The other day I started throwing out unlicensed software and torrents with full discographies of various bands burned on to DVDs because in a discussion with a Rabbi, as this is what he advised me to do, and as opposed to just not downloading anymore, and enjoying what I have (no longer).
This was the advice of Rabbi Yisroel Cotlar for Chabad.org
This was the advice of Rabbi Yisroel Cotlar for Chabad.org
- You can be careful about it in the future.
- You can spread awareness to others.
- You can erase files of music that you did obtain illegally
- You can make a point of supporting the artists in the future
For some time, I had promised myself that I would not engage in software and music piracy, even before I found Pandora.com. Honestly, when I first heard of Pandora, I thought I was going to be majorly disappointed; however, now I think they are great!
With Pandora I feel like Gd has given me a multitude of blessings. And no, they, Pandora, don’t have all my favorite music, but they do have a lot, and especially they do have enough! (I am a huge consumer of music)
This actually made today’s next step easier; today I threw out hundreds of pirated cds. Some of them I cherished, but many of them would have disappointed me if I bought them. However, before today, yesterday to be precise, I wanted to listen to music while on my way to play MTG (Magic the Gathering). This became a problem for me as I told myself I would give one last listen to a Flower Kings cd on my way to the store, and then when I got home, I would throw it out.
Well that last pirated cd; well guess what, I wouldn’t work in the player, so I had to switch it out with a purchased cd! Imagine that, a miracle of Hashem! Being the religious geek that I am, I was glad that the player wouldn’t play the pirated cd, as it was a way to break the melancholy of giving up something loved. So instead, I popped in my personally purchased Niacin cd (with Dennis Chambers and Billy Sheehan), and listened to it, before bringing the cd notebook holder inside order to fill with music that was personally purchased, or gifted.
Don’t get me wrong, while I have thrown out hundreds of discs, I have yet to fully purge all my music; that I am here today is thanks to Gd’s mercy, and may Gd reward me with much blissful music in the years to come for following His Law! I will probably get around to destroying all I have pirated someday, but now it is enough to get rid of many with the intent of completely erasing the history of my piracy altogether.
With Pandora I feel like Gd has given me a multitude of blessings. And no, they, Pandora, don’t have all my favorite music, but they do have a lot, and especially they do have enough! (I am a huge consumer of music)
This actually made today’s next step easier; today I threw out hundreds of pirated cds. Some of them I cherished, but many of them would have disappointed me if I bought them. However, before today, yesterday to be precise, I wanted to listen to music while on my way to play MTG (Magic the Gathering). This became a problem for me as I told myself I would give one last listen to a Flower Kings cd on my way to the store, and then when I got home, I would throw it out.
Well that last pirated cd; well guess what, I wouldn’t work in the player, so I had to switch it out with a purchased cd! Imagine that, a miracle of Hashem! Being the religious geek that I am, I was glad that the player wouldn’t play the pirated cd, as it was a way to break the melancholy of giving up something loved. So instead, I popped in my personally purchased Niacin cd (with Dennis Chambers and Billy Sheehan), and listened to it, before bringing the cd notebook holder inside order to fill with music that was personally purchased, or gifted.
Don’t get me wrong, while I have thrown out hundreds of discs, I have yet to fully purge all my music; that I am here today is thanks to Gd’s mercy, and may Gd reward me with much blissful music in the years to come for following His Law! I will probably get around to destroying all I have pirated someday, but now it is enough to get rid of many with the intent of completely erasing the history of my piracy altogether.
I can rest today knowing that I have done some good deeds. There is no need to be a zealot over this, but I feel Shalom in the home knowing that I have done a good thing, and by doing so, I will be serving my son and family by being a good example, and hopefully, I will be helping bands and the music industry get the money they deserve. Maybe I will get more rewards from Gd for my works in return.
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