Over the last few months, the lack of reception for cellular
phones in Israel has become a signal for panic about yet
another terrorist outrage, or at least a suspected bomb.
Anyone who cannot make or receive phone calls on his cell
phone for some unexplained reason rushes to hear the latest
news. Whenever there is a suspected bomb and after a bomb
actually explodes or is defused, the police order the
cellular telephone companies to shut down all their
connections, to prevent any bombs or further bombs being
activated from a distance by means of a phone call and the
creation of an electric current in the phone which activates
the explosive material.
The cellular telephone -- one of the symbols of our
technologically advanced times, which allows its owner to
remain in touch from everywhere, all the time and turns an
otherwise idle hour into a lucrative one -- has now become a
destructive weapon with devastating potential. The warped
and evil mind of a Palestinian terrorist has succeeded in
adopting this sophisticated invention, actually intended for
man's welfare, to sow devastation and death.
"Cellular Terrorism" is a very real reflection of what is
happening in the sphere of technological progress, the pride
and glory of our generation. Greater sophistication,
superior efficiency, better quality of life -- but also
greater evil and destruction, a "genius for wickedness."
Anyone taking a look at what is happening around us will
notice a basic fact that is difficult to ignore. There is a
kind of paradoxical "law" under which material advancement
is the harbinger of moral degeneration. Technology is
advancing by leaps and bounds and the levels of morality and
humane behavior are at their nadir.
The Chovos Halevovos pointed this out hundreds of years
before the first computer was invented. "Then the evil
inclination beguiled them to neglect the cultivation of that
world which would have led to their salvation, and thus they
departed from the ways of their forefathers who had limited
themselves to what was necessary and to the extent it was
necessary and were content with what sufficed for their
livelihood. In the eyes of the descendants, the evil
inclination made hoarding and increase of this world's
wealth seem beautiful and enjoyment of its pleasures and
self- aggrandizement in it desirable, till at last they sank
in the depths of the seas of indulgence. The evil
inclination forced them to suffer the pain of being tossed
by their waves. The more the land was settled, the more did
their understanding deteriorate, as it is written, "Beware
lest you forget Hashem your G-d! Lest when you have eaten
and are satisfied and have built goodly houses to dwell
therein, and when your herds and your flock multiply -- your
heart will be lifted up and you forget Hashem your G-d." And
the more their lusts increased and strengthened, the weaker
became their understanding and the more it delayed attaining
the proper course" (Shaar Haprishus, Chapters 2 and
7).
HaRav Eliyahu Dessler zt"l, based on the Chovos
Halevovos, writes that a civilization which is preoccupied
with developing the external and the material, and neglects
the inner moral content will eventually degenerate to its
lowest possible depths. Our accelerated modern progress will
only accelerate the process of deterioration by providing
contemporary society with new powerful weapons of
corruption.
"People will think in their arrogance, that if they develop
this world and increase their scientific activities and
inventions in order to perfect and enjoy it, they will have
a perfect world -- but they are greatly mistaken. All their
improvements are in actual fact a deterioration of
standards. The more the civilization develops, the more it
destroys itself. They refuse to understand that evil vices
destroy everything. If human beings would be "givers," then
this world would be perfect. But they are "takers," and this
causes much harm: they seize, quarrel and fight. They
utilize all their inventions for destructive purposes.
"Take for example shortened travel times due to aviation.
The damage done by this is obvious. Before air travel, wars
caused devastation only in a localized area. Now they can
easily result in worldwide destruction. Chazal have already
said that the gathering of tzadikim is beneficial for
them and beneficial for the world, whereas a meeting of
reshoim is bad for them and bad for everyone. Even
though every invention and development may be used for good,
that is only if tzadikim use it. It is the mistake of
humanity to think that improvement of one's character traits
happens on its own -- such an opinion is not worthy of even
the stupidest fool. Only when the Melech Hamoshiach
will come, and the whole world will be filled with the
knowledge of Hashem as the waters cover the sea, and people
will become givers -- only then will this world also become
perfected."
He writes that we can derive this outlook on worldly
knowledge and technology from the "first inventor" in the
Torah: Tuval Kayin, inventor of all copper and iron
instruments. How would we have reacted to this invention if
we would have been his contemporaries? We most probably
would have been thrilled and excited. Until that time people
were forced to till their land with their bare hands, rocks
or sticks. Along came the famous inventor Tuval Kayin and
eased their work burden considerably, by means of the
discovery of metal and its varied uses.
But Chazal explain that the Torah actually saw destruction
in these developments. Tuval Kayin increased the potential
for ruin. "Tuval Kayin spices Kayin's art, Tuval from the
word tavlin (spice). He spiced and improved Kayin's
skill by making weapons for murderers (Rashi Bereishis,
4:22).
The words of the Michtav MeEliahu on aviation science that
"before air travel, wars caused devastation only in a
localized area. Now they can result in worldwide
destruction" are also very pertinent to what is happening at
the moment with the cellular telephone. The ability to
communicate without telephone wires at any time and in any
place allows for the precise detonation of any explosive
device from a distance, and any owner of a cellular
telephone can become a wily and murderous terrorist.
The problem is not only in the negative use of progress, Rav
Dessler explains, but in the enslavement to boundless
materialism. He explains that this was the mistake of the
generation of the flood and that they were therefore
punished by springs of waters from the depths of the earth
opening up first -- middo keneged middo because they
had focused upon developing the materialism and physicality
of this world. But they persevered in their erroneous ways,
as the Medrash Tanchuma says: "The mercy of an
evildoer is cruel -- this is the dor hamabul that was
cruel! When Hashem began bringing up the waters of the
depths, they took their sons and put them upon the springs
to plug them up." The Agodas Bereishis adds: "They
had many sons and each one would take one of his sons and
put him upon the springs and tie him with patchwork so that
the waters would not escape. But the waters would increase
and overcome this and they would then take their other
children and put them on the depths. Their mercy, the mercy
of the wicked, is cruel."
HaRav Dessler writes: "The explanation of these puzzling
words is this: the more that people try to improve this
world, the more their troubles will backlash upon them more
than ever. Instead of realizing they are drowning in
materialism, they search for further ways to enhance
physicality in the hope that they may attain happiness in
this world, and when they see this is not so, they look for
means of at least granting their children happiness. It is
astounding how far man is from understanding that he is
heading for ruin. Also in our generation when we see how the
invention of industrial machinery has resulted in the
unemployment of tens of thousands in every country, and how
rising standards of living has resulted in added anxiety and
difficulty.
"All their research into economics only results in further
damage. Nevertheless, everyone is still convinced that very
soon the world will develop to physical perfection and good,
and if this generation will not achieve this, then at least
it will come in the next generation, and in this way they
educate their children to cling to the material and to
develop it. This is what it means that they put their
children to block up the wellsprings of the deep to prevent
them from drowning. They refuse to recognize that their
children will gain nothing from this either. Even when they
put reinforcing patches upon them, patches upon patches,
they will not be able to quell the upcoming destruction
caused by tumoh. Therefore their mercy upon their
children is cruelty -- for they will hasten their
destruction."
He concludes: "Happiness in this world comes only as a
result of being content with what one has in this world, and
striving intensively for spirituality, as Chazal say
(Ovos 6:4): "Such is the way of Torah, eat bread with
salt and drink water in a measure, . . . and if you do
thus, you are happy in this world and it is good for you in
the World to Come."
