Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Technology & Torah: Are Luddites good Jews?


Five Towns Jewish Times

There is a growing tendency among the Torah world to reject technology and innovation.  The rejection has reached an extremeness bordering on a Talibanesque fundamentalism, unseen throughout our history.  A good case can be made that this rejection runs counter to true Torah Judaism, and should not be subsumed under the rubric of Ailu veAilu divrei Elokim Chaim.

Before we examine and analyze it, it may be instructive to examine a well known Gemorah in Meseches Avodah Zarah (2b).  The Talmud tells us that in the future the western powers will stand before Hashem and declare that all their technological innovations were made by them for the sole purpose of enabling Klal Yisroel to learn Torah.  Hashem responds, “You are the greatest fools in the world!  You paved streets and created side streets for your own licentious purposes!  You built bathhouses for your own pleasures!” [...]

7 comments :

  1. The conservatives are fools: They whine about the decay of traditional values, yet they enthusiastically support technological progress and economic growth. Apparently it never occurs to them that you can’t make drastic changes in the technology and the economy of a society without causing rapid changes in all other aspects of the society as well, and that such rapid changes inevitably break down traditional values. Dr. TK

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  2. A wise man once said, "Stupidity is commodity given out by G-d in great abundance in equal measure".

    Ain't that the truth.

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  3. I can accept the notion of people who want an approach of avoiding the computer, the internet and its dangers rather than embracing the extra potential it offers. Everything has its tradeoffs, and weighing pros vs cons is inherently subjective.

    What I can't accept is someone teaching students to take such childish glee in smashing things. To my mind, that's inherently un-Jewish.

    Culturally, this is of a piece with violent rioting. People being taught that decrying evil is a license to express one's base destructiveness and call it "holiness".

    -micha

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  4. Does it really state in the Talmud re 'the Western Powers'?

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  5. If you assume that the gemara isn't talking about a revival of the Persian, Greek and Roman empires, than yes, it does appear to be including Western Civilization.

    It's not so much "the Western Powers", though, as much as a list of the empires that have housed us.

    -micha

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  6. The whole point of Torah values is that they are timeless, not applicable to one dor or another.

    Rejecting technology will make charedi Jews no more relevant than a curiosity, not unlike the Amish.

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  7. What makes the Amish irrelevant?

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