Every day about 65 BILLION whatsapps are sent. Baruch Hashem, I send and receive none. I don't have a smartphone [although I had a VERY smart father in law - a member of MENSA. But now he is in the MENSA club in the עולם שכולו טוב] nor do I even know how to use one. I try not to be proud but I can't help but be proud of that. Less bittul zman and less nonsense in my head [believe me, there is already enough!].
Just a heads up for those who choose to be part of that world: People send seemingly innocent videos or memes but upon further investigation they are not that innocent at all.
Says the Gemara [Shabbos 33a]:
Due to the sin of vulgar speech, troubles abound, and harsh decrees are renewed, and the youth among the enemies of Israel, a euphemistic reference to Israel, die, and orphans and widows cry out for help and are not answered, as it is stated: “Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall He have compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is ungodly and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks wantonness. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still” (Isaiah 9:16).
The Gemara explains: What is the meaning of the phrase: But His hand is stretched out still? Rabbi Chanan bar Rava said: Everybody knows why the bride enters the wedding canopy. There is no secret revealed. Nevertheless, anyone who speaks vulgarly about it, even if they, on High, sealed for him a decree of seventy years of good fortune, they will reverse it to bad fortune because of this sin. And Rabba bar Sheila said that Rav Chisda said: Anyone who speaks vulgarly, they deepen Gehennom for him, as it is stated: “The mouth that speaks perversity is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein” (Proverbs 22:14), i.e., Gehennom is deepened for one who speaks vulgarly. Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said: Even one who hears vulgar speech and is silent is punished, as it is stated: “He that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein,” even if he himself does not speak at all.
Horrible decrees come to the world because of ניבול פה - vulgar, unclean speech. Unclean speech also gives one a first class direct ticket to gehenom. There could be a decree that a person will be a millionaire or better - have nachas from his children and grandchildren but it is ripped up because of ניבול פה. Not only for SPEAKING but even for HEARING. [The Maharal says that for ניבול פה there is a דין of שומע כעונה]. For a person with even a little bit of Yiras Shomayim, this is nothing less than frightening. Forget Corona. This is MUCH worse.
Someone emailed me a video of a popular Jewish comedian. His videos are spread all over the place. Seemingly clean, wholesome Jewish humor. During the course of the video he threw in some ניבול פה. But it sounded OK because it was in Yiddish and it was all said in good fun. OK - but ניבול פה is ניבול פה in whatever language it is in. ניבול פה means not only curse words but as is clear from the Gemara words with a sexual connotation used in a non-serious context [it is permitted to discuss it in the context of learning Torah or for some practical benefit]. So I was נכשל in hearing forbidden words sent by a person who just wanted to make me laugh. The moment you are dealing with someone who lacks basic Yiras Shomayim [this comedian makes no claims on being a serious growth oriented Jew וד"ל] there should be an automatic presumption [חזקה גמורה] that he will say inappropriate things. In our culture, comedy is almost always somehow vulgar or at least inappropriate.
The memes and other videos often contain images which we may not see. Any women not dressed modestly may not be seen. If one is gong to work and has no choice then it is one thing. But to actively SEND such images to other people?? Yet people, even frum people, send each other such pictures ALL THE TIME. All in good fun.
We should ALSO beware of people who make a mockery [Leitzanus] of Torah and Avodas Hashem. This is quite ubiquitous on the frum twittersphere and blogosphere etc. etc. The person writing could have a long beard or be an Orthodox woman who covers her hair but that does not guarantee that their content will be appropriate. Leitzanus is a CANCER to the soul. It sneaks in, creates terrible havoc and is extremely difficult to uproot. In Tehillim we are taught right at the get go "ובמושב לצים לא ישב" - stay away from a session of scorners and mockers. Our virtual world is often a mass מושב לצים. I am not against humor - nor is the Torah [which would explain my perspective....]. The question is HOW MUCH and the NATURE and CONTENT of this humor. Humor should be used to elevate or to offer a different perspective or to relieve anxiety but never with vulgarity, mockery [of holy concepts] or excessive levity.
So for those out there who care [and if you are reading this you probably do], please beware and be vigilant.
