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possess almost supernatural insight or attend university, they either live at modern”. But why is the word “modern”
which should guide Jews in every area home or in yeshivah dormitories, where the antonym for “religious”? It is a lazy
of life. they remain attached to their families. and even harmful use of terminology,
Girls live at home until marriage. as it demonizes anything new and
While many people recoil from ceding
their free will to others, da’as Torah is Even after marriage, extended families modern as hostile to religion. Moder-
a throwback to a bygone era of proph- live in close proximity to one another. nity is irrepressible and cannot be
ecy, when supernatural insight was For the sake of cultural insulation, halted. It provides new tools which
widely accessible. In that era, our most Charedim choose to settle in empower us but also poses hidden
people balanced their own free will Charedi-dominant cities. Because of risks which can harm us. Each person
with higher truths delivered by proph- these factors, children usually remain must decide how quickly to adopt
ets. Da’as Torah assumes that even deeply connected to their families and modern tools or how long to wait on
now, when we do not have prophecy, involved in each other’s lives, and their the sidelines, until the unseen dangers
a surpassing mastery of Torah enables family is their bedrock of support, are better understood.
qualified individuals to access super- chessed activity and community. Charedi culture chooses to delay
natural truths – truths which should The family-centered culture of the its adoption of technology until the
guide one’s personal decision-making. hidden dangers can be better assessed
community is one of the most under-
appreciated elements of Charedi and hopefully curtailed. They pay a
Cultural insulation price for not employing these tools,
culture. Family support is critically
Modern culture has become vulgar important to psychological well-being but they receive the benefit of better
and overpowering. Every religious and also increases chances for success understanding the unknown hazards.
Eventually, everyone – even Charedim
person must filter out the whole- in life. In an age of widespread family
some from the crass, and select the dysfunction, it should not be difficult – will use a smartphone. But those
who delay its adoption can better safe-
meaningful from the empty. Charedi to appreciate the Charedi emphasis
culture applies a harsher filter by cre- upon family life. guard themselves until the technology
becomes absolutely vital.
ating an insular society that is discon-
nected from the surrounding culture. Social coding Fifteen years ago, during a plane flight,
Whereas non-Charedim filter, Charedi Charedi society imposes strict “social a Chassid who knew little about com-
society insulates. coding” which governs areas such as puters asked me about the internet.
Charedim protect their society by ban- dress, gender interaction, social set- After describing the technology, I
cautioned him that, in twenty years,
ning devices which access broader tings, dating, political alliances and he would not be able to pay his bills
media and by vilifying secular culture many other aspects of human experi- without the internet. He looked at me
as a foreign and harmful element. ence. Though some of these codes are wisely and said “yes, but at least I will
Charedi culture has also created its driven by halachic concerns, many of benefit from twenty years of safety”.
own “cultural stream” through inde- them are social instruments meant I had initially thought I was sitting
pendent news outlets, magazines, and to create conformity and belonging. next to a caveman. I now realized that
media, thereby lessening dependency Human identity is always a blend he was sitting next to a guinea pig. I
upon broader cultural sources. of conformity and authenticity. To would experiment with new technol-
“Cultural disconnect” doesn’t just filter redeem ourselves from solitude we ogy, discover the hazards and create
out unhealthy messages and media, enter the union of larger communi- a roadmap for his eventual adoption.
but builds a societal barrier between ties. However, membership in larger Who would meet with better success –
the Charedi world and the broader groupings requires individuals to con- the caveman or the guinea pig? Again,
population, further limiting unhealthy strain some of their personal expres- it is hard to decide.
cultural influence. In today’s world of sions to abide by the larger customs of
endless media, we all have to “screen” the collective. If our society demands Community or identity?
the culture we enjoy. Charedi society too much conformity, we are forced Community is where we live – but
screens more aggressively. to abdicate personal expression and identity is who we are. No Jew should
individual identity. If there is too little
Centrality of family conformity, we are left alone. Charedi ever be labeled or label themselves as
Charedi, Religious Zionist, Modern
culture is willing to pay the price of
In a society which deemphasizes pro- Orthodox, or any other communal
fessional advancement and broader personal authenticity to achieve designation. We should all aim for
cultural engagement, it is only natural a larger payoff of social belonging one common identity: to become ovdei
for family life to become paramount. and, hopefully, stronger religious Hashem, passionate and committed
Charedi families tend to have more commitment. Jews. Labels are a poor man’s substi-
children due to strict policies about Delayed adoption of technology tute for actual identity. It is easier to
birth control, and their many children stamp yourself as a particular “type” of
usually stay close to home. As most People often remark that a particular Jew than it is to actually construct reli-
Charedi boys don’t serve in the army person “isn’t so religious, he is more gious identity through the experiences

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