Getting rid of fake news in the public sphere.
Parshah and its realization – Parashat Shlach 5783
Rabbi Eliezer Haim Shenvald
Each person uses information to consolidate an approach and make decisions. Since the dawn of mankind, the dissemination of information has been used to influence the opinion of others. Over the years, various methods have been developed to increase spreading of information to extend the impact to as many people as possible.
In recent decades, there has been an accelerated development of mass communication, means of communication and social media. Mass media has changed the face of humanity. It has many positive things. It allows for wide distribution of information, as it becomes available to the public immediately. A common saying holds that 'Knowledge is Power' (Latin: Scientia Potentia Est). The thorough and well-founded information makes it possible to consolidate standing points and action plans in a well-founded way, to accomplish and succeed. The benefit in obtaining information can become an advantage in these areas. Making information available to the general public gives everyone an equal opportunity to make use of it.
The extensive use of mass media has made it a central tool for influencing and shaping public opinion. However, it has also become a platform to spread false information: (Fake news). Information that is not completely true, selective information, or half-truths, spread intentionally to serve a certain agenda. The volume of non-real stories in the media is increasing. News are designed to trick people's minds: for distraction, for propaganda, to shape public's opinion and to change viewpoints. In doing so, it takes advantage of the public's trust. Sometimes it is not about information that is not true, but about the utilization of connectivity between the information and the image or event, in a way that will shape our consciousness. Or in twisting parts of the information so that the attitude towards the event or the subject might change. As the use of false information increases, so does the public's lack of trust in the media and the information available. There is an awareness that the consumption of information should be done in a critical manner.
This Shabbat we will read about the Sin of The Spies. One of the most tragic episodes in our nation's history that dramatically affected us for generations. Ten out of the twelve spies that Moshe sent 'to scout the land' incite the people to oppose the entry into the land, under various pretexts. As a result, the people of Israel were condemned to linger in the desert for forty years until the death of the entire generation that came out of Egypt. A study of the Scriptures and the Commentators shows that the spies influenced the people using false information extensively. For example - the spies present to the people huge fruits they brought along from the land:
וַיָּשִׁ֨יבוּ אֹתָ֤ם דָּבָר֙ וְאֶת־כׇּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה וַיַּרְא֖וּם אֶת־פְּרִ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃ וַיְסַפְּרוּ־לוֹ֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ בָּ֕אנוּ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁלַחְתָּ֑נוּ וְ֠גַ֠ם זָבַ֨ת חָלָ֥ב וּדְבַ֛שׁ הִ֖וא וְזֶה־פִּרְיָֽהּ׃
"…and they made their report to them and to the whole community, as they showed them the fruit of the land. This is what they told him: “We came to the land you sent us to; it does indeed flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit". (Bamidbar 13:26-27)
Apparently, this is real information, but there is also manipulation to legitimize the lies. Rashi explains:
כָּל דְּבַר שֶׁקֶר שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים בּוֹ קְצָת אֱמֶת בִּתְחִלָּתוֹ, אֵין מִתְקַיֵּם בְּסוֹפוֹ
"They stated this because no fabricated statement in which one does not say at least some true words at first can in the end be maintained" (ibid 27).
דאל"כ כיון שכוונתן לא היה אלא לרעה למה אמרו בראש דבריהם היפך כוונתם, אלא על כרחך כל דבר שקר וגו'
"Some truth. For if not so and their intention was only for the bad, why did they start with something that was the opposite of their intention. Rather one must say that “a falsehood…” (Siftei Chachamim ibid)
The manipulative manner and context in which the fruits of the land are presented is intended to fool them and make them believe it is a difficult land whose gates and people are strong, 'giant' and invincible:
אֶ֚פֶס כִּֽי־עַ֣ז הָעָ֔ם הַיֹּשֵׁ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְהֶֽעָרִ֗ים בְּצֻר֤וֹת גְּדֹלֹת֙ מְאֹ֔ד וְגַם־יְלִדֵ֥י הָֽעֲנָ֖ק רָאִ֥ינוּ שָֽׁם׃
"However, the people who inhabit the country are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, we saw the Anakites there". (Ibid 28)
They present the military power of the inhabitants of the land as 'walking terror' to clarify why it is dangerous to the point of impossible to conquer it!
אפס שהיא מורה על דבר אפס ונמנע מן האדם שאי אפשר בשום ענין...
"But the wickedness of the spies consisted in saying the word ephes [“nevertheless” — ‘Nevertheless’ the people that dwell in the Land are fierce], which signifies something negative and beyond human capability, something impossible of achievement, under any circumstances" (Ramban ibid.)
In this way, they managed to trick the people by saying that, in relation to the existing forces, the task of conquering the land was impossible. Caleb, tried to stand on the other side and set the words straight:
וַיַּ֧הַס כָּלֵ֛ב אֶת־הָעָ֖ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר עָלֹ֤ה נַעֲלֶה֙ וְיָרַ֣שְׁנוּ אֹתָ֔הּ כִּֽי־יָכ֥וֹל נוּכַ֖ל לָֽהּ׃
"Caleb hushed the people before Moshe and said, “Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it." (Ibid 30)
But he failed. The power of the ten spies and their manipulativeness were stronger than him. The spreading of false information was 'successful' to such an extent that the people of Israel paid a national price for generations.
In every generation we must work to correct the Sin of The Spies, on all its sides. In connection with this, it is also important to act to prevent the spread of 'fake news' from the public sphere.