Jewish Values for Social Media in the Post-U.S. Election World

Rabbi Arnold D. Samlan

“Avtalion said: Wise people, be careful with your words”.

Words are not “just words”(Mishnah Avot). They are actions, once you say them, and even

more so once you write them. Use caution.

Distance yourself from false words”(Exodus 23:7).

In the election’s aftermath, people are making up stories and posting them on social media

as fact

” Truth and peace we love” (Prayer of the Hazan on High Holidays).

Truth is a primary value. This is not simply about avoiding falsehood, but about pursuing

truth. That’s right, I consider fact-checking to be the performance of a religious obligation.

Educators know how to do this. We don’t teach something unless we are certain that it is true.

We need to use the same standard on social media.

Lashon Naki (Clean speech)

The Talmud mentions instances in which the Torah went out of its way to use wording that

was “pure” and not insulting or inappropriate. My immediate assumption, when someone

curses while stating an opinion is that either a.they aren’t sure enough of their point to

make it with objective language, or b. they are posting while enraged. Which leads me to…

“One who becomes angry is as though that person had worshipped idols.” - Maimonides

No, we can’t control our feelings, but we’d better be able to manage them. If you’re

enraged, social media isn’t the best place to respond. Run a mile, do kickboxing,

meditate, or whatever works for you. Then, decide if you want to post something.

“Judaism is a religion of listening” (Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks)

“While his statement refers to humans listening to God, I expand it to apply to humans

listening to each other (since, after all, we are all in the image of God). If you just spew your

ideas, you’re not growing. But the dialogue that social media gives us allows us to

broaden our horizons. If we listen.

Seek peace and pursue it”(Psalms 34:14)

This is a great time for peacemaking. Our country and our world face problems that go

beyond a particular philosophy or even a particular country’s borders. Time to create

the peace and the coalitions that are going to address environmental issues, poverty and

human rights. Want to troll for a fight? Do it elsewhere. Not on my social media space.

Tzelem Elohim – The Image of God

• Everyone is created in God’s image, or, if you prefer, with a spark of divinity. Everyone deserves respect: President Obama, Secretary Clinton, President-elect Trump, the protesters in the streets and the folks who are exuberant about the election results. I police my social media territory to make sure that all who are my guests there treat each other respectfully and refrain from insulting others.

Tikkun OlamThe mystics taught that our job is to repair a world that

somehow went off track from the time of creation. In recent years, we’ve adopted it to mean anything

we do to make the physical world a better place. Adding positive energy and action via social media? Great. Adding negatives? Find someone else’s space

Lashon Hara

Gossip, even when true, is still gossip. If it’s the need to call someone or something out

because it will endanger others, different story. But simply to accuse or to spread

rumors? Off limits.

When it goes bad

• http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/trump-nazi-germany-tweet-doesn-article-1.2943473

• http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/donald-trump-serial-anti-semite

• https://heatst.com/politics/hillary-clinton-creepy-smile/

• http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/18828