The internet has a lot of good and a lot of of bad. Awareness campaigns recently brought to attention how to navigate the complex and dangerous world wide web.
As frum Jews the destruction and churban of the internet goes far beyond the potential for shmutz and lashon hora. The internet has brought out a so called new leadership in klal yisrael. People who just a few years ago you wouldn't listen to their opinion have now become the go to guys to give their deah on many important topics affecting the klal.
Up until today our leaders and Rabbis are people that have real leadership positions people that are respected and have followers. Rabbonim of kehillos, community leaders that were appointed by the public who they represent. There were always those who had their own opinion and deah zugers,but they were limited to the friends who sit nearby in shul, or to the mikva buddies.
Unfortunately these new "leaders' and spokespersons have taken advantage of the internet to promote themselves and build a virtual following that only empowered themselves even more. Some did it with Twitter followers,
others through a blog or Likes in Facebook. In turn, the big frum websites now turn to these self promoted rabbis and bloggers to issue an editorial or get their opinion on the news and hashkafos of the day. The Talkline communications network on its national broadcasting radio show recently had a blogger own giving his opinion on the Novominsker Rebbe. His popular blog has now made him a Rabbi that has the right to preach and give his opinion for all to hear.
Our real life Gedolim and leaders did not get there by amassing twitter followers, Facebook like's or many comments on their blog posts.
Perhaps this is the פשט what Chazal say in the times of Ikvasa Demashiacha פני הדור כפני הכלב "leaders" who only empower themselves based on the followers. Like a dog who looks back to see what the followers are telling him.
It used to be newspaper and magazine columnists. Now it is internet writers. Not much has changed.
ReplyDeleteThe audience who dont know better take their words more seriously. Back in the day you knew the difference between the columnists and the Gedolim
DeleteIt is not the same as columnists, they were published by someone else who had editorial control and the say whether to print something outlandish, wildly biased or otherwise untrue.
DeleteYou may want to call it censorship, but it is not, it was a check and balance which does not exist with Bloggers.
Such is not the case with blogs.
Even today, people know the difference between a "frum" satirist and a middle of the road (HaEmtza) blogger.
ReplyDeleteThese people are entitled to their opinion just as much as anyone else. If the masses choose to follow them rather than gedolim, it is because we are doing something wrong.
Unorthodox Jews and Failed Meshichim are not created in a vacuum. They are there to police us when we won't police ourselves.
There is no difference between a "Frum" Satirist or any other Moraless blogger.
DeleteUOJ & FM are not policing anyone. Do you think the Nazis were here to police the Jews or the KKK are here to police African Americans or other minorities?
I am sure they like to think they are doing good, but they fool no one, probably not even themselves.
I believe that they serve as a deterrent. Future molesters and ponzi schemers and other crooks will need to worry that they may be featured on page one of these blogs.
DeleteTell me one person they have deterred from doing something wrong? I can tell you many people they have wronged with false allegations. But there is not one case they have deterred.
DeleteThat is besides the numerous other issurim that they definitely transgress.
R. Moshe Feinsten's description of his own rise to a leadership position is no different - people liked him and had confidence in him.
ReplyDeleteWhere is that description? Rav Moshe was a GADOL HADOR!! thats why he was a leader and he was a ANAV who did not promote himself thats why he said it.
DeleteIn the New York Times. They interviewed him in 1975.
DeleteIf you want to give yourself רשות to take his words and say he didn't mean it or was wrong, go right ahead, but don't pretend you aren't saying you know better than Rav Moshe. He did not say what YOU say.
he was answering a qestion of how he became an authority on HALACHA (not deios zuggen). He said one person came to him with a HALACHIC SHAILOH and liked the answer and then more people came.
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