Rav Moshe Weinberger in this shiur, available for free, said the following:
“People would like to install Yiras Shamayim. You can’t do that, you can’t install Yiras Shamyaim, that’s the only problem. You can install a filter, but the person is the same person sitting down to the computer.”
He then expands this idea about the filter fixing the internet, not he person. Someone who has a teiyvas beheima (physical desire) for something isn’t going to be stopped by a filter. Rav Weinberger believes that we have to address the person, the pnemius of the person, Kedusha of a Jew and expose the greatness with each of us. Gevaldik!!
The entire shiur is available here.
Hi Reb Neil, thanks for this. I love Rabbi Weinberger, just got hooked onto his shiurim the last few months. I recently wrote to him, and he replied. He gives me so much chizuk. My latest blog posting is saying over part of what he told me. For some reason it didn’t update on your blogroll, which you kindly feature. Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Indeed, a really smart quote.
That is one of the best shiurim I’ve ever heard. Words to live by.
Thx
Yid: I saw the post, very nice.
Prgmatician: Always a treat to see your comments.
Mr. Bald Guy: It was a chessed that they made the shiur free for downloading…because it’s THAT GOOD.
Look, there are two ways to deal with a problem. One can do a cheshbon hanefesh and improve oneself or one can blame someone/thing else for the problem and thereby absolve oneself from having to change.
Nice to hear some people still do the former.
I think the only complete solution is both. If I may borrow R’ Dessler’s model:
REED defines free will in a way that it only includes consciously made decisions. On any axis, there is only a small range of situations in which the side saying “yes” and the side saying “no” are similar enough in strength that the issue becomes a conscious, free willed, decision. This front where the yeitzer hatov and yeitzer hara battle is called the nequdas habechirah (NhB), the decision point. Items beyond the NhB are simply decided preconsciously — before the person is consciously aware of his options, he already knows what he’s going to do. For most people, robbing a back is simply not on the menu of choices. Sadly for many people, being honest on their tax forms when it may cost them significant money is also not on the menu. Etc…
For each person on each issue, the nequdas habechira is mobile. With each good decision, the NhB moves over to make the next similar decision that much easier. The yeitzer hatov becomes more powerful with exercise.
Now, back to the issue at hand…
We need to work on moving the NhB so that fewer and fewer abuses of the internet are on the yeitzer hara’s side of the battlefront, nor even at the battlefront itself.
However, since no one will be Moshe Rabbeinu tomorrow, we also need to look how to avoid those challenges which aren’t yet there.
The essence of life is the perfection that minimize our reliance on filters. The pragmatic way to get there will perforce include using them.
See also the response R’ Gil Student and R’ Dovid Teitlebaum are putting together, The Internet Shiur.
I agree, Micha.
I was impressed with the project that Rabbis Student and Teitlebaum have created.
It is a postive response.
Neil, kol hahavod. I downloaded and listened to the shiur and it was amazing!
Garnel Ironheart
Thanks, he was on FIRE, in a good way. I am curious to hear recordings of today’s Asifa in the Five Towns, since Rav Weinberger was one of the many local Rabbonim endorsing it.
Shiur can be found here:
https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/824287