Relative to time, in the infancy of our millennial generation, Orwellian foreshadowing seems to be as acute as ever. When ‘big brother’ surveillance began and how comprehensively it perforated the fabric of our society is somewhat shrouded in secrecy. One thing we are becoming keenly aware of is this; privacy has been reduced to an old relic that resides only on the pedestals of our imaginations. As a smart old man sitting on a proverbial corner on some provincial street might’ve once remarked, “there’s nowhere to run and there’s nowhere to hide.” At any moment, we may be recorded, videoed, or spied upon with a vast array of mediums.
Should we resigned to the current state-of-affairs that seem to curtail our freedom or is there an empowering message to be gleaned from this situation?
The Universe is always speaking to us as it says, “The Heavens tell the honor of Hashem (Psalms 19:2).” Assiduous hearkening to the Universe’s message with a little extrapolation will yield a valuable lesson.
“Know what is above you; an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your actions are transcribed in a book (Avos 2:1)." If human intelligence can spawn forth technologies with such sophisticated capacities, certainly the Almighty Creator has contrivances at His disposal and even more.
“On Rosh Hashanah all those that walk the face of the earth pass in front of him one by one as it says, ‘He fashioned the heart of them all and understands all their actions’ (Rosh HaShannah16a)." “This is done with Hashem’s one simple glance (Ibid 18a)." Coupled with technological implements there is an interweaving of psychological motivations that are a part of Hashem’s analysis. Unlike humans, not only does He see the data but He also understands it.
Hashem’s analysis runs so deep that any hypocritical or contradictory nuances will surface on our final accounting. The justifications of the brothers’ inconsistencies evaporated with Yosef’s rebuke, “I am Yosef. Is my father still alive (Genesis 45:2)?" The Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 93:10) understands that Hashem’s purview, as that of Yosef’s, must be saturated through every fabric of our actions. Therefore, it declares, “Woe is to us on the day of judgement. Woe is to us on the day of rebuke.”
Hashem is aware of every detail and nuance of our experience. This fact was established with the Plagues, as the Malbim(HaTorah Veha’Mitzva, Shemos 7:14) explains that the first nine plagues were divided into three sets. Each set was meant to prove a fact of reality. The first set proves that there exists a Deity. The second set proves that He watches and is aware of everything that occurs in the Universe. The third set proves that He has unbridled and unmatched capacity to effect anything.
In each set the first two plagues proved one of the aforementioned facts. The third plague was meant to punish Pharaoh and the Egyptians for not acquiescing to Moshe and Aaron’s request.
The first plague of the second set was Arov which is the mixture of wild animals that attacked the Egyptians. The miracle was two-fold. Firstly, these animals usually shy away from the populace. Secondly, when they attack, their violence is indiscriminate. Hashem sicced the animals on the Egyptians. However, they didn’t set foot into Goshen where the Jewish People lived. This proved that Hashem is specific in his protection of the Jewish People because He is aware of every situation (ibid 8:17-18).
The second plague in the second set was Dever, pestilence. A paranormal epidemic ensued where the Egyptian owned animals expired. This proved that Hashem was specific in his protection or lack thereof towards animals as well (ibid 9:4).
As privacy dissipates on the pyres of our civilization’s prying technological eyes, a message from Hashem is crystallizing in our psyches. Hashem is aware of all our deeds good and the opposite. Therefore, we will be responsible for them.
The fact that we are aware of this is empowering. It presumes that it's within our capacity to pay attention and make an accounting of myriad of our deeds. It’s within the scope of our capacity to research, calculate, and organize what we say, do, and conduct during the span of our lives.
In a way, de-privatization in our society exposes us to more tools to be utilized for categorization of our deeds.
