The yetzer hora in our days works overtime. In order to increase his attempts to ruin the face and form of Yiddishkeit, he has found a tool and platform: to create a news-only website, which also includes rechilus and other undesirables. But how can it bring a chareidi Jew who shuns unsuitable publications and keeps himself clean from viewing news programs from the media which are accessible to every person in the world - to view this new news website?
The trick is to change the name, just slightly. Instead of calling it a just a News website, which deters the eye and heart from accessing it, he goes and calls it, "A Chareidi News Website." And that does the trick. No more need be done. The same programs, content, foreign culture and shmutz intact. Only the name has been changed. And this works to draw the fringe element.
He draws that marginal element of curious people which is unable to control itself. These viewers will see to it that the messages are conveyed onward and more and more young folk will be hooked.
One who succeeds in holding on to his sanity, one who still sits and learns an hour of Mesillas Yeshorim, who has heard a Mussar shiur about the prime value of Man, and whose head and body are still enveloped in an atmosphere of Torah, Halacha and four cubits of Tefillah, and is filled with yiras Shomayim, cannot even grasp how easy it for eyes to become blinded to the revulsion and disgust which is yet presented as Progress and Culture.
No, it's not so easy. The fact is that in spite of the flood of accessibility through the various technological devices, websites and media, the majority of the Torah-true public is not exposed to them. The fact remains that thousands of precious yeshiva bochurim and avreichim are not attracted by, or interested in, such stupidity. They continue to immerse themselves in Torah through diligence and dedication and see no interest in ugly, unseemly things which pass from hand to hand and mouth to mouth.
Nonetheless, on the sidelines, the margins, the devil finds himself a breach, a crack which is able to topple walls. This is the time to guard our camp and our youth, through clear-headedness and normality, to fortify ourselves and be vigilant, knowing that in these times of trouble and tragedy, we must not give in to forms of rechilus dissemination. This is a time when Hashem is talking to us strongly and saying, "And you shall know with your heart that like a man chastises him son Hashem your G-d is chastising you." This is what we must bear in mind when we read such shocking things. This and no more!
"May the Father of Mercy have mercy upon the burdened ones and remember the covenants of the Ancient [Ovos], and save our souls from the evil hours, and rebuke the Yetzer Hora from those who are carried on high, and have pity on us for eternal salvation, and fulfill our wishes in good measure!"
