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“It Has to Be a Kinus of a United Klal Yisrael”
An illuminating conversation with Harav Salomon, Shlita
With the massive Kinus Klal Yisrael scheduled to take place in less than four weeks, many questions are being raised about the intent and purpose of this event. Harav Mattisyahu Salomon, shlita, Mashgiach of Bais Medrash Govoha, addressed these questions during a conversation yesterday with Rabbi Efraim Glassman, Sgan Menahel of Mesivta Torah Vodaas.
With the permission of the Mashgiach, we present a transcript of the discussion.
Rabbi Glassman: I came here today in response to the menahalim who were called together to ask our parent body to unite them to come to the asifah. As someone in the field, I am very aware of the damage that the internet has inflicted on our youth, and I was eager to join with passion.
However, after speaking to many people, I have sensed a strong feeling of confusion. People are skeptical ... and they’re wondering, what is the real nature of this event? Many of us had a follow-up meeting and we all came to the same difficult end, that people must have clarity in order for them to be able to accept. So I wanted to ask the Mashgiach if he can clarify for us what exactly is the purpose of this asifah.
Mashgiach: The answer is this: Everyone, I believe, is aware of the devastating effects of the internet and modern technology in our lives. I don’t want to expand on that. It has brought Klal Yisrael down; [it has brought down] people’s depths, it seems to me [to the lowest level it has ever been] in galus since churban haBayis.
The purpose of this kinus is that we can’t remedy a situation and hope that we’re going to put all of America right. But what we can do, what we’re mechuyav to do, what we must beg Hashem Yisborach to do, is to put a stop to the great [depths to which] Klal Yisrael is descending. What the kinus is going to focus on, what it is going to make people recognize and realize, is that this is not an individual problem, but Klal Yisrael’s problem. It can only be recognized as Klal Yisrael’s problem when Klal Yisrael is standing together shoulder-to-shoulder and realizing that it’s their problem - not “my” problem, but their problem, our problem, a problem that Klal Yisrael has to tackle.
And I think that is the main purpose; that is why we created an “Ichud HaKehillos” as a basis on which to make this kinus. Because it has to be a kinus of a united Klal Yisrael. The pain has to be felt as the pain of Klal Yisrael and the search for a - I don’t really like the word “solution” - the search for help has to be Klal Yisrael’s search. We have to find some way or another to hold up this terrible tragedy.
Rabbi Glassman: There is a feeling that this is being pushed by askanim and not coming directly from the directive of the Mashgiach and the other people involved.
Mashgiach: All that I can say about that is that it is not true. On my own initiative, I went to Eretz Yisrael to get eitzos from the Gedolei Eretz Yisrael whether this can be a method, and they all agreed with me at the time that this is the right thing to do.
Rabbi Glassman: There is speculation that the asifah will consist of speeches, but will lack the clarity as what we should actually do. And people have been to many asifos before. They want to know whether they will come out with any clear direction from this asifah.
Mashgiach: The purpose of the asifah is for sure to give clear direction. I don’t want to divulge the [specifics of] the program at the present moment, but it is for sure to give clear direction. And maybe I would like to correct one thing that seems to be an impression by the public. It’s not an asifah just to be matir the internet with the use of filters. That is not the purpose of the asifah. The purpose of the asifah is for people to realize how terrible the internet is and, of course, the best thing for every ehrliche Yid is to not allow it in his home at all.
That’s the only emes’e safeguard. In situations where people will tell us that they are forced to have the internet for the sake of parnassah, or whatever reason they may have, we would suggest to them that unfiltered internet is “treif gamur” and has no heter whatsoever. For whatever purpose you have to use internet, it is only to use it, but to use it safely is a priority. It is our priority. And that is what we would like the olam to accept.
Rabbi Glassman: There are some people who say that they don’t have the internet themselves; they have no connection or intention of getting it. Or they have it and already have all the protections. Is it important for them to come to this asifah anyway?
Mashgiach: The answer is, “Most definitely yes.”
Nobody knows when they will be confronted by this nisayon. It has nothing to do with whether you have internet now or not. If you go to a hotel, you are confronted… Like in the time when television was the main danger, people were confronted even if they didn’t have it at home. That is number one.
Everybody has to know. You can’t say that because I don’t have it, I don’t have to know how terrible it is, I don’t need to know what to do if I were to have it, I don’t need to know how to treat it if I get it. That goes not only for family people, but that is one of the main reasons we feel that bachurim need to know everything there is to know about how careful one has to be. Because a bachur will eventually become a yungerman and a yungerman after his chasunah, his wife [may have to] bring in the internet because of her job or whatever it is, and he won’t know what to do. He won’t have it in his bones the terrible danger that this is, how dangerous it is for him and the rest of the family. I don’t think there is anybody who won’t gain from coming to this kinus.
Rabbi Glassman: If it is very hard for someone to attend, how much should he exert himself to come anyway?