This site was built voluntarily more than 10 years ago after the tremendous impact of the Rav’s teachings on my life. I felt the need to help distribute the writings and audio classes to every Jew wherever they lived. This is what motivated me to establish the site – it was a fulfillment of my personal wish, and the establishment of the site bears no connection to the Rav, the author of the “Bilvavi” sefarim.
The site was established after I contacted the Rav and asked permission to make this site, for the purpose of benefiting many people. At first, the Rav did not want to hear about the idea of a site at all, because it is not his way to spread holy words [on the web] in “a zone where holiness and harmful influences are mixed together in such a disturbing manner”. However, after it was explained that the establishment of the site would greatly benefit a lot of people, the Rav shlit”a consented with these conditions:
- (1) The site would be l’sheim shomayim (for the sake of Heaven) without any personal agendas or personal gain, and
- (2) the site does not mention the Rav’s name at all, and
- (3) the site contains only
Divrei
- Torah with nothing else added to it (no advertisements, etc.).
If all the above conditions are met, since the words of the holy Torah are not owned by him, but the Creator’s, then, the Rav feels that he cannot oppose something that would further spread the words of Torah, which belongs to the Creator. This was on condition that it should be made clear on the site that the Rav shlit”a has no connection with this site, not in establishing it and not with running it, or in any other way whatsoever.
That being said, it should be emphasized that the Rav shlit”a encourages every Jew on any level, who wishes to benefit many people, in a manner that maintains holiness and keeps to the guidelines of halachah, to spread the words of Torah that belongs to the Creator. Therefore, this site could be established, on condition that only words of Torah should be contained it, and with no other exceptions. It is a site that may only serve to spread words of Torah, and it should not contain any personal bio of the Rav, and it should be made known to anyone entering the site that the intention of establishing this site is only to spread the words of Torah of the Creator and to enable the fulfillment of His will, so that others will become closer to the Creator.
Only with these conditions has there been permission granted from the Rav to establish this site, and only when these conditions are met can a person gain inspiration from the site. It was also explained in the name of the Rav shlit”a that since this site is part of the Internet, which is a mixture of kedushah(holiness) and tumah (perverted influences), there is no heter (permission) for one to have Internet because of this site, even if one feels it is absolutely necessary. It is just that since there are many people who have received a heter to have Internet due to their pressing circumstances, it is in the category of “There is a time to do for Hashem, to nullify Your Torah”, in order to reveal more belief in the Creator and His Torah, and this is completely b’dieved(not the ideal situation). If one would ask [if he can have Internet just for this site alone], we would certainly give a ruling to him that there is no heter in the world to have Internet.
[NOTE: More recently, in many different personal responses with the Rav in the Q&A system, the Rav clarified one more very important detail: The site is only meant to be used by those who are not yet observant of Torah, and it is not meant to be used by those who are already observant. [The fact that “everyone has Internet anyway” is not a heter for Internet use or Torah websites. The Rav still views any Internet use as very b’dieved, and that a Torah observant person should not go on to the internet not at, not even to view Torah websites.]
