Today’s lifestyle has become all about zoom. I do amit that zoom is a good online platform to have classes and to get together with friends, family etc. online rather than in person. It is definitely a blessing and, when used correctly, in the right measure, it is very helpful. However, with this whole coronavirus quarantine situation, I find myself zooming out rather than in. Zoom is the concept of concentrating and focusing on a particular idea , but I find it only increases my feeling of stress. And as I analyze it, I realize that quarantine has brought out something within me that I did not have before. It has brought out an inner peace. But in order to find that inner peace, we have to zoom inward, not outward. We have to take time to sit and talk to our Creator: to talk to our inner selves, our souls, and to find that inner core of spirituality. When we do so, we no longer need or look for external stimuli. The amount of stimuli in today’s technological society is incredible! it is overwhelming. Constant facebook and Instagram posts, constant watts up messages, constant text messages, constant online classes and shows….every moment there is another ad that pops up or a message asking you to join a zoom class. And I just find myself resisting. Not that there is anything wrong with joining a zoom class in Torah. It is good and it is health to learn. But there is something about too much overbombardment of technology that is overwhelming and stressful.
So I am trying now to zoom out. I imagine King David when he was a shepherd sitting among the sheep and meditating on the Creator of the world. Or the Baal Shem Tov, wandering the forests and meditating on deep spiritual concepts. They achieved spiritual refinement and greatness not by zooming with anyone or through technology but by learning to communicate with their inner souls and to communicate with their Creator . Of course learning Torah is important and we need to keep learning. That is the main thing and the most important way to develop ourselves spiritually. But it does not have to be done only online. We can learn through books , or one to one with a friend by phone or even in person. We can read and learn with our spouses and our children. And we select those online classes that really speak to us and really add to our inspiration and joy. I think that what disturbs me is the constant non stop bombardment of classes or groups offering another zoom meeting…. and another one and another one…..i just lose interest and ignore them all and try to get to a place where I feel peaceful and close to the Creator of the world. I want to escape from all this stimuli.
And perhaps this is one purpose of the coronavirus. It is not a punishment. It is to awaken a new relationship with our Creator. It is to awaken a spiritual perspective we perhaps have been covering over with too much external stimuli. it is to bring us to a state of true inner peace. Now, before Moshiach, the world is in a seemingly chaotic state and the over stimulation of technology reflects that. We need to regain our inner sense of peace , which will lead to the state of true peace in the entire world with the arrival of Moshiach.
So we do need to keep on learning Torah through zoom. But take some time to zoom inwardly to your soul and discover your inner potential for good. May we very soon zoom to the Beis Hamikdash with Moshiach!