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Like all machines and inventions, computers are never perfect and are always subject to human beings, such as me, mishandling or making errors in the process of using them. And when that happens, we always tend to blame the computer when really we should blame ourselves for punching the wrong key or using the wrong application. Such a sorry event occurred to me last week. It was right in the middle of publishing a monthly newsletter that has a few hundred paid subscribers, and, from the feedback I receive, I estimate perhaps a few thousand people who read it. Every issue contains about 4,200 words divided into four main articles on current events and personalities. At my stage in life, it takes quite a bit of effort for me to put together this newsletter every month, in addition to my other writings – such as this weekly opinion article that I have obligated myself to produce. I take great care in writing this newsletter on my computer, and I always attempt to make certain I save it in a secure fashion, so that when I send it off to the printer, it is available for editing, correction and publication.
Regarding this last issue of the newsletter that I prepared for the month of December, I had laboriously written three of the four articles needed for the issue. I began writing the fourth article, and was well on the way towards completing it and having the entire newsletter prepared to be sent on to the printer when I attempted to correct one obvious spelling mistake that my dictating program allowed me to make. I pressed a number of keys on the computer keyboard to erase the mistake, and to type the corrected word. Somehow, though, I hit a few computer keys that omitted and deleted the entire 3500 words that I had already written. Since I had saved whatever I had written, I felt confident that I could retrieve it from the brains of the computer, and successfully complete the preparation of the December newsletter.
To my consternation, I could not restore what I had written, no matter what I did. I even had a number of friends of mine, who are much more adept and knowledgeable than I am about computers and who have successfully helped me in the past, come over and try and retrieve the lost articles that I had written for this issue. Alas, even these people of great expertise were unable to force the computer to divulge the missing articles. After a week of frustration, I bit the bullet and rewrote the entire issue, this time attempting to make certain to save every precious word in a separate computer file. And I kept on checking to make certain that the articles were retrievable.
I was successful in rewriting the entire issue, and, while doing so, attempted to make improvements over the original copy. And then, with a great sigh of relief, I sent the material off to my editor and printer in the United States. I allowed myself a moment of self-congratulations for being able to somehow overcome the frustrating adversity of a lost computer file. My computer expert friends, who as I mentioned are much more knowledgeable and skillful in dealing with computers that I am, admitted to me that sometimes even they lose a computer file. In fact, there are probably millions of lost computer files floating around in the ether of computer heaven or hell as the case may be.
I thought to myself that this is probably a mixed blessing, for there are undoubtedly many computer files that deserve to be deleted and never sent or read, while, at the same time, there are also many other computer files – and I like to think that mine would be among them – that really should have seen the light of day and should have been preserved. I am not certain what the great moral lesson involved here is, but it seems to me that the next step for civilizing computers is that it should have an inborn right of choice to decide which files it is willing to lose, and which ones should be published. I await that invention with bated breath.
Shabbat shalom
Berel Wein
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
