Watching A Movie?!?!

There are many things regarding chassidishkeit that are questioned by the young people, nowadays. Most of them only come from the lack of learning. The meaning of "learning", is not only what a person reads from a textbook or information that someone told him, rather it also includes experiences and things that he picks up just by living and being around. Allot of things are learned solely and completely by experience of life. For example, how to treat people like a mentch, or when is it a good time to make a funny comment. These are just a few examples, however the list is endless. It would make sense to say, that the questions people have to which they receive no answer to, have some validity. There is only one condition to the previous statement; the questioner truly and sincerely seeks an answer. In other words it's called "being objective".

This too needs to be clarified. In the instance of a dry and cold intellectual idea, the words "being objective" have a simple, identifiable and definable character. If the person has self-motives he will most probably not be able to see any other way of looking at it, to the extent that if someone were to argue, the reaction would only be that the other person has no idea what he's talking about. However, someone who is looking at the idea with an objective eye, will reconsider, to the point that he understands the other point of view. Only then can he determine which point of view is correct. This is however, more difficult to discern regarding things that are not intellectual, being that the topics being discussed have allot to do with a certain sensitivity (to whatever it is we're talking about). It therefore demands a much deeper "oifen" of "being objective". In order to be objective in these instances one must "live" so-to-speak, the other side of things. In other words, these more refined concepts are in a certain way emotional, not being limited to the cold intellect. Therefore to understand in any way shape or form these ideas, one must attach themselves emotionally.

After having said that, the questions that people might have on things required and expected by chassidus, need this requirement, "being objective". So now, when a person doesn't understand something, the way to be objective is to follow the instructions of his/her mashpia. Only once a person has thrown him/herself into it, will the answer come. The reason being, he/she has "lived" what is demanded and can now relate to it on a personal level.

There is one thing that I have come to discuss, which I know has spread like wildfire in the last few years. Watching movies nowadays has become totally "permissible"!! This is something which, if you ask any mashpia he will confirm, that it can destroy a person spiritually.

However, I will try my best to put into words and explanations, things which are not limited to cold "sechel".

First of all, chassidus explains at length, anything not used out for "avodas Hashem" is not just "not good", but rather it's bad! It's known the famous saying that chassidim used to say:  "A misnagid says - that which the Torah does not allow, is not allowed. That which the Torah permitted, is permitted. The chossid says - that which the Torah did not allow, is not allowed. That which the Torah allowed is not necessary." This isn't just another nice saying from the past, but rather is still applicable to this very day. Movies, or for that matter any form of entertainment and pleasure, falls under the category of not allowed to a chossid.

Indeed, the above mentioned reason is very general, I would like to add a number of reasons about movies in specific.

I'm sure everyone knows, when you go shopping for cloths for kids, the cloths often have all sorts of pictures on it. Everyone makes sure not to buy ones with non-kosher animals on it. The reason for this is simple. The Rebbe explained in a sicha, that a child when he is being educated should only know of things permitted by the Torah. Things allowed by the Torah are things which are more refined and will not disturb the child's yiddishe growth. The Rebbe then added "for example, there are books for kids in which the character is a cat, all you have to do is change the cat for a different kosher animal".

This idea is obviously not limited to children, for things which you want the child to learn is not in order, that when he grows up he should forget it. For example, manners are not taught in order to be forgotten when he becomes an adult. It is also obvious from here, that this applies to anything which isn't pure and "aidle". Movies are things which are absolutely not pure. The effect of a movie is nowhere close to the level a chossid, or for that matter any yid, should be in contact with.

After the above mentioned reason, some might still put forth an argument regarding educational movies. However, from the above mentioned sicha it is clear, that "Barney" and the like, shouldn't be shown to our kids. All the learning a chassidishe child receives, should only be yidisheh and kosher things. Especially nowadays, there's a whole selection of yidisheh educational videos to show.

In addition, there is a more specific problem with movies in our day and age. Not even discussing the content of a movie (even kid's movies!!!) nowadays. Probably about 80% of the movies today are not even allowed halachikly!! The Rambam writes clearly (Hilchos Isurei Biah Ch.21) that there is an "isur" for any person to look at something which he is not supposed to. Which this includes things, that are not necessarily the wrong thing themselves, but are merely "me'orer" a person's "yetzer harah". (see Ibid)

This isn't the problem I wanted to discuss. What I did want to mention, is the effect a movie has on a person subconsciously. For example, your little brother just finished watching a video about lions. The next thing you know he's on top of you trying to eat you. Why is he doing that? Simple, he's a lion now. That's what he wants to be, and that's what he is dreaming about and idling. No one pays attention to something like that, simply because in a short while something else will catch his attention. However, if you would see that he's really gone crazy about his being a lion, the first thing to be done would be to take away those videos. For our topic the story need not go further. Every person which watches a movie is effected in one way or another. Some take it to an extreme, while others do not. Let's discuss the extreme just to bring out the point stronger. A bochur comes home for vacating and he has nothing to do to spend his time. The easiest way of passing time in an "enjoyable" way is by locking himself in his room for hours. What's he doing for so long? He's watching movie after movie after movie!! Until his mother goes crazy and brakes down the door, he ain't moving.

Let's try and analyze what is going on here. Why does he enjoy doing that? Which normal person just spends his time in front of the screen? Plus, sometimes he even does "all-nighters"!!? The answer by many is the following: His world now only consists of "Movieland". This means, his whole mind is taken up by the last movie he watched and the following one he will watch. When he walks down the street and sees someone across the street dressed in black holding an attache case, his mind automatically tells him "he's for sure a spy, a gangster, or works for the FBI". Such is the effect of a movie.

 

It may not always come in such extreme forms.The most mild form of this, would be the feeling that comes along with entertainment in general. It's not easy to explain with words, and for sure not in writing. The feeling a person has after enjoying himself with things that have no connection to yidishkeit etc, creates sort of a numb feeling towards being serious. It takes away any concentration one might need to daven, for example. If the pleasure was in "inyanei kedush", than everything that follows will be with simcha, not "leitzanes". There's a fine line between simcha and "leitzanes". I don't have any other words to describe it, but test it out for yourself. If you ever come across something which creates an atmosphere of "leitzanes", like going to a concert with real wild music (hl"s), try and get serious afterwards. I don't mean being "farkvetched". I mean even sitting down and saying "krias shema" looking inside a siddur. Most probably what will happen, depending on whom you are, you'll say it without a siddur altogether, together with skipping half the words. Everyone is different so there's no need to bring every kind of example, but I think it's self-understood.This is something which could destroy allot of "koyches" that were put into this person by his parents, teachers and mashpiim.

 

The same thing is, even in a case where someone feels no difference from before, to after the entertainment. The reason for this is simply because he is not emotionally involved in yidishkeit. He feels that he need not work on himself any longer, and that he is doing just fine. Therefore he doesn't feel the effect that the "leitzanes" had on him, due to not being aware and alert of his spiritual growth.

 

I feel that this is something which the effect could be worse than the thing itself. The movie might be "clean", but it's effect can never be known. Some people might be affected in this extreme way even by "clean and kosher" movies. Movies are a deadly weapon the "samach-mem" is using to push off the coming of moshiach. We have to stop it right in its tracks, so that we will be together with the Rebbe once again!!

 
Just one last point I would like to add. If there is a choice to serve good food or even better food, which would you choose? Obviously the better food because, why not? If the option for better food doesn't exist anymore, you move on to the next option. This is all just a "mashal" for what to show a child, or for that matter anybody, on a video machine. B"H there is lots and lots of videos of the Rebbe. Why should one show his child other kinds of videos, even yidisheh videos, when there are so many videos of the Rebbe to show him/her. When they are young, whatever you show them is what they will enjoy. Yes, if up till now you didn't show him/her videos of the Rebbe but rather other videos, what do you expect? From where should your child enjoy watching a video of the Rebbe? When moshiach comes, how will he be able to concentrate on what the Rebbe says? I think every parent should think about this, and implement a standard by our children to watch videos of the Rebbe. It should no longer be something that only "chassidisheh people" watch, but rather something that should be watched by all.  
 
The main thing is, we all want to see the Rebbe now bb"a!!