Purim: Behind the Mask
In the chapters of Megillat Esther, a drama unfolds that reflects the challenges of our world. On the surface, it is a story about a lavish banquet hosted by a Persian king. However, our sages reveal what happened behind the scenes: a head-on clash between two opposing worldviews.
The Talmud (Tractate Megillah 12b) highlights how King Ahasuerus’ feast became the ultimate example of moral degradation. Under the influence of excessive wine, the atmosphere shifted from a royal celebration to a display of vulgarity. By treating Queen Vashti as a mere exhibition piece, Ahasuerus demonstrated the core of immorality—the reduction of a human being, created in the Divine image, to an object of self-gratification.
For idolaters, the world is merely a material collection of tools for self-gratification. There is no sanctity in family life, no respect for the “other,” and no self-restraint. When the ego is the…
I don’t think so. It seems social media‘s various algorithms are designed to create two extremes, conflict and division on one end of the spectrum and confirmation bias, the „echo chamber“ on the other. People then have to choose between those two, do I surround myself with people I agree with or do I thrive on conflict and disagreement? Either way, I believe that most forms of social media are harmful to the well being of humans and their souls. It is advertising one thing (unity and connection) but delivering quite something else; after all conflict and divisiveness garners clicks and our attention is monetized, regardless of the cumulative harm done to individuals and society as a whole. Until we can fix the underlying perverse incentives and build an ethical and moral technology, its usefulness is severely limited and only benefits the owners of said technology.