Rabbi G. Suggests:
I am glad that this is coming out finally.
At the beginning we though the OTD problem was mostly the youth facing our society, but the true root is how parents and communities, as well as Yeshivos, live their Judaism .
WHERE are the classes on Emunah!?
WHERE are the Shiurim on Spirituality and Dveykus B'Hashem?
WHERE are the classes on Taamey HaMitzvos and Chasidus to inspire all the Baaley Batim so they can inspire their wives and children !?
WHERE are the classes on Tefilah in Yeshivah !?
How can we expect them to be more excited than watching a movie or TV show if we as Rabbonim don't provide at least the same excitement in our teachings of Torah and Mitzvos?
(GYE Note: This amazing 22 part series from Rabbi Moshe Weinberger on the sefarim of the Pitzetzner Rebbe is a great example of the kind of shiurim we need more of today. I have heard that his shiurim have changed many people's lives. Suggestion: If you can't listen to the entire 22 part series, at least listen to the last one. Rabbi Weinberger can't hold back his weeping as he reads the beautiful teffilah of the Rebbe. Wow.)
Besides, when will we create Kosher outlet for kids? Most kids cannot stay 8 hours a day in front of a Gemara, especially if it is not relevant to their lives. And what should couples do at night instead of watching an exciting TV show, God forbid! We need more exciting Torah classes for couples and other kosher events and outlets.
We are talking here not just of a solution. We need a revolution, a wave that will change the whole dynamic of our Judaism. The whole Kiruv world will soon need to use their whole strength for the Frum world.
Rabbi Y.W Responds:
Indeed, this initiative is not a chastity crusade, but an even more fundamental one; a crusade to help klal yisrael manifest its true purpose; to become people who are so shalem and godlike, compassionate, honest, just, disciplined, holy, and in love with Hashem - that we experience an intense sense of inner simcha and fulfilment. In the words of the Mesilas Yesharim (biur of kedusha): to be in love with Hashem and experience Gan Eden in this life, in olam hazeh.
If we don't get this sense of simcha, then we will find simcha in other, more apparent places.
We don't want frum Jews just to stop binge watching R rated sexualized movies. Rather, we want frum Jews to have such a sense of simcha, fulfillment, dveikus from a relationship to Hashem, and a simcha from the dynamic that a Torah and shomer shabbos lifestyle creates, that one will recognize that the fleeting, escapist pleasure of watching that movie, pales to the pleasures that the Torah and mitzvos offer us all the time.
And we need to keep busy with positive things, as the Chidushei Harim once said: "I don’t want chassidim who don’t sin. I want chassidim who have no time to sin!"