30,000 Pack Viznitz-Bnei Brak World Center to Hear Fiery Address from Rav Tzvi Meir Zilberberg on Internet Vigilance

YS GOLD 

A sacred and historic event unfolded at the Viznitzer Beis Medrash in Bnei Brak this past Motzei Shabbos as Hagaon Hatzadik Rav Tzvi Meir Zilberberg, shlit”a, delivered an urgent and fiery address on the need—now more than ever—to be vigilant against the plague of technology in our generation, and to take on resolutions to guard the sanctity and the holiness of Am Yisrael. 

30,000 Yidden packed the massive shul and its galleries, as well as the surrounding streets, to hear the devar Hashem, and to cry out “we want to remain holy and sanctified! Although our generation may be plagued with challenges and nisyonos, we will remain strong and unbending in the face of the nisyonos of our generation.”

“One could touch the kedushah in the atmosphere,” reported so many of the participants as they left  the event which concluded with a thunderous cry of Shema Yisrael… Hashem Hu HaElokim by tens of thousands of Yidden together as one. 

Buckets of tears were shed that evening as the crowd was moved by Rav Tzvi Meir’s emotion and his lament for the korbanos being felled every day by the plague of technology. They would walk away with a firm resolve to stand firm in the battle for the souls our generation. 

“Help us, Ribbono shel Olam!”

The annual event, which takes place in early winter every year, took weeks of planning and preparation to ensure that it would be a success b’ruchniyus and b’gashmiyus—that the massive crowd thirsty for guidance and chizuk would be able to participate, and that as many Yidden would be able to internalize this urgent message. 

Knowing that the crowd has been swelling year over year, many logistical preparations were made this year to accommodate a larger crowd. While efforts in the past were focused on publicizing the existence of the event, this year’s efforts focused on accommodating the enormous crowd in attendance which swelled to more than 30,000. 

The flow of humanity began immediately with the close of Shabbos. Yidden—young and old— began streaming in direction of Bnei Brak from 35 cities throughout the land of Eretz Yisrael, and within a short time, every inch of the Viznitzer Beis Medrash was occupied—including the massive bleachers which were built in the shul as well as on the multiple galleries. A massive area outside the shul was likewise filled to capacity within minutes—evidence that the thirst for chizuk and guidance is greater than any forecast and prognostication. 

A look around the massive Shul confirmed that the holiness of Klal Yisrael trumps stripe and community as every single kehillah and chassidus was represented within the massive crowd; Sephardim and Ashkenazim, Litvaks and chassidim, Yerushalmim and Bnei Brak Yidden—all gathered as one to participate in this exalted event. 

In one corner, one could see HaMekubal Rav Gamliel Rabinowitz of Yerushalayim and Rav Shmuel Eliezer Stern, one of the leading rabbanim and poskim in Bnei Brak. Nearby the children of the most prominent Admorim of Eretz Yisroel were seated (the Rebbes themselves were asked not to attend, for this would make the crowd dangerously large). 

To accommodate those who don’t speak Yiddish—and unwilling to use internet devices— special devices were distributed which would broadcast a live translation into Hebrew and English on location.

“Responsibility for Klal Yisrael!”

A pin drop could be heard as the entire Beis Medrash went deathly still when Rav Tzvi Meir ascended the podium to begin his fiery derashah. With his trademark fire and heart, choking back tears of emotion and concern for Yiddishe neshamos, he devoted his remarks to the matzav that Klal Yisrael finds itself in—comparing the bitter nisyonos to a spiritual Auschwitz. 

In a tear-choked voice, Rav Tzvi Meir read multiple letters from Yidden who have lost their nearest and dearest to the plague of technology. In one letter, a Yid relates that his son took this nisayon lightly, and today doesn’t keep kashrus, Shabbos, or any other aspect of Yiddishkeit, R”l. “Among the victims,” thundered Rav Tzvi Meir, “are neshamos whose ancestors fought Communism and Zionism tooth and nail… but their own grandchildren failed the nisayon of technology,” he cried. 

In a forceful voice, the rav demanded that every Yid take responsibility for Klal Yisrael—knowing that others are looking at him and learning from him, for better or for worse, R”l. Simultaneously, he lifted up two bulging bags of letters from Yidden who lament the korbanos that they have lost to this spiritual Churban, and plead with the mashpiah to arouse the community to this danger. 

“The Churban of AI”

Rav Tzvi Meir’s cries pierced the room as he lamented how, after thirty years of contending with the nisayon of the Internet, we have now been given a whole new nisayon of AI technology—a nisayon that trumps everything we have experienced to date. 

“Tatte!” he cried out lifting his eyes heavenward, imploring the Ribbono shel Olam for the kochos to overcome this nisayon. “At the same time,” he said, “we mustn’t despair—and immediately, before we have even taken in this technology, we must close the door in its face.” He added that it is laughable to think that sane people are handing their most precious possession—their minds—to a robot. 

10,000 Resolutions!

For more than 90 minutes, the crowd of tens of thousands sat riveted as the mashpiah intoned and cried and lamented the losses as he implored his fellow Yidden to remain strong in this bitter battle being waged against us by the Satan himself.

The event concluded with heartfelt Tehillim for kedushas Am Yisrael, that we should together retain our sanctity and purity in spite of the terrible challenges. This was followed by the recitation of special pesukim in which the vast crowd accepted upon itself mesirus nefesh for the future of the battle. 

For the ensuing three hours, a surreal picture unfolded as Yidden of all stripes filed by Rav Tzvi Meir to hand him their written kabbalos tovos, their positive resolutions in the area of technology—with 10,000 new members joining the Om Ani Chomah organization—as their fellow Yidden danced with great fervor, supplicating Hashem to help them remain holy and pure and to raise generations that will likewise follow in the ways set forth for us by the tzaddikim.