The following was sent to me via an e-mail by the extraordinary Rabbi Bryski of the Chabad of the Conejo. What a marvelous idea to compare Twitter to bigger meaning in our lives. Take a read:
Dear Bruce;
Until recently if you asked someone if they “twitter,” they’d probably give you a funny look. They might say, “What, do I look like, a bird?” Or they’d be insulted, because “twitter” meant “babble” – basically to yak nonsense. Come to think of it, maybe the definition still applies. ?
But twitter now has a new meaning. “Twitter” is the name of an online service that allows people to send out short messages called “Tweets.” They have some value – a kind of electronic news bulletin. Flash! Accident on the interstate. But “Tweets” have also upped the interaction level – one can follow a celebrity’s Tweets. Or you can build up your own following. Tweet about your walk from the car to the office.
Even if we don’t get tweets, and don’t twitter, we can still learn from the phenomenon – learn an important lesson in our Divine service.
Be brief: Time is of the essence, don’t waste it. Just as importantly, don’t say more than you have to.
Focus on the here and now: As Hillel said: If not now, when? Seize the moment, by seizing the mitzva (commandment).
Communicate – stay in touch: That applies to acts as simple as calling parents and wishing them “Shabbat Shalom.” It also applies to prayer. G-d doesn’t need lengthy dissertations. A lot of our prayers and blessings are “tweetable” – short and to the point.
Self-aware: If we twitter, we want others to pay attention to us. But that means we need to pay attention to ourselves. Don’t do things you wouldn’t want twittered about.
Best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Bryski
