our task, only through imbuing proper desires
into the nefesh of our children, only by continually
emphasizing that "Hashem desires our heart" (Sanhedrin
106b, see Rashi), while ceaselessly supervising the means by
which to enrich our children in spiritual content and
studies, can we be assured, with Hashem's help, that we have
accomplished our primary obligation: Conveying to the next
generation the wealth of happiness in a genuine Jewish
chinuch and yearning for lives of kedusha and
purity.
In building our children's character we must forcefully
intervene to strengthen their desire for good. A person's
thoughts, which identify themselves with his essence, follow
his desires. The Baal Shem Tov zt'l teaches us: "Where
a person's thoughts are found, the man is found." Maran HaRav
Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler zt'l writes in Michtav
MeEliyahu that "a person does not interest himself in
anything unless he feels an urge to do so, be it in good or
bad matters. Since a person's desires form his thoughts and
not vice versa . . . his thoughts definitely cannot digest
what his desires negate. All mistaken decisions stem from one
root: a person's desire to make that mistake. Middos
are the reason for his mistakes and not the mistakes a reason
for his undesirable middos."
We see that a person's desires control his intelligence. When
a person takes an interest in something, his interest is a
direct result of his desires. When a person interests himself
in something spiritual this interest stems from an internal
yearning. If he does an act of chesed it is because
his desires direct him to do it. If he honors his parents
correctly this shows he really wants to do so, that his heart
is set on doing so. Similarly if a girl looks for
heteirim to wear a garment upon which chachomim
look unfavorably, it shows she really wants to wear that
garment, and that is why she is looking for a
heter.
Chazal (Makkos 10b) write, "A person is led in the way
he wants to go."
HaRav Shlomo Wolbe shlita in Ali Shur describes
man's desires: "There is one power that nests inside a person
-- his most significant power, and this mighty power causes a
person to act, enlightens his way, and awakens Divine
Assistance. This power is a person's desire."
"Our work in chinuch is to provoke our students'
desire to become closer to HaKodosh Boruch Hu, to do
His will. To accomplish this objective we want this desire to
draw with it all the strength of body and soul. A woman who
wants to educate herself and work on the midda of
chesed must resolutely want to do chesed. That
is all she must do and Heaven will help her see how and when
to do acts of chesed. This is our avoda:
continuously to strengthen our desire for purity.
"We must be aware of this overwhelming truth: What a person
really wants is what he obtains in his life. The opposite is
also true: What a person obtains in his life shows what he
really wanted."
We must implant in our girls the desire to do good and then
the results will correspond to their aspiration. "Someone who
wants to become tahor is helped, and if someone
(chas vesholom) wants to become tomei he is
helped."
"He will be imbued with a spirit of fear for Hashem"
(Yeshaya 11:3).
But how can we implant such a good desire if we remain
indifferent to what our girls see and hear -- even if the
producer testifies as to the kashrus of these disks or
their having a hechsher testify they have been
censored?
Dear Parents! We hope you realize that we are not submitting
defined and clear directives for your use. We are interested
primarily in amplifying your intervention and concern for the
chinuch of the young generation, the hope of our
future.
We should not be compliant, forgiving, and lenient in
anything concerning cultivating the proper desire within our
children. The many homes forced because of their livelihood
(and in that particular case the rabbonim give a
heter) to have a computer at home, must be alert to
the undesirable possibilities the computer presents to its
users. They must, as the gedolei Yisroel have warned,
closely supervise how it is being used.
We should not put away, even for one moment, the conductor's
wand when supervising educational matters. We should not
allow fads to, cholila, dictate leniency and to
conform to undesirable conditions. Constant criticism and
unending investigating about the effects of these new (and
old) machines is our sacred educational duty.
If our children's chinuch is precious to us -- and it
is actually the most precious thing we possess -- we dare not
underestimate these vulnerable points. We must be circumspect
of new styles and be attentive to all apprehensions. Any
slight concession is liable to expand into a major breach.
Apathy stemming from laziness encourages risk.
Please, dear parents, be on guard! Inspire your children and
household to behave with kedusha. Make it a
Mishkan for Hashem, so that His Shechina will
forever dwell there. Awaken within your children a yearning
and enthusiasm to ascend the mountain of Hashem. Plant within
them the ardent desire to reach the coveted goal of always
doing Hashem's will. May the zechus of our efforts to
educate our children and trying to become tohor stand
by us so we will receive assistance from HaKodosh Boruch
Hu, Whose eyes are directed to those who fear Him.
We have an exceptional and precious young generation,
interested in elevating themselves in spiritual matters. Let
us -- the parents and educators -- utilize their promising
potential to instill within them a spirit of tohoroh
and aspiration to kedusha, until, "He will be imbued
with a spirit of fear for Hashem" (Yeshaya 11:3).
HaRav Binyomin Sharansky is the principal of the Tel Aviv
Beis Yaakov Seminary.
