cyberbullying: A fount of Negativity
(1) ולא תונו איש את עמיתו YE SHALL NOT THEREFORE BE EXTORTIONATE TO ONE ANOTHER — Here Scripture warns against vexing by words (wounding a person’s feelings) — that one should not annoy his fellow-man, nor give him an advice which is unfitted for him, but is in accordance with the plan and the advantage of the adviser. But lest you should say, “Who knows whether I had any intention to do him evil?” Scripture therefore states: “but thou shalt fear thy God”! — He Who knows men’s thoughts, He knows it! In all cases where it is a matter of conscience (more lit., a matter handed over to the heart), when noone knows the truth except the one who has the thought in his heart, Scripture always states: “but be afraid of thy God”! (Sifra, Behar, Chapter 4 1-2; Bava Metzia 58b; cf. also Rashi on Leviticus 19:14.)
(Amos) saw two things - one is the plumb line - this refers to the wall which was created with intent and direction, and this is a metaphor to the creation that G-d made - which is the wall that creates the boundaries of the world, which was built with the laws of justice, the plum line of justice. This is because of justice and perfect measuredness are part of the fabric of creation... and the second thing is that G-d so to speak is still holding on to the plumbline - even though the building has been built, He still holds onto the line and is constantly remeasuring it anew, meaning... that G-d also looks after the world at every moment to punish those with specific care according to the (perfect) private judgment of time and context.
- “compare and despair” – comparing our lives to those of others
(כא) רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַקַּפָּר אוֹמֵר, הַקִּנְאָה וְהַתַּאֲוָה וְהַכָּבוֹד, מוֹצִיאִין אֶת הָאָדָם מִן הָעוֹלָם:
(21) Rabbi Elazar HaKapor says: Envy, lust and honor drive a man from the world.
(א) אמר הקנאה והתאוה ואהבת הכבוד מוציאין את האדם מן העולם והוא כי באלה המדות או באחת מהן יפסיד אמונת התורה בהכרח ולא יגיעו לו לא מעלות שכליות ולא מעלות המדות:
(1) He said that envy, lust and pursuit of honor drive a man form the world. And that is because these traits - or [even] one of them - perforce destroy the faith of the Torah. And [so] neither the intellectual virtues or the disopositional virtues will reach him.
In an offline world, social communities tend to follow and practise the norms of privacy. You don’t have to share your birthday, address or marital status with the people in your neighbourhood. They don’t need to know your likes and your dislikes and what your breakfast looked like. But when you’re online, if you want to join a social networking site, you have to disclose your personal information in order to be accepted. Once you become an active member of the site, they delve into who you are and what you like. They find out about your habits, your browsing history, where you like to go, what you like to eat and who you interact with the most. You get unsolicited messages from strangers and pokes from long lost acquaintances. In what real life world is poking someone okay? It’s not. But it’s just online. You don’t really feel it (https://gulfnews.com/opinion/op-eds/the-dangers-of-social-media-that-no-one-likes-to-admit-1.2087285)
מתני׳ לא יפתח אדם לחצר השותפין פתח כנגד פתח וחלון כנגד חלון...
MISHNA: A person may not open an entrance opposite another entrance or a window opposite another window toward a courtyard belonging to partners, so as to ensure that the residents will enjoy a measure of privacy...
Tosafos learns that Bilaam saw that the Jewish people had the presence of G-d resting on them (not on him).
Chasing likes on post to drive self-worth / self-esteem
Addiction
(א) [קסה] הנפשות מישראל כל אחד מדרגה בפני עצמו כי אין הש"י עושה ב' דברים שוים ממש דא"כ מה צורך לב' [ועוד ברוחניים במה יתחלק א' מב' אם לא בחילוק מדרגה] וכל הנפשות קומה א' שלימה
Each soul has a level of his own, because G-d does not make two things which are replicas of one another - why would he need 2 if he has one?
Each soul has a specific complete level, according to the levels of the souls of Israel.
The desire to conform
Every Person Must Realize "I with all my abilities, potentials and talents both physical and spiritual, am unique in the universe. Amongst al those alive today there is no other me. In past generations too there was no other me, and until the end of time there will be no other me. And if so, the Master of the Universe certainly has sent me here on a special mission that could be fulfilled by no one else but me - with all my uniqueness." Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe.
וכ"א יש לו שורש בפ"ע כמשאז"ל (ברכות נח.) שאין בנ"א דומין זה לזה בפרצופיהן והפרצוף הוא מעיד על פנימיות הלב כנודע וכמ"ש בזוהר (יתרו) מחכמת הפרצוף וכמ"ש חכמת אדם תאיר פניו והיינו שפנימיות הלב וכן עומק חכמת כל אחד משתנה זה מזה ולכן אמרו (שמו"ר פ' נב) ע"פ הולד האדם לבית עולמו שכל א' יש לו עולם בפ"ע והוא הנקרא אצלם במק"א (שבת קנב. ) כ"א יש לו מדור לפי כבודו וכמ"ש בתיקונים (ריש תי' סט) דעולם בפ"ע ר"ל עולם קטן שלו. ור"ל שכל א' כולל כל כחות העולם כמ"ש בצלמנו כדמותינו וכשמגיע לשלימותו זה נקרא בל' רז"ל קונה עולמו כמ"ש בע"ז (יז.) יש קונה עולמו כו' והיינו שעולם שלו הוא אצלו בקנין. כי יש שמשיג ואינו כך כמו שמשיג ואז השגתו רק בראי' לבד. ... אז"ל (שבת פח:) שיצתה נשמתם והוריד הקב"ה טל של תחי' וכאמרם ז"ל (פרדר"א פ' לד) ע"פ לא יראני האדם וחי שבשעת מיתתו רואה. והיינו דכשמגיע לתכלית הקנין זוכה לראי' שנית כי חוזר להתחלה ומיד מסתלק לעולם מחודש והוא עוה"ב: