An Instagram Blogger Responds: If You Don’t Like It Don’t Follow

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Dear Matzav Shmooze,

I am an Instagram blogger and feel the need to respond to a letter written on this site earlier this week.

The letter bashes Jewish Instagram bloggers, calling out their hashkafos and tznius levels before saying that it’s better to follow a non Jewish account than to follow them.

In the Instagram world we call this writer a “Hater” –  person that cannot be happy for another person’s success. So rather than be happy they make a point of exposing a flaw in that person. In Yiddish we call this a infarginner.

Here’s the thing about haters – if you are so bothered by someone’s Instagram page you have a very easy solution. On the top of the page there’s a button to click and problem solved! You are now unfollowing this account and you won’t have to see them again. But haters usually keep on following so they can hate more.

A lot of the the people popular Instagram accounts are actually business accounts and are using social media to promote their business. So you’re actually actively trying to take away business from Jewish people.

Also just because someone is on different level of frumkeit than you doesn’t mean you can’t associate with them! This is the holier-than-thou attitude that turns people off from becoming frummer. Do you not walk on the street because you might see someone with a shorter skirt than you? Maybe you should follow these accounts you dislike – if only to teach yourself a lesson in how to accept frum Jews who are different than you.

Sincerely,

An Unfollower

 

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32 COMMENTS

  1. This letter doesn’t make sense
    I want to hate you that is what gives miserable people like me chiyus.

    I enjoy looking down and complaining about other people’s success and try to turn my miserableness into a positive attribute by cloaking it in faltsche frumkeit

  2. RIGHT ON! PEOPLE CAN’T FARGIN THE SUCCESS OF OTHERS SO THEY BASH THEM, ALL IN THE NAME OF FRUMKEIT!

    GET A LIFE! STOP LURKING AND STALKING THE ACCOUNTS YOU ARE JEALOUS OF AND GO DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE INSTEAD OF KVETCHING AND PREACHING.

    MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PREACHING TOO MUCH AND TOO LOUD ARE LATER FOUND TO BE THE VERY PEOPLE DOING MUCH WORSE OFFENSES THAN THE ONES THEY ARE PREACHING ABOUT.

  3. I don’t see any disagreement with the original poster. He wrote

    I will get straight to the point. More and more people are allowing themselves to have access to social media such as Instagram with the excuse that because they are only following the Jewish accounts it’s not so bad.

    I think this needs to stop.

    This seems to be in perfect agreement with him

  4. All that Borei olam created is inherently good. The issue is how we humans interact with the creation. There is much good in technology and social media. In an emergency information can be easily disseminated. Individuals can access important information. Those who are lonely can interact. The list is expansive so I chose a few examples. The reasonable conclusion is that each individual must consistently introspect and assure that their actions are aligned with their purpose for having been created.

  5. “Yoshkeh was considered a meisis because he ridiculed the chachomim and encouraged the ridicule of the chachomim. And anyone who ridicules the Torah leaders is chayav misah. We know that כל העובר על דברי חכמים חייב מיתה – “If someone is going to disregard the words of the chachomim, then he is deserving of death” (Brachos 4b).The chachmei hatorah are the light of our eyes. They are the einei ha’eidah, the eyes of our people. And a loyal Jew views the world through the eyes of the chachomim. And so if a fellow in the street is walking around with a few bums following him, and he’s making jokes against the chachomim, and ridiculing them and encouraging others to ridicule them, then he has lost his right to exist. That’s a meisis.”
    R’ Avigdor Miller

    V’hameivin Yovin

  6. And I say watch out for number one and don`t step in number 2 .
    The writer of the letter was just alerting people to make sure that they don`t do the later

  7. Correct. Everything created is inherently good. When we use our mouths for Torah and Teffila that is for the good but that same mouth can also be used for bad and we must choose good. Instagram and other social media may have something good about them but overall they are horrific to society. Kind of like poison. That too has a value but it can also kill.These are truly life and death choices. Spiritual life and death and we must choose life. Children are not always mature enough to make proper spiritual choices and parents who don’t guide are killing their children

  8. ATT: SOCIALMEDIA REJECT and OTHERS,
    whats a FRUMKEIT and whats FRUMMY and whats a infarginner and whats a FARGIN
    and whats a faltsche frumkeit

    ITS SO STRANGE THAT EVERYTIME I SUBMIT COMMENTS MY CAMELS START MAKING NOISES. THIS ALSO HAPPENS WHEN I SHOP IN BORO PARK.
    DO YA TINK I SHUD NOT WEAR ROBES COPYING DAVEED HA’MLECH AND MOSES AND WEAR BLACK SUITS?
    OH WELL.I USED OIL AGAINT THIS CHANUKA OR IS IT HANUKA OR..LATELY I GET CONFUSED WHEN I SHOP BORO PARK. NO PLACE TO PUT MY CAMELS AND GOATS. YA KNOW US SEPHARDEEM TRADE IN ANIMALS AND SPICES…..

    ATT SHIFFY” I HAVE EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO ‘CAPS’ (c) CAPS 2018.
    DO NOT USE ‘CAPS FONTS ANY FURTHER OR YOU WILL BE UNINVITED.

  9. I throw my garbage into the street , you don’t like it?? Don’t be a “hater” walk on a different street.

    That’s instaSCAM logic.

  10. “we call this writer a “Hater”

    If someone disagrees with you that is their right. People think differently, as Chazal have taught us.

    Don’t call them a hater.

    Perhaps you are the hater since you are disagreeing with them.

    Why don’t you fargin them their disagreements with you? Everyone must agree with you???

  11. Your point is well taken. Children are a pikodon from borei olam and need and deserve a good shmirah. My post was geared to mentally stable, mature adults. Social media is as dangerous as the tongue which chazel teach is a organ that is either life or death. Individuals must be responsible in all areas of life.

    I’m including a story which I hope will add and detract from my point.

    I know a deaf person who B’H got married to another deaf person. Shortly after texting became widely available and utilized. Many Rabbanim shlita condemned it’s use. However, for this particular couple texting enhanced their relationship immeasurably!

    Continued Hatzlocah!

  12. “I don’t see any disagreement with the original poster. He wrote

    I will get straight to the point. More and more people are allowing themselves to have access to social media such as Instagram with the excuse that because they are only following the Jewish accounts it’s not so bad.

    I think this needs to stop.

    This seems to be in perfect agreement with him”
    So well said.

  13. This has nothing to do with hate, it has everything to do with the wrong people with the wrong hashkofos having a platform that can influence innocent people to be swayed in their direction and transgress various issurim by doing so

  14. Dear writer,

    I do not hate. I also do not have any social media so I truthfully cannot comment on it. What I do know though is that it is hard for a positive to come from a negative. Think about these scenarios for a minute and maybe it will shed a bit of light.

    If a person steals money to earn a living we would not look at that person as someone who is successful nor would we allow that person to continue stealing and say that we should leave him alone because he is making a living this way. Just because one is earning a living doesn’t mean all is permissible. If all of our teachers, professors, life coaches, therapists and yes even Rabbi’s are suggesting that instagram is bad for us shouldn’t we think they may know better.

    The game fortnight is addictive and harmful. Somehow we still have stupid parents who allow their children to play the game. You can’t fix stupid. Instagram and these other social media options are killing our generation so it is stupid to put something that kills in the hands of people and take a risk that they will be able to do the right thing with it. Especially children!

    If I am in Shul and there are people who refuse to stop talking it wouldn’t be right for you to tell me that I should leave and find another quiet Shul. The correct thing would be to ask those who are talking to please stop. So telling people if they don’t like instagram to stop following it is like telling people who do not talk in Shul that they should go elsewhere.

    We need to have some morality back in our lives. The Yetzer Hora’s job is to take things that might have a positive side to them and bring out the bad in it. We need to push back and not allow these obstacles to infiltrate our camps. I just don’t think people against social media are haters. I think they are afraid. I think they are scared that peer pressure will attack their ability to fend off those who will attempt to lure their kids, their spouse or even themselves into something addictive and perhaps destructive

  15. Every mentally stable mature adult has a bechira. If one had no benefit from social media they should obviously stay away from it. For those that have appropriate use they should use it cautiously.

    As far as children the consensus is that it is addictive and often destructive. Any responsible mentally stable parent would not take the risk unnecessarily. If there are mitigating circumstances than an authentic posek should be consulted.

    Why is it everybody’s business what the other is doing?! Chazal teach kshot atzmecah and after kshot achareim.

  16. The Post is False
    Sorry Mr.Poster

    The letter was written by one who presumably operates with responsibility
    for the larger world
    Unlike yourself Probably

    “A mensch iz a shtik achrayus

  17. There’s a major difference between walking with someone on the street who is not as frum as you, and allowing yourself to CONSTANTLY be exposed to every piece of garbage or kefira or shmutz which the person you follow espouses. You don’t follow someone on instatrash to be mekareiv them or act with ahavas chinam to them. The word follow means: “to walk or proceed alongor to be or act in accordance with”.

  18. I am a major leitz or prusta person, but it’s ok, you just don’t have to associate with me. That’s what this letter writer is saying.

  19. Protecting my kids from anti Torah ideas is now called being a hater, and being angry at someone elses success. WOW. How wise this writer is!!

  20. Oh come on
    U all know the writer is correct
    Just mind your own business
    Stop fixing the world
    Start fixing yourself
    Of course the other guy is not ok
    And there r alot more problamatic people
    But y only thoose on Instagram bother u?
    קנאה Nothing else!!

    Get help!!!!

    • “Mind your own business” is definitely not a Jewish idea. Klal yisroel areivim ze lazeh. We are all responsible for one another. Now criticism has to be done right, but it has to be done. Now if you want your spouse/friend/child being influenced by the poisonous attitudes found on instadump, so be it. But every thinking Jew should run far away from it, and warn everybody else too!

  21. I sincerely agree with you. The Orthodox Jewish community needs to be coming together, not further fragmenting themselves and pulling each other further apart. I saw a similar discussion on okclarity, and the conclusion was this: There are enough people turning their backs on Jews as it is, we don’t need to add to those numbers. Hashem teaches us to love each other, and we should be able to continue to associate with other Jews even if they don’t agree with our level of observance.

      • But “what [they] are”, are Jews. This is what you’re hating them for? Being Jews with different observances than your own?
        Also, just because this is a quote by a philosopher doesn’t make it true. Ask anyone who has ever experienced discrimination which one they would prefer. And in truth, neither of these should be the option. We should love people for what they are.

  22. Are we abandonding our role as descendants of Avraham Avinu?
    Avraham Ha’ivri.What does Ivri mean?
    Are we now preferring to follow the role of Noach ?
    A “tzaddik in peltz”

    What is our purpose?

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