IYH Talks About Movies🖥️

Watching Movies, part 1

You cannot understand modern culture without watching the media everyone else is watching. So I do not understand modern culture. People are always trying to convert me to movie watching. Even my most extreme left- and right-wing friends agree : watching things move on a screen is an enjoyable activity. Especially with popcorn.

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Nothing, except G-d, could unify my friends as strongly as the conviction that my life would be inestimably improved by exposure to movies. Most often, Harry Potter is suggested for my first movie, something called "Friends" as my first show, and youtube clips of babies or kittens. Reading the Bible is honestly more fun, and it is much more relevant to everyday life.

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Sometimes I wish I enjoyed movies, if only to get cultural references. I have gone so far as to Google a movie someone mentions, read the Wikipedia page about it, and then refer to it. This is because we accidentally named one of our kids, let's say, Yoda. I had no idea ‘Yoda’ existed, but everyone has asked about Star Wars since then, forcing me to research the topic. The root y-d-a in Hebrew means "to know”. (2) Most movies can be summarized in a few sentences, so it is not too much trouble for me to look them up.

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Even a few seconds of video watching is a sinful waste of time. People in the videos are always busy with money, power, and themselves. Often, they are sinning openly. There is no discussion of enacting safeguards to prevent their sins from happening again. Worse, besides sinning, they waste a lot of time, and watching them waste time steals precious moments from my life. Nobody ever repents either. Correct me if I'm wrong. (3)

💰(Money)

💪(Power)

🤳(Themselves)

Some argue that YouTube clips aren't that long. But they add up. Truthfully, Thank G-d, I see actual flesh and blood children all the time, without a screen, and they never run out of batteries. They even provide real life entertainment.

Just this morning, we enjoyed a performance of the philosophical classic, "Why Must I Get Dressed Again, I Got Dressed Yesterday", and the situational comedy known as "Children Who Rise Before The Sun", a special beginning as early as 2 in the morning. Our neighbors have delighted in the dramatic performance of "You Gave Him More", a documentary on fairness, at least 600 times. See images below for the posted advertisements. (If you cannot see images, look at this post on your browser.)

The one video I have ever watched, from beginning to end, was shown to my class in elementary school. We didn't have a substitute, and the principal was desperate. It was called "The Red Balloon", and it has no words in it. At least there are no sins either. It is a red balloon bobbing around France. I never followed the storyline. But the red balloon just kept on going. Until it flew away.

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Maybe I would watch a sequel: Red Balloon in The Sky. Speaking of skies, I am in an airplane. Everyone here is lucky to be here with me, because while they were watching movies, I prayed to G-d that we should all be safe. (4) This is what I said:

May it be Your will, G‑d, our G‑d and the G‑d of our fathers, that You should lead us in peace and direct our steps in peace, and guide us in peace, and support us in peace, and cause us to reach our destination in life, joy, and peace. (If one intends to return immediately, one adds: "and return us in peace").

Save us from every enemy and ambush, from robbers and wild beasts on the way, and from all kinds of punishments that rage and come to the world. May You confer blessing upon the work of our hands and grant me grace, kindness, and mercy in Your eyes and in the eyes of all who see us, and bestow upon us abundant kindness and hearken to the voice of our prayer, for You hear the prayers of all. Blessed are You G‑d, who hearkens to prayer.

Praying is a good thing to do while traveling. I looked over a couple people's shoulders, and no one was watching anything remotely interesting. Movies are so boring and superficial and sinful.

I would like to watch a movie of the End of Days. What's really going to happen? It would be kind of scary to be alive during the war of Gog and Magog, but resurrection of the dead sounds really cool, and meeting my ancestors would be even better than an Ancestry DNA test. I would stop writing this substack, because the words of Isaiah describing the future will come true. (5)

(Translation with commentary)

"No one will harm another person, either for their own gain, or just because are feeling destructive, on My entire holy mountain.

Why?

For the world called Earth will be filled with knowledge of G-d, like water covers the sea."

It makes me happy to envision a world of peace and harmony. One world, under One G-d, with peace and justice and kindness for all. Maybe one day, someone will make a movie. IYH would happily watch it. (6)

(See image above)

Notes:

(1) When other people sit down to watch, it is prime writing time. Like now.

(2) Details have been changed.

(3) There's also idolatry.

(4) https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/379130/jewish/Tefilat-Haderech-Text-of-the-Travelers-Prayer.htm

(5) Isaiah 11:9 : לא ירעו ולא ישחיתו בכל הר קדשי כי מלאה הארץ דעה את ה' כמים לים מכסים

Translation from Malbim, Metzuda, Rashi, and other commentary. Not a word for word translation.

(6) Rebbetzin Devorah Fastag comments: The Tiferes Shlomo wrote that there are righteous people who see the future perfect world even now. I surmise he was one of them. He also wrote that the only way to be happy is to imagine how it will be after the world is perfected.