The Thursday Night session at the Agudah convention started with a special message by Rav Dovid Ordman followed by a brief hazkara for veteran Aguda askan R' yisroel Lefkowitz Z'L. The session was chaired by his son Rav Avrohom Lefkowitz. The topic discussed was The Internet and confronting unprecedented challenges of modern technology. Its dangers that have affected our community young and old alike including the content on frum blogs that is harmfull to our community. Someone told him that those in Washington are reading these blogs and they said you don't know what harm it is doing to us. It has changed the way we are being perceived. The First to speak was Harav Elye Brudny shlita The Mir Rosh Yeshiva. He mentioned that klal yisrael suffered many tragedies lately with the passing of many gedolim and tragedies which were unheard of have befallen us. The Yetzer Hora is a Michshol and the technological advancement is a nisayon for us. Whenever there is a Growth in Torah as thousands of Youngeleit are learning today In Kolelim at unprecedented numbers. The Yetzer hora goes and puts something in the way to prevent us from learning. He mentioned the concept of a global village which we are connected to when going online with instant communication and the ability to be connected and part of the goyisher velt.he expounded he the traits of klal yisroel was bayshanim and with the Internet there is no busha anymore since it can be done in private.
Rav Avrohom Shorr The Rav of Kehilas ateres Yaakov the next to speak thundered away the point how the Internet not being filtered is ripping away neshamos. The yetzer hora does not discriminate from young to old boys or girls ,all ages are susceptible to it. He declared its a war that we must fight and it is not just the rabbonim who should be waging this battle but the entire tzibbur should get up and combat it.He mentioned about having filtered Internet at home all though the father needs it for parnasah but the young children will not know a difference between filtered or not they will have an image of totty sitting for hours by a computer yet they wont understand the safeguards and for that we have to be aware of. He called on the tzibbur to create a place that will have many computer stations available for those that would rather not have Internet at home and want to do shopping or other essentials that can only be done online. It will be available 24 hrs with filters etc.. and people can do their business or whatever they need without having to bring it into our homes. such an undertaking is not that expensive he said it would be in the $150,000 range and there are baal habatim who are ready to get involved and support it.The issues of smart phones and I phones also was explained as having buttons that are not necessary for business and with one push people can be exposed to the biggest shmutz. there were stories of people who were careful their whole life yet have fallen with the use of this available technology.
The mashgiach of Lakewood Harav mattisyahu Solomon concluded with a stirring drasha about yiras hashem how everything we do each action and thought will be publicized and shown to all. shlomo hamelech said sof davar hakol nishma. that thought alone should prevent us and hold us back from transgressing and thinking that in private no one will know or see. we must fight the battle with mesiras nefesh and be ready to drop some of the conveniences we've began to rely on. he spoke about a letter that rav Chaim kanievsky has issued regarding unfiltered Internet as equating it to the issue of giyus banos ,drafting girls into the Israeli army which at the time the Chazon Ish said was yehoreg val yaavor, here too even though initially it seems nothing is so bad yet the situation you are in can quickly put you in great danger that you can not be trusted just like by Giyus banos where at first you would say what is wrong if they join .yet the gedolim saw where it will lead to.
The delegates then went to different concurrent sessions on various topics such as kiruv, schidduchim etc..
click here for a video of the drasha.
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