The Digital Revolution
The onset of the digital revolution in the mid-twentieth century has radically changed the way we live, communicate, work, shop, access healthcare and receive education, just to name a few.
The internet, personal computers and of course the smartphone has opened us up to a world of opportunity. We have become accustomed to the convenience of remote working and virtual meetings. The emergence of a variety of social media platforms has enabled us to remain connected with an ever growing social circle of family, friends and acquaintances.
The Mishnah (Ethics of our Fathers 6:11) states, “Everything that the Holy One, Blessed be He, created in His world He created only for His honor”. This includes all of the amazing technological developments of the last few centuries. G-d enabled human beings to discover these tools in order to help us fulfil the ultimate purpose of creation. At the same time, like every powerful development, these advances introduce both tremendous positive opportunities as well as great challenges.
How do we ensure that we are harnessing the use of technology for positive growth without falling prey to the addictive features of smartphones, social media etc.? How do we maintain a proper work/life balance while we have constant access to our mobile devices?
In this week’s Torah portion, Shemot, we learn about a new chapter in Jewish history: the beginning of slavery of the Jewish people in Egypt which preceded their eventual exodus.
As the verse states, “So the Egyptians enslaved the children of Israel with backbreaking labor. And they embittered their lives with hard labor, with clay and with bricks and with all kinds of labor in the fields, all their work that they worked with them with backbreaking labor (Exodus 1:13-14)”.
Maimonides (1138, Córdoba, Spain-1204, Fustat, Egypt), in his book of Mishneh Torah, shares the definition of backbreaking labor: “It is work that has no definite time or limit, or needless work designed only to keep the slave working and occupied”.
The Talmud explains that the Egyptians forced the Jews to build cities on quicksand, which would require constant rebuilding, so that they would not get the pleasure of seeing productivity in their labor. That is one of the reasons why the Torah calls it “backbreaking labor”.
The word “Torah”, in Hebrew, shares the same root as the word “Hora'ah”, which means lessons or guide. The Torah is not meant to serve as a history book but rather as a guide to live a proper, meaningful and fulfilling life. Being that the Torah was given to us by G-d, its lessons remain true in all circumstances, eternal in every generation and relevant to each individual.
What lessons can we possibly learn from the slavery of the Jewish people in Egypt thousands of years ago while we live, thank G-d, in a modern democratic society?
Slavery can manifest itself in many different ways. We can be enslaved to habits, societal norms, work, or even the smartphone. To become enslaved means to lose our self-control and freedom of choice and allow other forces to dictate our behavior or way of life. Furthermore, “backbreaking” labor is also a metaphor for endless work or spending an indefinite amount of time online without a defined purpose or higher goal.
When challenging work is clearly defined and has a specific productive goal, it still remains manageable. However, if our work consumes our lives and causes us to lose sight of our objectives and what is truly important in life, it becomes “backbreaking labor”.
In the Tanya, a seminal book on Kabbalah, Chabad philosophy and Jewish mysticism, the author, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745, Liozna, Belarus- 1813, Russian Empire), explains that every individual is created with the natural ability for their mind to control their heart. He explains further that our animal soul resides primarily in our heart which is the seat of emotions and our G-dly soul resides primarily in our brain which is the seat of intellect.
With regards to every decision or challenge that we may encounter, we can allow our emotions to react impulsively or we can choose to utilize our natural ability to exercise self-control and ensure that our intellect makes the correct decision.
The way to remain free of modern day “slavery” is to connect with our G-dly soul and our core values which empowers our intellect to dictate our thoughts, speech and actions so that they remain consistent with our true identity and through that harness our innate desire to grow, together with the great power of technology, for positive ends.
Spending quality time each day with our spouse and children, or enjoying Shabbat dinner with our families without the distraction of mobile devices enables us to truly appreciate the blessings we have in life. Setting aside a few moments of our day for Torah study, prayer & meditation allows us to remain connected with our Jewish soul. Tithing 10% of our income to Tzedaka is a recognition of the higher purpose of our work and it enables us to fulfil our responsibility to G-d and the community instead of embarking on an endless chase for more.
The Rebbe, Rabbi M.M. Schneerson, would often state that the industrial, technological and digital revolutions that we have experienced over the last few centuries are in fact a prelude to the coming of Moshiach and redemption when the whole world will come to a better awareness, understanding and belief in G-d and an era of peace, prosperity and kindness will prevail. These revolutions have brought endless opportunities for economical and spiritual growth, connectivity, medical advances, education and the ability to perform unlimited acts of charity and kindness across the globe.
As Maimonides taught, “In that era, there will be neither famine or war, envy or competition for good will flow in abundance and all the delights will be freely available as dust. The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know G-d...as Isaiah 11:9 states: 'The world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the ocean bed."
