While I don’t know much about the Talmud, I do know that the timeless wisdom of Talmud scholars has consistently been a source of strength for the Jewish people. Furthermore, Judaism’s tradition of rabbinic debate helped create a culture that places a high priority on education and intelligent argument. I was reminded of this today when reading about the protests surrounding yeshiva student stipends in Israel. However, the content of the article did not bring this thought to mind. Rather, it was the Talkbacks posted at the bottom of the article.
I found it quite ironic that directly below an article about modern day Talmud scholars, furious netizens were hurling pejorative insults at each other. Two that specifically caught my eye: “the haredis are sluggards” and “RADICAL ATHEIST LEFTIST ELITIST.” Yes, the latter was in all caps. So much passion! But such scenes are all too common on websites from Ynet to Youtube. The anonymity provided by the Internet brings out the worst in people. Worthwhile commentary is a rarity.
When has unabashed rudeness and vilification made a positive contribution to a debate? Can you imagine where our religion and culture would be if our sages had ditched reasoned interlocution and opted for personal attacks instead? In the spirit of our ancestors, I am calling on our Internet savvy generation to stop the slander and return to civility.
P.S. One young-ish Jew, Jon Stewart, got the ball rolling with the recent Rally to Restore Sanity. Let’s keep up the momentum!
