A special gathering was organized before Shavuos for the kollel graduates of Yeshivas Slobodka designed to fortify the walls against the ills of technology. Highlighting it were the speakers Maran HaRav Dov Lando and HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlita. The event took place in the Beis Hamedrash Hagodol of Chanichei Hayeshivos Rambam in Bnei Brak.
Rabbenu HaRav Lando said: "The gemora in Brochos states: Rav Chama, son of Rabbi Chanina asks: Why was the subject of the tents placed near that of the streams, as is written, "Like the winding brooks, like gardens by the riverside, like aloes which Hashem has planted, and cedar trees beside the water."? This comes to teach us that just as flowing brooks purify man from his impurity, so do tents uplift a person from liability to merit. Rashi there comments that 'tents' refer to the halls of Batei Medrash.
"The commentary of the Vilna Gaon on the aggodos of Rabbah Bar Bar Chono states that the Torah is compared to water which purifies a person. Sometimes, a person may believe that he becomes purified immediately when he begins his study and that the evil inclination departs from him, therefore is it written, 'Fortunate are you who sow upon all waters.' Rabbi Yochonon says that this refers to Torah scholars to teach us that just as water cannot purify until it contains a full forty sa'a-measure, an amount that covers an entire body, similarly, Torah must squeeze an entire body before it can swing a person from a state of demerit to one of merit.
"We sit here together, scholarly avreichim who are the crown of Creation, who are totally encircled in pure Torah study, whose only desire is — to dwell in the House of Hashem all of their lives.
"When one is ensconced in a tent — the batei medrash — the halls of the kollelim, the principle requirement is to be immersed in the waters of wisdom without any interference, in such a way that one's entire body is enveloped in the pressure of forty sa'ah of water, of Torah. Therefore is it a sevenfold duty that even if one does use computers for the sake of Torah, and that should be its exclusive use. One cannot dwell in the halls of Torah with such a separation of subjects which belong to matters beyond the dividing walls of the kollelim. All of the technology contained in the computers is forbidden entry in the tents of Shem; it contradicts the tremendous advantage of the very walls of the kollelim. Only in such a manner of conduct can one merit to rise up from impurity to purity and from demerit to merit, while a minimum of usage thereof, is the very least expected of one who is cautious."
He went on to sharpen the message with penetrating words: "Furthermore, great is the obligation to be on guard in your homes, and to warn the adults to be watchful over the young ones and be wary of the terrible pitfalls of technology. For even in areas which appear insignificant, one must be strict and shun such things. There is no fear of overdoing it, such as 'what You allowed, I forbade,' that is, being overcautious. On the contrary, this is the way to increase purity in your homes, the method of erecting barriers against false winds blowing fiercely through the city streets, ravishing everything in their path."
In his address, HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch said: "This assembly has two purposes: the first is that the nature of kollelim is to maintain their purity and sanctity per se, and the second is to be wary in general of the ills of modern technology.
"The Ramchal, in his 'Derech Hashem', writes about the influence and impact of Torah study. All of Hashem's effect on a person's acts is connected to Torah study and causes a close affinity to him, incomparable to anything from other sources. Torah study enables us to spiritually ascend and draw especially close to Him. But it is dependent upon a condition, which is the relation to the study itself. In other words, all of the power which the Torah confers upon a person's spirituality is not at all automatic and absolute.
"A person may persevere in his study intensively, and still not gain those advantages which his study is meant to provide. This is why one must honor and revere the Torah. Let him not study through lightheadedness nor comport himself in general without due integrity in his deeds and study.
"And if a person conducts himself without earnestness, he may arrest that Divine bounty which leads to a closeness to Hashem.
"I am specifically referring to such technological devices which are brought into the kollel walls themselves. If they are purely and exclusively used for the sake of the study itself, that is permissible, but in the moment that they serve other purposes, they cause a misuse and abuse of the very place, and all of the innate advantages of the place are rendered useless. Therefore, such devices should not enter those halls at all if they do not provide any benefit whatsoever.
"The second thing which I wanted to say relates to a commentary in 'Sha'arei Teshuva' on the verse, 'Your love is preferable to wine.' The teachings of the sofrim are greater than the wine of Torah, for the fear of Hashem is the basis of all the mitzvos, and the safeguards and amendments of the Sages are the foundation of G-d-fear. It is written: 'And you shall guard My precautions.' The very multitude of precautions are the base of yir'a.
"It is also written: 'Beloved are the words of the sofrim more than those of the wine of Torah itself' because their safeguards for piety, and the reward for G-d-fear is equivalent to that of many other commandments for it is their very underpinning."
