Maranan verabonon the gedolei Yisroel have
warned against the stumbling block caused by radio and
newspapers that are not published in the spirit of Torah.
They call upon us to distance ourselves from them and to
avoid listening to them. They exhort us to beware of
newspapers whose presentation is not consonant with the
spirit of Torah and to make certain to bring into our home
only newspapers that are supervised by gedolei Yisroel
and under their auspices.
Rabbonim and educators have long cautioned against the
various media published for the chareidi community, stating
that they wreak massive educational and spiritual damage in
many homes. In the past, all G-d-fearing Jews knew that one
must be cautious about every word read and spoken in the home
out of an awareness and recognition of the warnings of
gedolei Yisroel with respect to unfit literature.
Recently, however, caution has been thrown to the winds, and
some chareidi Jews permit themselves to listen to radio and
to bring newspapers and magazines into their homes -- whether
distributed for a fee or for free -- that are not supervised
by gedolei Torah. Even when published for the
religious community and by religious people, these can
include items which have a negative influence on our attitude
towards sacred values, including loshon hora and
rechilus.
Rabbonim and educators warn that the influence of non-kosher
media penetrates and saturates youngsters' souls and also
results in a "cooling" in many homes, and then ideas that
have become deeply entrenched become hard to extricate,
causing irreparable damage that corrupts pure hashkofo
and creates an intolerable distortion which undermines the
foundations of Torah education.
When the gedolei hadoros founded the chareidi press in
past generations as a shield against the influence of secular
literature and improper periodicals, they made certain that
the newspapers would be under the aegis and constant
supervision of gedolei Torah. They did so because they
saw that any newspaper lacking such full supervision is
liable to degenerate and to cause innumerable stumbling
blocks.
Even when Yated Ne'eman was founded 15 years ago by
maranan verabonon, Maran the Rosh Hayeshiva,
shlita, said that the paper must have a va'ada
ruchanis composed of outstanding rabbonim and talmidei
chachomim operating in accordance with the guidelines of
gedolei Yisroel, so that every Jew bringing the paper
into his home can be sure that the material has been
carefully examined and that he may allow his family and
children to read it.
The penetration of unfit communication media and unsupervised
periodicals into chareidi homes has already resulted in
serious consequences, undermining the purity of the Torah
camp. Many still recall how Maran the Rosh Hayeshiva cried
out a number of times in his speeches at Yarchei Kallah
sessions and on other occasions about radio and about
periodicals which wreak havoc in kosher homes.
In a letter issued on Friday 28 Tishrei (October 27)
entitled: "Keriah Kedoshah Le'acheinu Bnei Yisroel
Hachareidim LiDvar Hashem," maranan verabonon the
gedolei Yisroel write: "We wish to arouse and to
implore about the various stumbling blocks which result in
harm in ruchniyus and gashmiyus in our sacred
camp which observes Torah and mitzvos.
"First and foremost are radios which are full of serious and
forbidden things, Rachmono litzlan and, thank G-d, are
not found in most chareidi homes. However, in light of the
serious degeneration in regular programs and in the various
stations, which constitute a very serious danger -- even for
casual hearing and especially for youth -- we call upon the
community to distance themselves completely from the radio
and to be careful not to listen to it. They must also warn
students not to listen to it.
"This also applies to newspapers not edited according to the
Torah way which introduce coldness and scorn for sacred
values, and stimulate strife, loshon hora, gossip and
the disgrace of the honor of Torah, as is known, yet are
widespread in many chareidi homes. As a result, it is clear
that whoever brings a newspaper into his home should take
care to bring in only those under supervision and the
responsibility (achrayus) of the gedolei haTorah
shlita."
Maranan verabonon the gedolei Yisroel close
their letter saying: "In the merit of distancing ourselves
from the offensive, from loshon hora, and in the merit
of guarding our tongues and maintaining peace, we will be
worthy of all that is good and of the speedy coming of the
Moshiach."
The letter is signed by maranan verabonon the
gedolei haTorah vehaChassidus: HaRav Yosef Sholom
Eliashiv, the Admor of Vishnitz, HaRav Aharon Leib Steinman,
the Admor of Gur, HaRav Shmuel Halevi Wosner, HaRav Moshe
Shmuel Shapira, HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, the Admor of
Rachmastrivka, HaRav Nissim Karelitz, HaRav Shmuel Auerbach
and HaRav B. Y. Zilber.
Rabbonim and educators have expressed their hope that in the
wake of the clear, unequivocal call of the gedolei
Yisroel parents and educators will take care not to use
radios nor to bring in newspapers lacking supervision and/or
the responsibility of the gedolei haTorah into their
homes, and will warn others of this danger. In that manner
they will be spared from the spiritual dangers these elements
contain and will not be among those who cry out over past
events that can no longer be changed.
