Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Re: The Previous Post

What bothers me is not only the hostility and negativity that people write. What is more troubling is the broad audience they enjoy. I don't read the comments but when you see 150 comments you know that a lot of peple are reading [even though a lot of them are repeats]. Why do people enjoy superficial, redundant gibberish?

I have this wacky idea that I hesitated sharing because I was scared it would marginalize me in peoples minds as a crazy. But here I go....

Open up a Maharal [if the Hebrew is a barrier for you they have it in English as well]. Start reading. Tell me if what he says is MORE or LESS profound than what the bloggers are saying, f'rinstence, about the need for army service for yeshiva students [for the 5,000th time]. More or less spiritually satisfying than what Lapid said that Bennent said about Netanyahu. More or less thought provoking than what the newspapers said about the importance of gay rabbis and inclusiveness in our communities.

It doesn't have to be Maharal. It can be the Sefer Ha-ikkarim of Rav Yosef Albo. Or Rabbeinu Bechaye. Or the drashos of the Chasam Sofer. Or the shiurim of Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz al ha-shas [I had a yetzer to link you to my renditions of them but I am in a rush to get back to my other business...].

Someone who is truly immersed in spiritual pursuits loses his taste for the havolim of this world.

Taste and See.