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Torah Reading: Be'halot'cha

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Published: November 8, 2009

Is our race to technology destroying our collective soul?

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Visitor Comments: 12

(12) yardeneire, November 17, 2009 7:33 PM

look within; not with out

Many good comments on such a short video, a video that someone spent a great deal of time on. I must assume they had a message. But always the message must contain the truth as found in the Torah to be considered prophetic. So that is my question, is it prophetic? I think so. It admits our sinful nature, but does it only allude to Gd's Greatness? He is perfect. So then, this video must be simply a call to endure, a call to overcome. If someone gave you a piece of their heart, wouldn't you love them enough to carry out their wishes? I thank the person of this video for causing deep thought and introsepction into ourselves as we compare ourselves to the Tanakh.

(11) Innocent, November 13, 2009 9:07 AM

The Psalmist records that cause of our inventions we have destroyed ourselves!!

(10) thinkaboutit, November 12, 2009 11:54 PM

Where is HaShem in thoughts like this?

Thoughts like this one have complete disregard for the creator and his hand in all things. We were created to advance, it is all in a matter of how we use it. Thankfully, HaShem created a world of checks and balances. If you believe the Bible then you know the outcome. There is no mystery. Secondly, People love to "blame" things for their problems. Saying that Technology or whatever else is on the agenda is destroying our collective soul is ridiculous. People are to blame for their own actions and choices. It is our duty to grow our collective soul no matter what is taking place in our world. Anything less is just a cop-out.

(9) thinkaboutit, November 12, 2009 11:39 PM

(8) Eula Irene Bunting, November 12, 2009 6:14 AM

I think it was started a long time ago

I think that we were made to advance to a certain degree,and that is the way G.d wanted us to be. As time went on everything went faster until everything had to be faster to keep up, and with that we lost alot of our most sacred parts of ourselves,in the race to get ahead we lost our innocence and now almost nothing surprises us, yes it is stealing our souls and will continue until someone finally pushes that button we always have heard about. We humans are best at war and destruction. G..d help us, please!

(7) Stephen, November 11, 2009 7:37 PM

It's not technology, but it's how we use technology

I'm reminded of Parashas Noach where people used technology to build a tower so that they could take on G-d. In actuality, the same thing is true today as it was then. If we use technology - as anything else in life - to serve Hashem, we will be OK. Look at aish.com, chabad.org, torah.org, and other Web sites helping people to learn more about Judaism. However, if the users of technology pervert its use - as IBM did in working with the Nazis to efficiently round up and kill Jews (see Edwin Black's "IBM and the Holocaust : The Strategic Alliance Between Nazi Germany and America's Most Powerful Corporation") - then we are all in trouble. While it's difficult for me to work professionally with computers given that history, I am even more driven to use technology to help educate people and help them to find information that will help them to lead better lives.

(6) Still Trying, November 11, 2009 6:22 PM

We must learn to temper our thirst for technical knowledge with the quest for spiritual wisdom.

(5) tsouris, November 11, 2009 5:40 PM

Response to Anonymous

No music no books,or poetry.And all the great works of art.I know human being are far from perfect, but I would rather be reading Frost or Byron while listening to Bach. Than chewing my cud. If you can wrap your mind about the idea that the creator wanted us to learn if not why create us thinking beings? Alsos it may help you get over your fear of the female being when you see G-ds hand in her eating from the tree of knowledge

(4) Anonymous, November 11, 2009 12:02 PM

Responce to Tsouris

If Adam and Eve didn't sin by eating from the Tree of Knowledge, there would be no need to use technology to save lives, we would live in a perfect world with no death or disease.

(3) Shira, November 11, 2009 9:08 AM

Mind without soul is indeed dangerous!

When we worship our mind we can forget the Divine Source that created us and breathes us every second. Knowledge and technology are important, but need always to be directed by our Highest Consciousness.

(2) Dale Cordell, November 11, 2009 5:43 AM

interesting look forward

This is the first video I've watched, concerning this. I hope you do more, so I can figure out where it's going and ends. I'd like to see the video from beginning to end, some day. Just this little short blip, brings our advent of technology to mind, with current developments and current experimenting. I'm thinking, like in the Terminator movies, man may finally "outgun" himself, with his own hand.

(1) Tsouris, November 10, 2009 2:59 PM

We always blame something else

Science and technology save lives. Human beings take the good that can be done and turn it to their own ends. We are made to think , explore and question. Without these we mine as well be standing in a pasture eating grass. If you believe in the story of the garden of eden. Why do you think the tree of knowledge was there. Eve gave mankind its greatest gift.

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