A troubling trend has become increasingly visible in our communities, particularly online: individuals who have chosen to leave a Torah-observant way of life are publicly expressing dissatisfaction, doubts, and rejection of Jewish belief and practice. Some posts are personal accounts of struggle. Others go much further—mocking the Torah, deriding religious Jews, glorifying transgression, and portraying the abandonment of mitzvot as a form of liberation.

We must respond to this trend with clarity, wisdom, and compassion. This is not a call to reject, humiliate, or write off any Jewish soul. Every Jew remains precious. Each person may carry pain, confusion, trauma, loneliness, intellectual questions, or a sincere search for meaning. Our obligation to care for people does not end when they disagree with us or make choices we believe are wrong.

At the same time, compassion does not mean confusion. Loving a fellow Jew does not require us to expose our children, students, or vulnerable members of the community to content that ridicules the values on which Jewish life is built, nor does it require us to give public platforms or validation to those who promote such messages. A healthy community must know how to extend a hand to the person while setting appropriate limits on harmful public influences.

In earlier generations, a person’s private struggles generally stayed private. Today, a moment of doubt, anger, rebellion, or personal change can be broadcast instantly to thousands of viewers. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube reward provocative content. The more shocking, emotional, cynical, or confrontational a video is, the more likely it is to be shared.

This creates an unhealthy incentive. A person who struggles may find that public criticism of Torah observance brings attention, affirmation, followers, and a sense of belonging. Instead of working through difficult questions with trusted teachers, family members, counselors, or mentors, the individual may be drawn into an online community that reinforces resentment and celebrates rejection.

We should not underestimate this environment’s influence. Young people, especially those who are uncertain or emotionally vulnerable, are deeply affected by what seems popular. When they see many others publicly declaring, “I left, and now I am free,” they may come to view their private questions as proof that they, too, must leave. They may mistakenly accept public figures’ claims that discipline is oppression, that commitment is weakness, and that faith is intellectually........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)