HaRav Goelman speaking at the Shaarei Tvuna shul
Masses of people from the entire spectrum of communities and religious affiliations participated in a rally designed to ward off the hazards of modern technology which was held in the Shaarei Tvuna shul in Ramot Alef and filled the place, overflowing to the nearby roads and pathways.
HaRav Aviezer Piltz expanded upon the idea that Hashem, in His great mercy, showered upon us bounty and plenty so that we, in measure with our strength, could do His will through ease. But on the opposite side, He also increased the terrible threat which poses a great difficulty to us and behooves us to guard and distance ourselves, and erect great fences to prevent us from being tempted by the enticements which leads to disgrace. By nature, it is truly a difficult test, but whoever withstands it, has acquired great merit. He warned against situations with stumbling blocks, in which case it is preferable to waive any financial gain and flee from such workplaces which harbor them.
HaRav Moshe Tzadka cried out from an anguished heart against the Internet and forbidden electronic devices which constitute the idolatry of this generation, demanding that one distance himself from them even if there is only a hint of danger.
HaRav Yisrael Goelman, Rav of the Shaarei Tvuna congregation, struck out against them, saying that we must not fool ourselves and be naive. "Forty years ago, the Steipler said that were the Sanhedrin of yore sitting today, it would surely have forbidden riding in cars. Similarly, it would have ruled out computers and all the more so, technological devices. Fortunate is one who does not use computers today altogether, even those with proper blockage. All of these are, at best, stopgaps. Beyond the necessity for making a livelihood, these should not be used at all. The culture of shopping via the Internet is liable to cause great obstacles, which snowball to terrible unforeseeable places. To my regret, dreadful cases come to me which innocently began with exposure to Internet and ended up disastrously."
He called upon parents to be vigilant, "Each and every one should periodically inspect the digital players of their children and inquire about the workplaces of the wives from time to time to make sure that the computers they work from are properly protected, for many are the obstacles which these present. There is a plague raging outside and one must keep one's eyes open at all times."
HaRav Moshe Blau, one of the heads of Tushiya, said, "Hands are dirtied precisely by those who were negligent and dismissing of the safeguards established by our Torah leaders." In a woeful cry, he shared with the public some of the cases which came to him. "The problem lies with those who claim that the Rabbinical Committee exaggerates. The situation is not quite the way they describe, they argue, and `it does not obligate me.' It's a question of politics, a competition between those groups for which one is the most zealous.' At least, that's what is claimed by those who dismiss the necessary safeguards. Evil ones! I stand before the Aron Kodesh and take responsibility: Evil ones! Almost all of the cases coming to my attention come from those who took those warnings lightly and ignored them."
