Need an investor? No. I wasn't confused. This is not my Thursday business column (which will also appear on Az"ah Today). Last Tuesday caught me in no mood. Every time I grabbed my BlackBerry to write a column about the sad situation of the kidnapped, a hurried WhatsApp message arrived about their release in a heroic operation. Which brought me to elation and a strong desire to break down on the keyboard and praise and glorify the Creator of the world for his great mercy.
But then a contradictory message arrived about the deaths (of the hostages) and the BlackBerry fell out of my hands...
Then came a message 'under a gag order' (!!) with the convincing headline 'Confidential' (!!) about locating the abductees.
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And then... I won't bore you. We all received the same messages. And they shook us all between hope and despair, between faith and destruction.
But we are to blame.
A well-known Haredi radio host brought up a proud "owner" of 50 WhatsApp groups on his afternoon show and tried to figure out with him, over the airwaves, why the hell people are spreading rumors and messages spewed from their keyboards. Besides the fact that he didn't answer anything, and what had already been said was irrelevant, the painful answer came out, mainly from what he didn't say.
""But it's our fault.".
There were many responses to that interview. "Stop wasting time on groups," "Who needs these groups," and many more. Better or less good.
And I say; "But it's our fault.".
What to do? WhatsApp groups are here with us. They are breathing, kicking animals. They are an existential necessity (such as the Cohen family group, which exchanges recipes and once and for all settles the rules for hosting at Mom and Dad's). They are a real necessity (such as the "Mondial Yiy.
Without internet and television
I don't think you can just shout and close them down.
I don't think it's possible to shake off the fact that without television and the Internet available, there is no other way to satisfy the inexhaustible hunger of the sector's bored.
But there is an English proverb about exactly this:
if you cant them, join them.....
And in free translation: If you can't beat them, join them....
I call on all of us: members of WhatsApp groups of all kinds. Immediately vomit and condemn all "rumor copyists"! Did you receive a message with his name and exact position (supposedly) 96 seconds after the death (R"L) was determined in the accident at 04:48 in the morning? Do not forward it! Most likely the name is not correct. And even if it is, 100% that the widow of the deceased is still sleeping soundly at home, and does not know that from now on her life will become hell.
What did we gain when we received a message full of juicy details that happened right now live, and is destined to ruin someone else's life? What did we gain if we passed it on (and on and on and on...) other than some kind of elation for a split second, for being the first to pass the message from one Na'is group to 4 other Na'is groups...
Walla! We were first! Yes. What an achievement.
WhatsApp animals in exchange for terrorists
Thus, a growing class arose that chides the laws of slander, that turns the minimal sensitivity of "between man and his fellow man" into mothballs, and throws all logic out the window.
I passed the message on first! Wow! (literally).
But it's our fault.
It's up to us, group members. Have you received a message of the kind that will cause grief or ruin someone else's life? Instead of rushing to copy and paste with hands shaking with excitement. Respond to the esteemed writer (or most likely the esteemed copyist), and suggest that the rest of the group members continue their lives in good and pleasant ways and not fall into the same terrible failure.
I promise you. The elation you will feel after writing such a "stop message" will stay with you for much longer than the elation you have felt to this day over the success of the heroic operation of copying a copied message to another group that will copy it further.
And believe me: if one day comes, and I personally meet the person who wrote that message about the rescue of the hostages (and I hope we will indeed be able to write such a real message in the future), or alternatively, if I meet the person who wrote the message about their death (Lt. Col. Ofra Lafumia), I will recommend to our security establishment that we exchange him for terrorists in the upcoming prisoner exchange with Hamas.
And a final point
My first column on the Haredim 10 website was about the unfortunate trial of Uri LaPolyanski. And while writing today, the news of his twisted sentence arrived: 6 years in prison and another year on probation. Since I know the man, I assume he will spend another year in prison, as he will continue to do acts of kindness, and according to Judge Rosen, this is a criminal offense. And the Messiah will come and redeem us from all our troubles and release the kidnapped safe and sound.
Soon and in our day, Amen, there will be a will.
