Connect with us

RSS

The Torah Warned Us About the Dangers of Social Media and the Quest for Validation

A Torah scroll. Photo: RabbiSacks.org.

In recent years, the lengths to which individuals will go on social media to achieve fame and validation, and the consequent material gains, have grown out of all proportion and reached alarming extremes. A shocking 2022 study by Jean Twenge and Jonathan Haidt found that there is a very strong association between heavy social media use and a decline in mental health in teenagers, comparing its impact to that of binge drinking and even drug use.

The study proves what we already know: there is a significant psychological impact on young people who pursue online validation. It has destroyed countless lives, and the impact on the younger generation is no different from the well-documented ill effects of hard drug addiction.

A particularly tragic example happened just this week. Aanvi Kamdar, a 27-year-old Mumbai-based chartered accountant, devoted all of her spare time to being a social media travel influencer, obsessively documenting her travel adventures on Instagram.

On Tuesday, Kamdar died after falling into a gorge while shooting an Instagram reel. She had gone for an outing with a group of friends to the famous Kumbhe waterfall in Maharashtra’s Raigad district in India. Tragically, while shooting a video intended to startle her viewers, Kamdar slipped and fell into the 300-foot ravine. Despite the efforts of local authorities and rescue teams, Kamdar succumbed to her injuries in the hospital after a six-hour rescue operation.

Another sad example of social media causing the demise of attention seekers is the story of Monalisa Perez and Pedro Ruiz III, a young couple from Minnesota. The couple were aspiring YouTubers who sought to amass followers by performing increasingly risky stunts — and with followers comes fame, and money.

In June 2017, in their riskiest bid for attention, they attempted a perilous stunt in which Monalisa shot Pedro with a gun while he held a thick book against his chest, in the belief that the book would stop the bullet. Tragically, the stunt failed, and Pedro died.

The incident, which was live-streamed, underlined the extreme risks people are willing to take for social media fame and for the material gains that follow. Perez, who was pregnant with their second child when she killed Pedro, was charged with second-degree manslaughter and served time in prison.

Then there is the case of Wu Yongning, a Chinese daredevil known for his extreme stunts performed at great heights. Wu gained a substantial following on social media by posting videos of himself performing dangerous stunts without any safety equipment.

In November 2017, Wu attempted to perform a stunt on top of a 62-story skyscraper in Changsha, China. Sadly, he lost his grip and fell to his death. What is so heartbreaking is that it was Wu’s desperation for social media fame, and the validation that came with it, that led him to take increasingly perilous risks, which ultimately resulted in his demise.

This modern-day obsession with validation and recognition finds a striking parallel in the ancient story of Bilam in Parshat Balak. Bilam was a renowned and gifted gentile prophet, feted by all for his prophetic powers.

But Bilam’s thirst for fame and fortune was an Achilles heel that would prove to be his downfall. He was enlisted by Balak, the Moabite king, to curse the Israelites, a job for which Balak promised he would be paid handsomely. At first, Bilam was reluctant and refused the task. But the allure of royal recognition and untold wealth proved to be just too irresistible. Bilam ultimately agreed to participate in Balak’s reprehensible plan, despite being warned by God not to go ahead with it.

Rashi, the preeminent medieval commentator, provides a profound insight into Bilam’s character and the weakness that led him on a course of action that ultimately resulted in his death by the sword on the battlefield. He explains that Bilam’s desire for honor and material benefits clouded his judgment. Despite knowing the futility and danger of his mission — after all, he was a man of God who knew very well that following this path was a doom-ridden choice — Bilam’s yearning for external validation and boundless wealth led him to pursue it nonetheless.

This is no different from the struggles many face today with social media: the relentless pursuit of external validation and the money that follows leads people to compromise their values and even to endanger their well-being.

Rashi notes that the angel who appeared to Bilam with a drawn sword was actually an angel of mercy. The threatening appearance was intended to stop Bilam and save his life, highlighting the destructive path Bilam was on because of his quest for honor and money. Rashi comments, “The angel was sent to prevent Bilam from sinning and to save him from his own destructive desires.”

The Talmud in Sanhedrin elaborates on Bilam’s character, describing him as someone with immense potential but whose moral weakness led him to misuse his gifts. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch provides further insight into Bilam’s actions: “Bilam’s journey was not merely a physical one but a reflection of his internal conflict, torn between divine will and human vanity. But true worth and honor always come from within, from living a life aligned with divine values and principles, not from the external accolades and approval of society.”

Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, in his commentary Haamek Davar, suggests that Bilam’s failure to curse the Israelites and his subsequent blessings were not just acts of divine intervention, but also a revelation of Bilam’s true potential when he aligned with God’s will: “Bilam’s blessings were a reflection of what he could achieve when he transcended his personal desires and aligned himself with the divine mission.”

This insight is an indictment to so many who allow their best side to be eclipsed by their darkest desires. Imagine how well they could do if they “transcended their personal desires and aligned themselves with their divine mission.”

Our modern struggles with social media have brought this human weakness into sharp focus. Just as Bilam’s quest for validation led him astray, so too does the obsession with social media recognition lead so many people away from their true selves, and the best version of themselves. The Torah way is to seek validation from within and from our connection with the divine, rather than from the fleeting and often superficial approval of others — even if that approval comes with a payday.

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, in his seminal work Lonely Man of Faith, speaks to this dichotomy between the pursuit of external achievements and the quest for internal fulfillment. He writes: “Man’s dignity lies in his ability to recognize the divine image within himself, not in the accolades he receives from others.”

However difficult it may be, we must work as hard as we can to highlight the dangers of social media. While it may have the potential to connect and inspire, social media also carries the risk of causing irreparable harm to those who use it if they become too reliant on it for validation.

The story of Bilam reminds us of the importance of seeking internal validation and staying true to our values. Just as Bilam ultimately blessed the Israelites, we too can find blessings in our lives when we focus on genuine connections and self-worth, rather than on the elusive approval of the digital world.

The author is a rabbi in Beverly Hills, California.

The post The Torah Warned Us About the Dangers of Social Media and the Quest for Validation first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Continue Reading

RSS

After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War

Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa

Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.

Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.

“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”

GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’

Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.

“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.

“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.

“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.

After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”

RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL

Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”

Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.

“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”

Continue Reading

RSS

Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests

A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco

Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.

People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.

“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”

Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.

On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.

Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.

On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.

“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.

Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.

Continue Reading

RSS

Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan

Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.

Continue Reading

Copyright © 2017 - 2023 Jewish Post & News