Each day we walk around in our modern world wirelessly connected. Whether we’re sporting a tablet, smartphone (or two) or even the new wave of wearables, such as pedometers that monitor our every move, we maintain connections with people in various ways throughout the world. It has all become rather second nature to us.
Technological advancements are not new, though. However advanced we are, the process has been reflective of an ongoing desire to develop new tools throughout time. At an age of the camera’s arrival, the famed Chofetz Chaim (Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, zt”l) was questioned about the nature of this revolutionary device and the possible message one might learn from its functions. His response was both exceptionally insightful and extraordinarily timeless.
The Mishna teaches us that one way to restrain ourselves from sin is to ponder three thoughts: There is always an eye that sees our deeds and an ear that hears our words, and all that we do is recorded. Indeed, if we are cognizant of the fact that Hashem sees every move we make, hears every word we speak and inscribes our every action throughout our lives, we would certainly reconsider the sin we may be contemplating. But how does one visualize that which is beyond the physical? If we were not granted the capacity to conceptualize Hashem, how are we to execute the suggestions of the Mishna?
Ingeniously, the Chofetz Chaim conceptualized the camera as a means to instill the Mishna’s important message within the hearts of modern man and incorporate it in our lives. If a machine can produce an image that can be filed away and stored for generations, then certainly Hashem has the ability to capture each of our actions. Similarly, if an implement can accept information for long-term storage, then this simplified task can also be understood as a feat well within the realm of possibility for God.
We are taught that everything in the world has meaning and purpose. While we view our advanced technological tools primarily as powerful means of greater productivity that offer us wonderful conveniences, they offer an undeniable spiritual gain as well. Now more than ever, as we leverage the benefits of the cloud, we can take a step back to reflect upon what we are doing. We upload and download information to and from virtual services with the “blind faith” that somewhere, somehow the data is safely stored and retrievable at any time. We don’t question it. It just works. But we need that signal to connect.
In Judaism, we also need to establish that connection. And the stronger the connection, the more productivity we will experience. We need to upload our thoughts “to the cloud” with the knowledge that it is indeed processed and stored for eternity. No one tefilah goes unheard, not a single request or prayer unanswered.
The tools that we have been provided are not mere conveniences in life, rather inspirations for life itself. They are powerful tools, indeed.
By Rabbi Avi Bernstein
