HEADS IN THE SAND
Moshe Holczler was a Jewish activist in his younger years in Hungary in the late 1930’s. In his biography, Late Memories, he relates one story where he happened to share a sleeping car on the way to Budapest with two German spies. Thinking that he was sleeping, they took the liberty to discuss their plans for taking over Hungary and liquidating the Hungarian Jewish population.
Upon Moshe’s arrival in Budapest he was able to convene a meeting with the Jewish community’s leadership. He shared the dreadful news that was revealed to him and warned them that the danger was immi-nent. His suggestion was simple; get as many people out, as possible. The leadership felt secure with their current government and dismissed him asking him not to return. Unfortunately, his dire prediction was realized.
As I read this story on Tisha b’Av it troubled me greatly.
Our Jewish community is currently under attack and so many people are not aware of it. The welfare of our families and communities are being targeted along with the gen-eral population and not much is being done. The attack I refer to is being carried out by the smart phone and all the destructive force that it brings into our very hands and homes and even into the hands of our children. On one side, we truly need it. Every day our life becomes more tied to the internet; from banking to letter writing, from run-ning our business to planning our carpools. However, this very instrument has the po-tential to successfully destroy our children, destroy our shalom bayis and destroy our-selves.
I am not a person of authority who can order people not to use smart phones. Even if I was such an authority I do not believe I could make such an order and expect it to be followed. In some way I feel like Moshe Holczler. I have this vital information with which lives and families could be saved if people would only realize what is happen-ing. But unfortunately I have no platform to carry out any plan and people are telling themselves that there is really no need to worry. THERE REALLY IS!
What could we do? Should we really go back to the dark ages? Perhaps we should, considering the steep price that we will pay for it. However, children certainly do not need them. The only reason for children to have smart phones is to satisfy peer pressure. We would certainly not allow our children to engage in dangerous be-havior to satisfy peer pressure. There are some partial solutions such as limiting access, getting webchaver, and other similar pro-grams.
I believe that this week’s Parsha, Eikev, offers an additional advice, not to replace any other suggestions but to strengthen them.
HaKadosh baruch Hu instructs us that when we eat and are satiat-ed we must bless Him by reciting birchas hamazon. Immediately following this mitzvah the Torah continues “Be careful that you not forget HaShem by not keeping His commandments and laws… You may eat and be satisfied, building fine homes and increasing your assets. But your heart may grow arrogant and you will forget Ha-Shem… You shall remember HaShem… that it is He Who grants you strength to be successful.”
Behold! HaKadosh baruch Hu indicates that the concern of forgetting Him comes when we become successful. It allows us to feel secure even when danger is lurking. Moshe Holczler attributes the false sense of security held by the leaders of the Hungarian Jew-ish community was because they were comfortable and making changes was not easy. Perhaps the danger is compounded because we forget HaKadosh baruch Hu thereby becoming unworthy of His protection.
And so, in response to our current enemy who seeks to hurt us while presenting itself as our advisor and confident, the Torah sug-gests that we must be more vigilant in our awareness of HaKadosh baruch Hu and our relationship that we have with Him. We must not forget our responsibilities we have to Him.
From the context of the Parsha it appears that the recitation of birchas hamazon itself is a segula to achieve this goal as well. The reason for this could be when we pay attention to the words of the bentching we remind ourselves what HaShem has done for us and what He continues to for us on an ongoing basis. When we remind ourselves of this incredible relationship and the incredible debt of gratitude we owe Him, it will bring Him more into our lives and we will become more worthy of His protection.
May HaKadosh baruch Hu grant us a yeshua from our current enemy and complete these seven weeks of nechama with the ultimate nechama.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind