A horrible video is circulating this week featuring semi-inebriated American youth in Israel cursing out our president. The video was horrible on SO many different levels - so distressing that I know Jews who refused to comment on it, fearful of bringing more publicity to an already overexposed disaster.
But as an orthodox Jewish woman, I believe that I cannot remain silent. I will not link to the video or name it in any way. Those who have seen it know, and those who haven't can take my word for it. It's horrible.
You see, as orthodox Jews, we know that we are scrutinized--not just by the public that waits for us to slip. As people of "the book"--"chosen people"--we are always on trial in the public court, but any truly spiritual, orthodox soul knows that we are under constant scrutiny--by G-d. The cosmic video camera is recording us every minute of every day--from the second we awaken, until we say our bedtime prayers. And the recording is locked in a hard drive that will outlast the most durable data storage system on the planet. It will follow us from one lifetime to the next and every action will beg the question, "Did you sanctify my name? Did you use the physical tools I gave you to bring light to the world? Let's roll that videotape!"
What a miraculous age we live in. Information flows like water. Every word we utter shoots across the cosmos at the speed of light. And now, the world looks on in disgust at drunk and unthinking children making uneducated and random "so-called" political statements. Because these children are Jewish--and orthodox--the statements are given credence as public statements. Indeed, as Jews, we should already know that every word we utter in public or in private is a public statement. We are all PR representatives for the Client of all Clients. So when I see our youth behaving in complete disregard, not just of a camera pointed at them in a bar and the capacity that video has to be broadcast over endless social networks ad nauseum, but of a Higher Power that watches and judges--and has great expectations of them--as a PR person and a Jew, I find it disappointing, deplorable, and horrible.
Does the awareness of our underlying and constant scrutiny come about with age? Not necessarily. How many middle-aged folks are caught doing horrible things--Ponzi schemes, adultery, murder...So, how does one "tune in" to the awareness that we are forever being recorded for life. That every moment will bring a complete accounting--not on YouTube but beyond. And how do we bring this into perspective for our kids? This video put us on trial with the general public. And the results are horrible. We are ALL being condemned.
It was a rude awakening. Our children need to sharpen their awareness of the G-d who watches over them. Their parents need to figure out why, in spite of a Yeshiva education that brought these kids to Israel, that message seems to have missed its mark. Every Jewish person on the planet has to introspect and emerge "Al Kiddush Hashem" - with the realization that one must SANCTIFY G-d's name - not desecrate it. Every moment. Of every day. In public. In private. Because we were put here to be examples. Of everything that is holy and good. Every minute of every day that we spend in this lifetime. On facebook, on youtube, on twitter, in life.
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