R' Yoav Malka
What is the force that draws people to listen to the news over and over again if there's nothing new in it?
But truly, there is not a moment that does not radiate the light of redemption. There is no knowledge or occurrence in reality in general, and in the reality of Israeli life in particular, that is truly worthless because "the hand of God is in everything and all are His messengers," whether knowingly or unknowingly. And indeed, the souls of Israel in their depths know this, and they feel a hidden and concealed holy fragrance in all circumstances of reality, both great and small. From this arises a strong urge to know everything that is happening, to hear news every half hour, even if there is nothing new. This characteristic pursuit of events is so typical of Israel, and their great ability, stemming from the merit of their belief in the unity of God, to see God's hand in reality and the strength of their desire to cleave to Him, drives them to reveal and see "His blessed glimpses from the cracks," "His providence from the windows," and from every nook and cranny of existence. Therefore, knowingly or unknowingly, many flock to gather more and more pieces of knowledge, all of which are truly like "sheets of the book of redemption" upon which the hand of God records its deeds, and the children of Israel secretly hope to reveal the holiness of the letters, to be perfumed by their divine light, and to enjoy the radiance of the lights of redemption that shines from them. But when this Israeli trait is not sufficiently clarified, it manifests itself in its ridiculous form, bearing a kind of unrestrained addiction to knowing what is happening. Then, in this low state, the Divine secret is not revealed to his eyes, and he falls into bewilderment and boredom. His spirit is crushed, and this wealth of information is stored for his detriment, thickening the cursed mark of the perception of randomness and increasingly obscuring from his eyes the traces of the Creator and the imprint of "the footstool of His feet" in reality.
