Assignment+7c+Sneiderman


 * While I can understand the motivation, I don't think I would use the World of Warcraft to teach Tefilat ha Derech. On one side it makes sense, Tefilat Ha Derech refers to ambush by bandits and wild animals. Driving down the 95 in our Honda Civic, we don't feel the threat of travel like we used to. By placing our students in a more hostile environment perhaps they would be better able to relate to the text of the prayer. World of Warcraft has bandits and wild animals. During my playtime I had to be revived many times.

But, if we teach Tefilat HaDerech in relation to a game like World of Warcraft, what happens when we leave this environment? The disconnect will still be there. It might be even greater. The student may understand Tefillat HaDerech while playing World of Warcraft or Call of Duty, but, will they see the need for it while they are strapped into the back seat of their parent's mini van?

The truth is that there is a requirement to say Tefilat HaDerech whenever a person journeys outside of settled areas. The dangers that we face today may not be bandits and wild animals. Unless one is visiting Mexico our trying to escape one of the recent revolutions, threat during travel takes on a different form. Instead of beasts we have texting teens, instead of bandits we have truckers jacked up on caffeine. In 2005 there were close to six and a half million automobile accidents. Traveling is still a dangerous undertaking and deserves our prayers.

I think that a student's real issue with Tefillat HaDerech is not the relative safety of traveling but rather, G-d's ability to protect one. Perhaps the World of Warfare creates a mythical environment where the student would be open to believing in the efficacy of prayer. If that is the case, however, we would be avoiding the problem. There is some heavy theological lifting that needs to be done in prayer education. Transporting the venue into a world populated by magic and avatars simply avoids the essential endeavor. ||