The other day, I was reading "The Chofetz Chaim on Pirkei Avos -Values from Sinai" and I was struck by what the venerable sage had to say about wasting time which could have better been utilized in Torah study.
Newspapers and magazines have greatly proliferated in our times, together with the size of their readership. It has become almost impossible for a newspaper reader to spend only one hour each day reading them. Since others know that he is an avid reader, they will ask him to relate the current events to them. How much additional time will be wasted as he reports in great detail all of the day's world news! Many people are not satisfied with reading only one newspaper, and therefore read three to four newspapers of every genre, frittering away several hours each day. Over the course of the whole year, all this time will accumulate to hundreds of hours wasted on nonsense, offering no benefit to the body, let alone to the soul.
So far, I have only mentioned the time wasted. In addition, newspapers tend to contain irreverence and lashon hara, base gossip and controversy. If the papers had no readership, they would not be printed. Everyone seems to forget that they will be taken to task for this when they have to give an accounting before the Throne of Glory. (pg. 115)
This morning I came across a Facebook post with a rare view of the Chofetz Chaim as well as a devar Torah regarding this week and last week's parshiyot about shemirat halashon. Click here to read it.
Can you imagine what the Chofetz Chaim would have to say about all the time wasted on the internet, not to mention the lashon hara involved?
Today, I clicked on a site and was incensed by what is deemed as necessary news for the readers. I was disgusted by the bounds of privacy that were disrespected and I made a kabalah not to link to that site or click on that site again. Hopefully, I will add more sites to my starting list of one.
Will someone join me? Send me a comment, "Today I resolve not to click on ______ anymore. Leave the _______ blank. I don't wish to know which one you have chosen. And, with the time saved, why not open up a sefer or listen to a worthwhile shiur instead?
Excellent post! I applaud your efforts to curtail wasted time spent on the Internet, even as you run the risk of having some web surfer fill in the _________ with your very own blog......
ReplyDeleteIf the surfer utilizes the time to learn Torah or do a mitzvah, I would be thrilled!!!
ReplyDeletein some countries internet is and was the only means for some citizens to get access to the Torah, and its laws, let it be the 613 or the 7 laws. and nowadays there are places fraught with danger of all sorts, and while the main media plays politics its the internet via some respectable blogs that gets thro the right info. so, when properly used, the internet can also be regarded as a tool Hashem has given for the betterment of mankind and for outreach. it all depends on the sites we visit.
ReplyDelete