Mrs. Brown tells the
story of one Lakewood family where a daughter was given permission to use the
internet for a homework assignment Long story short, the information she inadvertently
encountered eventually led her go “Off The Derech”.
That devastated the
family. They threw out their computer after the fact no doubt regretting
ever having it. They also cut off all ties to that daughter - who has since left
home – fearing the negative influences she would have on her siblings. Obviously
the wrong move, but not the subject of this post.
In essence Mrs.
Brown seems to be capitulating to Charedi rabbinic leaders desire to rid the
community of all internet access. Here is how she puts it:
Technology can trample on this way of life, claim some souls here and there, but the well-shackled mind is ultimately stronger than any knowledge thrown at it. Sacred ignorance has survived the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, democracy, world-changing scientific discoveries and women’s liberation. It has endured two millennia of knowledge and change. It will survive this, too.
The idea of a well shackled mind being in a superior position
to battle going OTD is certainly understandable. But in practice, the mind can
no longer stay well shackled. The internet is not only here to stay. Its
ubiquity is increasing by leaps and bounds via the smart phone. No ban in the
world has the power to stop it. It is like spitting in the wind.
Nor do I concede that ignorance is in any way sacred.
Surely being ignorant of all the questions and challenges to
our faith would serve to keep us devout. But ignorance is being increasingly
replaced by the ability to gain instant answers to difficult questions. No
longer will a child be scolded for asking a tough question and retreat in shame
for even thinking to ask it. If it is unanswered – or worse derided by a parent,
Rebbe, or teacher, the internet is right there for the asking with answers
galore. Answers that are anything but devout.
So even if ignorance is bliss (or sacred) it is disappearing
from the masses like no other time in history. Bright and curious people are
going to have these questions and seek answers to them somewhere.
This is nothing like withstanding the winds of enlightenment
a couple of centuries ago. Those winds were responsible for many a devout Jew
to going off the Derech. The stories of some of the great young minds of the
great Yeshivos in Europe becoming heretics are legendary.
But that took diligence. A student had to go out of his way,
to a library or to attend a University and buy into the convincing arguments of
heretical thought being taught in books and universities there. Being unprepared
hashkafically for the challenges encountered, they bought into the arguments
and became heretics.
But today, all that is brought into the home in an instant.
There is no point in trying to legislate it out of the home. Saying the
internet is Assur is more futile than saying college is Assur. All the haranguing
in the world will not impact all but the few.
All the bible thumping… all the scare tactics about saving
the soul will just not work on vast numbers of Jews. That should be obvious by
the fact that internet Asifa scare
tactics haven’t really changed things all that much.
Even if we accept the numbers quoted by Mrs. Brown one in four
families in Boro Park - one of the largest enclaves of Charedi Jews in the world - has
internet access. Even with filters, it’s virtually impossible to filter out all
the information that would lead a child – or even an adult in many cases – into going OTD!
Filtering out smut is one thing. Filtering out information that is not strictly
Torah based is another. I don’t think it is even possible.
So much for sacred ignorance. So what is the solution? I don’t
know how many times I have said it – or in how many ways. But the answer is
education! Now that we have the technology to find answers to difficult
questions from sources that are not Torah based we need to learn how to better
answer those questions in the home and in the schools.
We need to be able to answer these questions in ways that will satisfy
the questioners. That means that the typical training teachers have gotten until
now is not enough. Teachers need to be taught to anticipate hard questions and
be trained how to answer them. Da Ma L’Heishiv, Chazal tell us. That means we
must know what those questions are based on and how to answer them.
Questions of faith and belief are difficult to deal with.
Answers are not always clear cut. But in my view they can be dealt with in ways
that will prevent students from going OTD – even if they subsequently go on line to
find other answers.
Of course this approach is not foolproof. But what choice do
we have? The information highway is pervasive and people are going to use it.
I have faith in Judaism as the ultimate truth. I therefore believe the faith of
our people in God and His Torah will be retained. I agree with one thing Mrs. Brown said. Judaism has endured two millennia of knowledge and change. It will survive this too. That said, ignorance will no longer be our saving grace. Knowledge will.
