QUESTION:
How should we view the recent trend of the advertisements that say “Donate Now” by going online and clicking on certain links to donate to mosdos and yeshivos? These ads are telling the tzibbur, the bnei Torah included, to quickly get hold of a smartphone or go online, in order to donate tzedakah, and in order to accomplish their goal, the ads say that they need to raise a million dollars (or more) within 24 hours, etc. At first this trend started with chessed organizations and now yeshivos also use these online campaigning ads to get everyone to donate. Since the Internet is compared to the Eitz HaDaas Tov V’Ra, a place of good and evil mixed together, can we say that all of the online tzedakah donations is the “good” that comes out of the Internet? Or is it all the kelipah (the side of evil) and it’s all tumah? On one hand, perhaps we can argue that the ads are only targeting people who are online anyhow, who might as well use their Internet use for a mitzvah and donate tzedakah. On the other hand, it sends the wrong message, because it makes it seem as if it’s fine to use Internet to donate tzedakah, and not only that, but that it’s a huge mitzvah to go online to donate for a worthy cause….What should be the proper attitude towards all of this? Are all of these online donations treif money, because they came about through the tumah of the Internet?
ANSWER:
This new trend makes it seem as if Internet and internet-capable devices are considered kosher for such uses, giving the impression that we are heeding to the Torah chas v’shalom by going online for any mitzvah causes. It is a profound churban (devastation)! It is the way by which the Internet is quickly and rapidly entering more and more into the Torah world, and this is how we can see the Torah world being destroyed before our eyes. Our eyes can cry and our heart can be full of pain, at the destruction that this has done to the Torah world. Any money earned online for these tzedakah causes is empty from ruchniyus, it has no light of Hashem in it. It is like a body without a soul - a corpse. This is how the general state of the generation looks today. We can all be now like Yirmiyahu HaNavi who saw the churban happening in front of his eyes. The churban today that is being caused by all of this seemingly “kosher” internet use is very, very profound. It is an increased use of Internet that is targeting the “Torah world”, and on this we can apply the verse, “Torah, Torah, don a sackcloth.” This entire trend is the final state of shiflus (lowliness) before Mashiach comes, because it is all-inclusive of every kind of tumah.
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