An Answer to a Not-Too-Good Comment

בס"ד

My other good friend Anonymous sent in a comment that was plagued with human illogical and flawed thinking. I thought I would share it with my readers. First his or her comment:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "An Answer to a Very Good Question":

In reading your first paragraph..
In your town T.V. not allowed, hardly any radio to listen to, no no for computer.. I have read that many of the young ones feel suffocated. This kind of banning things is like you read of other religious sects, in other countries, who ban a lot of things, they are then like dictators. Did not Hashem give a free will and choice to all?

When free choice is forbidden.. this is not the way to live. I have read of youngsters who live in environments like yours, who want to escape.. like some ultra orthodox.. and then these young ones who succeed to get away from such repressive societies, lose everything.. and even shun, (not all of them ,,but some of them), their religion, or their belief too in Gd.

This is not what Hashem wants.. Hashem needs for people to come with free choice.. not forced choice. annon.

My response:

I thought when I read your comment you were joking, and then I realized you don’t have a clue of the worst world problems and the solution to it all.

First of all, TV is the most destructive element to society in the history of the world. It does not promote free will, but instead promotes animal instinct that removes free will. When children are bombarded with sex, crime, evil, improper language, hatred, horror, terror, etc, etc, etc and it is used as baby sitter because parents are too ignorant to protect their young impressionable minds and too lazy to give their children positive enforcement in life, you are looking at the biggest contributor to the downfall of this world. We are in such an evil world because we learn from a young age all the wrong things and not the good things. Do you really think that people, especially children can handle such filth and survive? Human beings do not run on free will; they run on animal instincts. Teaching the young mind the worst of the worst from the beginning of life is an absolute disaster and the world situation is 100% proof.

The city I live in is the closest atmosphere to the worldwide redemption. It is what we are striving for and the reason we want the Moshiach. This city is virtually without crime; we don’t even have a police force. Stores leave merchandise outside overnight and get deliveries of new merchandise before the stores open. Store owners are not afraid of theft since the residents know that Hashem is watching them and will measure for measure react. The children in this city are the happiest that I have ever seen. Most of the children in the world are plagued with violence, child abuse, sexual problems, drug problems, hatred, sibling rivalry, danger, etc, all the things they have learned on TV that is considered normal. That is almost completely unheard of in this city since boys and girls are in separate schools, dating doesn’t occur until it is time to get married, most children live in a home that has two parents, a man and a woman (what a novelty), most children get lots of attention from the family, I have seen virtually no fighting amongst children and even siblings, instead it is amazing the love and help that children provide for their brothers and sisters, in thirteen years, The devorce rate is extremely low (check statistic – I have). I have seen very few incidences of crying children. The most stable, happy people in the world are my neighbors. Why not? Most of them pay no attention to the craziness of the world. You mentioned children manage to “get away.” Yes that happens when they going astray by using tablets and cell phones to see that filth of the rest of the world. I have never witnessed a child who has gone astray coming out successful – they have ruined their lives. If you believe that going away from Hashem’s instructions is a good thing, please explain to me why the secular world is in such horrible condition.  Note: there are many such communities in Israel that are living the Absolute Truth and the happiness of this world.

The biggest industry in this city is Torah study. People are paid to study Torah; that is how important it is to each of us and to the success of the world. I have 10 grandchildren who live in this city. Believe it or not the most entertaining activity that they enjoy is reading and studying the real world as Hashem intended it. Birthday gifts are so simple. Just buy another book; they get very excited. Their peace of mind is so obvious, that one can feel so good knowing that they live the good of this world, not the evil. Do they hear about the evil of the world? Occasionally, but it is so unimportant to them especially since they know that Moshiach will be in charge soon, and it will all be gone.

Along with the store owners trusting their customers, even transportation is on the honor system. Men and women don’t sit together on busses. The women even enter the bus by the center door instead of the front door (they do not want men looking at them and want to be separated). We have a card that we swipe to pay our fare. Women and children who enter the center door are completely on the honor system to swipe their own cards and pay. Nobody would ever think of cheating the bus company, especially, once again, Hashem is watching.

My son took a taxi from Jerusalem to his home in our city. When he arrived he realized he didn’t have his wallet with. The taxi driver said, don’t worry I will be by this way tomorrow, you can pay me then. I have a taxi driver that I use all the time that has the city memorized. When I call him he knows where I live and even the address of people that I wish to visit. All I have to say is: take me to my son’s place and we are good to go. Recently, he saw me walking home and stopped to offer me a ride. I took advantage of his kindness. When I got home, I took out my money to pay him and he said: I made enough money today; you don’t need to pay me. Just like the taxi drivers in America (that was a joke).

I have thousands of stories of kindness and people helping people that would make you wonder which planet I live on. Mostly because of my military career, this is the 26th place that I have lived. Wherever you live and whatever lifestyle you are experiencing, I have probably been there and done that. I lived for 6 years in Europe, 13+ years in Israel and about 53 years in 5 different states in the US. I have been in 39 states and 20 countries. I think I have seen it all or at least, Hashem has shown me enough for me to talk with authority on all types of lifestyles in all types of places.

Let me tell you a boring story that changed my life completely. It may be boring to you, but if you think about it, you probably experienced the same situation. When I was in college full time in the beginning of the 1960’s I used to have lunch every day with a group of friends that just happened to be non-smokers. We started to have lunch with a group of smokers and, being college students, it led to a great debate about smoking. This occurred long before the Surgeon General put skull and crossbones on each pack, but we still had reports to look at and even experiments to try. We went into a chemical lab and divided up the pure smoke and the gook that settles in our lungs. We did this in a test tube with a charged electrical probe. We did everything. One day a member of the smoking group asked me a question: Did you ever smoke a full cigarette from stem to stern (my wording here lets you know how little I know about cigarettes, which have neither stems nor sterns). My answer was a definite: NO. He said: here have one and let me know what you think. I for the first time (and the last time) in my life smoked a full light, menthol cigarette. The results: I enjoyed it enough to say: “I will never touch another one for the rest of my life.” I learned that day that I was a weak, vulnerable human being, who probably could become addicted to cigarettes. I later applied this thinking to alcohol. I only use grape juice and not wine for Kiddush. All the weaknesses of life, all the temptations of life are available and it has become my mission to take control. TV is addictive, movies are addictive. But, so is reading addictive.

After studying Psychology for a half of a century, I am to this day totally aware of my frail shortcomings in life, my animal instincts and that fact that I could become addicted to any substance that I think won’t affect me. I also learned that I could become addicted to good things. I am addicted to Torah, to Judaism, to the ways of Hashem. That was the best thing that happened to me since the results were very positive.

Now, I ask you to evaluate the same boring story of your life. Have you been tempted? Of course you have, it is the job of the Yetzer Harah to put you in harm’s way. Have you overcome your addictions? Do an evaluation; you may be very surprised at the answer. Do you know that Torah is the remedy to all your problems? You would know it fully if you have become addicted to Torah, and can’t leave it alone. How do you know whether you are addicted or not? If you are totally happy in life and have complete peace of mind about your life now, and your entire future, are you addicted (congratulations). Try it, you’ll like it. Once you see the great benefits, you will become addicted and want more. It is the human way.

If, like my Anonymous friend above, you think that Hashem’s way is anything other than your key to success, and that a truly observant Torah lifestyle is taking away your free will, consider yourself living in the upside-down fantasy world of lies and deceit. You know nothing about how tremendous life can be and how much you are throwing away your ticket to a joyous and very successful eternity. Please stop thinking like a flawed human and start living the absolute truth; your way to complete happiness and peace of mind.  That is what Hashem wants!!!!!!!