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16.5.15

The Torah path

I love Torah.  When I got to yeshiva I felt like I was in Gan Eden.
I believe that the light of the Torah can change everything in one's life to good.


 I think the best way to approach Torah is to take the straightforward Lithuanian yeshiva approach 
[] Stay away from doctors. [They make people sick.]
[] Stay away from psychologists  and other charlatans and frauds. [They make people sick mentally.] 

[] Talk with God in nature. Thank him for the good in your life, and ask for the things you need. (If a forest is not available, then talk to God an hour per day in any situation. But not from a prayer book. It has to be your own words.)
[] Finish the Written Law in Hebrew.
[] Learn and finish the Oral Law. [i.e. the two Talmuds, Tosephta, Sifra, Sifi and the Midrash Raba.] 
[] Learn Musar. (That is, classical books of morality from the Middle Ages, plus the books of the disciples of Israel Salanter and the Gra.) If nothing else learn these two  books: (1) מדרגת האדם of the Altar of Narvardok about trust in God. (2) אור ישראל by Isaac Blasser a disciple of Israel Salanter about Musar. 
[] Serve in the IDF (Israel Defense Force). If you are not in Israel, then go there and serve in the IDF.
[]  There is an important piece of advice in the Guide ( Guide for the Perplexed of the Rambam )--to learn Physics [String Theory] and Metaphysics [i.e. a book by Aristotle].

This is in my opinion the Torah path. I think that if one does this that the yoke of having to make money will be lifted from ones shoulders. Like it says in Pirkei Avot "One who accepts on himself the yoke of Torah from heaven they remove the yoke of making money from him."

Appendix

1) I do think the Litvaks go a little drop too much in the religious direction. But my goal in this essay is to indicate what I think is the best approach. Not to deal with how far any particular groups falls from this straightforward approach. You can find fault in any of the groups that hold most strongly with anything I wrote above. I can't deal with that issue right now. Rather I am just saying what approach people should aim for.
2) To be able to learn string theory, you need a little bit of math. Mainly Algebra and Geometry.
And it takes time. In fact, I admit I have not spent as much time on this as I should have. But let us not make this about me. Mainly you need to get a book on Relativity and one on Field Theory. Also Allen Hachter's book Algebraic Topology. Say the words out-loud and fast and go on.
Also it is good to have an slow session in Math to take one particular subject and keep at it until you get it.