Halakha and Netiquette Dr. David Levy Description: What does the Jewish tradition have to share with regards to questions concerning netiquette and online ethics? What is the relationship between the internet and civility? Has incivility in America increased due to social media and what are its effects on democratic public discourse? How can we measure the effects of online incivility by objective scientific criteria? Does online anonymity encourage harassment of women or does online anonymity protect marginalized groups? Why is cyberbullying a serious problem from the standpoint of Jewish ethics? How do we attempt to curb the epidemic of cyberbulling amongst students? How can schools and teachers take action to combat cyberbullying? What are the etiquette and ethics of social media? Does Facebook immorally lead to exploiting its users? What does Jewish law have to say about (1) responsible use of the internet? (2) causing harm psychologically of persons by "meanspeak", (3) embarassing person in public via the internet, (4) causing harm to individuals whereby a loshon ha-rah on the internet can kill a reputation or career opportunity or shidduch as per the criteria specified by the Chofetz Chaim's laws of considering one's words that can be used as a sword to harm or used to promote life, happiness, health, and constructive good? David B. Levy received a BA from Haverford College, an MA in Jewish Studies, an MLS from the UMCP, and a PhD from the BHU. David currently serves as a librarian at the Ruth Anne Hasten Library of Lander College for Women where David has prepared Judaica library guides on behalf of TC (found at http://libguides.tourolib.org/profile.php?uid=87838). A small fraction of David's publications are available at: http://facpubs.tourolib.org/publications/faculty/levy-david-b. David was pre-med at Haverford, but pursued love of Jewish studies instead. Rather than listing awards David has received, this bio concludes with "intrinsic goods" that David "values" as learning Torah without expectation of receiving reward in olam ha-zeh, lishma. David reads widely in a host of areas including the history of science, medicine, and related disciplines, in addition to devotion to all aspects of Jewish studies and the rabbinic curriculum. David enjoys sharing the enobling ideas from good books with friends, and in the spirit of the Rambam, considers the life of the mind redemptive, finding in those great books, teachings (musar) that can better the soul with regards to balancing intellectual, moral, and spiritual virtue. Proceedings of the 49th Annual Conference of the Association of Jewish Libraries (Las Vegas, NV – June 22-25, 2014) 1 The Halakhah of Proper Speech and the Internet1: Netiquette and Loshon Hara Ps. 140:12) ; A slanderer shall not be) ִאיׁש ָלׁשֹון, ַּבל-יִּכֹון ָבָא ֶרץ: ִאיׁש- ָח ָמס ָרע--יְצּו ֶדּנּו, ְל ַּמ ְד ֵחפ ֹת established in the earth; the violent and evil man shall be hunted with thrust upon thrust. A word is worth one coin; silence is worth two (B.T. Megillah 18A) Hatred and Lashon Hara caused the present exile (B.T. Yoma 9B) Introduction: Netiquette and Halakhah relates to (1) Chofetz Chaim’s2 Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara; (2) The Prohibition slander, of motzi shem ra, (3) and causing emotional stress with words, ona’at devarim, (4) Lo telech rachil b'ameicha [TAILBeARING](5) causing halbanat panim [embarassment] which is like murder, k’sh’fikhat damim; and striving for3, (a) purity of speech, Loshon naki, (b) Derekh erez kadma la’torah, (c) sanctifying Hashem’s name, kiddush Hashem, (d) respecting all of G-d’s creatures, k’vod habriyot (e ) respecting all BiTzelem Elokim and affirming their dignity4, (f) darkhei noam. This topic is a continuation of interest in ethical online halakhic issues such as the paper given at the AJL Montreal 2011 confererence.5 Thesis and Method The thesis of this paper is that the time age old antidote and corrective to the problems of incivility and cyber bullying on the internet can be remedied by recognizing how to curtail speaking loshon ha-ra and motzi shem rah as laid out in the Chofetz Chaim’s Hilchot Esurei Rechilut; and seeking musar guidance in torah principles that guide derekh eretz and mentschlikeit. The Internet should be used in manners 6consistent with our torah lives, values, and principles. While secular anti-dotes and prescriptions should not be ignored,7 as there is nothing new under the sun, we can find a response to cyber ethical issues in the Jewish ethical tradition as our sources of first recourse. Urgency of Topic8 Internet Online behaviors have given rise to what is characterized as a new wild cyber west.9 Never before has it been more critical to understand Kiddushin 30b “I have created a yetzer ha-ra and I have created Torah as its anti-dote . Our mesorah offers guidance and definitions about proper perspectives that guide how we approach and use technologies and how to set limits. Our masorah teaches that Hashem spoke to Moshe panim el panim. Chavruta learning is part of the yeshiva experience to convey a living masora and although this “may” sometime occur online there is no substitute for “oseh likhah rav. Responsible Jews need to be guided by torah ethical principles10 about how they behave online. A bar ilan search reveals that there are about 200 teachings from our sages about derech eretz in the Talmud and midrashim, as well as two tractates on derech eretz zuta and many more teachings from the post- Proceedings of the 49th Annual Conference of the Association of Jewish Libraries (Las Vegas, NV – June 22-25, 2014) 2 Talmudic authorities. We must apply these teachings to our behaviors online. That means perhaps setting aside quality family time without being plugged in to technology. Hillel used to say, that “ani po, ha-kol po” whereby real time presence infuses das Zwischen mentschlich. Time wastage (bitul zeman11) can occur more easily online as one gets lost in hyperspace and whereby one finds a plethora of images Jeapardizing modesty (tzinut). Pirke Avot 2:1 sates Hevei mechasheiv hefseid mitzvah keneged secharah (Pirke Avot 2:1) when determining merit of any act must calculate the gains versus the losses in an honest assessment. Do the losses outweigh the benefits: yatza secharo b’hefseido . Since the internet has much potential for good we must reach and educate “digital natives” and little “tech חֲנְֹך ַלנַ ַער, ַעל- ִּפי ”ninjas” “where they are at” (ba’asher hu sham). “teach a child according to his way Must embrace iGeneration rather than push them away. Must understand the technology and . ַד ְרּכֹו social media to better understand the tech culture of younger generation Teach how to be tech responsible versus just tech-proficient by modeling proper use. If engage students on cyber-turf must guide them away from “put downs” and “snap judgments” Cyberbulling as Symptom of the Forgetfullness of Jewish ethical principles laid out in Tanakh and interpreted by oral torah Cyberbulling and Loshon HaRah can be dessiminated much more easily today because of social media available on the internet. Children and adolescants often do not have a fully developed sense of responsibility and example has born out that children and adolescants can sometimes as in Lord of the Flies treat one another with great cruelty, making rude comments, or teasing others in harsh ways spawned from clickish association psychologically seeking peer affirmation by creating Us (cool)-Them (uncool) groups. Bullying has been around for generations but new technologies make it easier to permeate cyberspace12 by the ease of instantaneous mass communication facilitated by social media etc. Anyone with a computer or smart phone on a social network can spread bullying at the click of a mouse. Cyberbullying refers to the use of email, cell phone, pager text messages, instant messaging, defamatory websites… to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behaviors by an individual or group, that is intended to harm or harass others. “Trolls” hide behind anonymity. A troll is a person who sows and incites discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. “Trolls” are counter to Torahdik behavior. Trolls are a part of the problem but not the problem. Causes of Bullying What are root causes of bullying? Children reflect the values and behavior they see in their homes, on television, in video games, and in the behaviors of famous personalities and world leaders. Social learning is a power process often involving mimesis and modeling of behaviors. When children see role Proceedings of the 49th Annual Conference of the Association of Jewish Libraries (Las Vegas, NV – June 22-25, 2014) 3 models- parents etc. use bullying and intimidation tactics they use these approaches to getting their own needs met and solving problems. Phenomena of unethical online behaviors Manifest in Cyberbulling: Identification The torah principles are counter to incivility on the interent such as: (1) insulting, abusive language, baiting, hating (2) name calling. Flaming, lurking, aggression, voyeurism (3) verbal fighting/sparring/ incitement/stalking/trolling/ grooming” to lull others into delinquent behaviors (4) character assassination (ad hominem attacks) (5) conflagration, intimidation, hateful vehemence (6) belittling, defamation, libel (7) obscene language directed against victims (8) inappropriate tone ֵעץ- ַחיִּים attacking - reverence for Torah leaders and lomdus13, kavod ha-torah . (Mishlai 3:17) teaches (9) ִּהיא, ַל ַמ ֲח ִּזי ִּקים בָּּה; וְתֹמְ כֶיהָּ מְאֻשָּ ר (10) verbal harassment, recurring nastiness, personal malice, or threats (10) venting and cyber bullying Model Beit Dn Competition Regarding Case of Bullying14 The innovative completion centered around “the case of the poisoned sandwich”, a well known but unconfirmed story in which a bullied high school student put a poisonous substance in his lunch, knowing based on precedent that it would be stolen and eaten by his tormentor.