By: Aaron Joseph. Following recent international events, it seems unusual that the pride and joy of the American military and intelligence community can somehow just ‘malfunction’ and fall right out of the sky- unscathed mind you- right into the waiting outstretched arms of the American archenemy. It just seems strange that’s all. Is it Possible? Surely! But is sure seems strange nonetheless.

The drone and its technology, much of it developed by Eretz Yisroel ever since the Yom Kippur War in 1973, allows for tremendous surveillance capability. In fact, because of the high price the Syrian anti-aircraft batteries cost the Israeli Air-Force during the Yom Kippur War, Eretz Yisroel researched and invested heavily into the Drone technology. By 1981, Eretz Yisroel was able to send up multiple flights of UAV’s (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) prior to the start of the Lebanon War in 1982, thereby neutralizing all offensive anti-aircraft missile batteries. The tremendous result was that not one single Israeli pilot was shot down during that Lebanon conflict.

Today’s second and third generation UAV’s and its like, still integrating much Israeli technology, are already far past the surveillance stage of just flying high and watching what is doing below on earth. Stealth technology has been incorporated, and many of the UAV’s carry missiles. There are already formats of UAV helicopters flying overhead.

Yet the concept of a watching eye in the sky is far older and far more complex then all this relatively new technology.

It makes one wonder, what might the Chofetz Chaim say today regarding the technology we see- and don’t see. After all- when the telephone was invented the Chofetz Chaim stated along the lines that: “our generation has reached a point where the realization that each of our words are heard on high requires the invention and example of a telephone- where one can speak and be heard around the world- surely in Shomayim his words are heard as well.”

I recently needed to be in an Odom Gadol’s home. I was asked to just stand bye there for a couple of hours and was told that I would be free to do what I required- but my presence was needed in his home. So I went. I brought along a laptop with the intention of writing for someone who I was late in delivering a paper. His Rebitzen said it was fine. At one point I instinctively hit the internet button to check something- not remembering that I was out of range- and lo and behold the internet connection window popped up asking which of the four available wireless networks I would like to tap into.

It is beyond silly to assume that this Gadol had any internet resources in his home at all- to say the least. (And I ask the scoop to please moderate out any silly comments in this regard.) Obviously the local neighborhood networks were strong enough to be received in this Godol’s living room.

I heard a Shmooz once from Horav Moshe Wolfson, Moshgiach of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath. He made mention that even a Kodesh V’Tohor may have a sudden Machshova Zore’us pop into his mind for a split brief second. “Where,” he asked, “does a Tzadik who has labored his whole life come to a less than positive thought?”

The answer he said is “due to no fault of his own. It is the radio and television waves in the environment. Naturally shut them out immediately- as otherwise you will be held accountable.”

As I sat on this Gadol’s couch, I recalled Rav Wolfson’s words and the Chofetz Chaim’s example, and realized that the world has gone 25 years further in technology since I heard Rav Wolfson’s words. Now the public is already able to simply patch into the ‘net’ even in a recognized place of purity such as the living room I was seated in- lined with Seforim nonetheless. How scary. This is of course not at all addressing the handheld devices…. I wondered- can the neighbors who unassumingly have wireless networks beaming even into this Holy living room possibly realize that they may be held accountable for perhaps lessening its potential for Kedusha?

But the radio waves are invisible- not something we can truly appreciate without thought. But that drone flying high watching- or that video camera at the street corner or nearly everywhere one goes today is a constant reminder of an all seeing eye. Malfunctioned, or shot down, their will yet be another replacing and again monitoring- if not today, then surely tomorrow.

Yet that עין רואה, ואזן שומעת, וכל מעשיך בספר נכתבים first ‘promoted’ by רבינו הקדוש 2000 years ago is alive and well, as we can vividly see- and not see- so easily in today’s world, and this my friend, of what רבינו הקדוש is teaching- is not of the ‘technology’ that can ever be shut off or shot down.

So is it strange or unusual that something, or in our case- perhaps someone- of pride and joy can fall into outstretched hands of an archenemy? Knowing that one is forever under perpetual surveillance by an ‘eye in the sky’ or just the ‘radio wave’ he cannot see, should make it more difficult! The answer I leave to you. Hopefully, an answer will be discovered before a replay is shown after 120. Is that replay possible? Surely! And not strange at all! Just A Thought.