Friday, April 15, 2005

I don't usually remark on the stupid comments that appear on other blogs but here is an exception:

On another blog, someone stated that the previous generation's gedolim (R' Moshe, R' Yaakov, R' Yoel ZT"L) never issued as many bans as our present day gedolei hador. That point is correct, but an important distinction must be made. R' Yoel ZT"L and R' Yaakov were never faced with any of the following problems: (a) The World Wide Web and all of its terrifying traps. (b) Off the derech youth and their drug, alcohol and sex problems. (c) Full color cellphones with cameras and Internet access. (d) Nosson Slifkin.

Those are your idea of big, ban-worthy problems? You think anything on that list (Noson Slifkin(!!!) compares to the issues previous generations faced? Please.

Here's a short list of bigger problems from the past that threatened the wholesome and Torah-True status of our precious youth and forced them to make difficult choices: (a) the Haskalah (b) Darwin (c) Freud (d) The Documentary Theory (e) forced conversions (f) forced sermons (g) pogroms (h)Crusades (i) extreme poverty (j) extreme hunger.

This self-centered idea that our battles are harder than ones our forefathers fought is really quite silly.