Fear of God is a tricky issue. You can't be part of the frum-world [religious world] because most people there is have a schizoid personality problems. That is what makes them religious in the first place. But you can't ignore the importance of the Law of Moses.
My parents found some kind of balance that I have tried to emulate and also suggest to others.
That is in a nut shell, Gemara [Talmud], Musar {Ethics}, Physics, Music, Math and survival skills.
Though in those days there was no term survival skills. It was "outdoor skills," and for that reason they sent me and my brother Keith to be Boy Scouts.
The Physics and Math part of the day should be the first thing in the morning. If you can boil a fresh cup of coffee before you start that can help. And if you have the coffee mixed with a raw egg that gets rid of cravings for unhealthy food all day.
Don't worry if you do not understand the hard aspects of Physics. Say the words in order quickly and go on as it says in the Talmud לעולם לגרס אינש אע''ג דמשכח ואע''ג דלא ידע מאי קאמר Always one should jut say the words and go on even though he forgets and even though he does not know what he is saying.
[That is for the first few times you read a text. After that I try to say the words forwards and backwards from the end of section to the beginning, and I based that on the Mediaeval book called ספר היראה and I saw hints to this in the Arizal, and also Reb Moshe Chaim Lutzato.]
Tosphot however is a different story. With Tosphot the best thing is to take one and stay on it repeating it over every day and taking off from there with Tosphot as your starting point. That is you look up all the Gemaras he brings and also the sister Tosphot in other tractates that is parallel to the Tosphot you are doing.
My parents found some kind of balance that I have tried to emulate and also suggest to others.
That is in a nut shell, Gemara [Talmud], Musar {Ethics}, Physics, Music, Math and survival skills.
Though in those days there was no term survival skills. It was "outdoor skills," and for that reason they sent me and my brother Keith to be Boy Scouts.
The Physics and Math part of the day should be the first thing in the morning. If you can boil a fresh cup of coffee before you start that can help. And if you have the coffee mixed with a raw egg that gets rid of cravings for unhealthy food all day.
Don't worry if you do not understand the hard aspects of Physics. Say the words in order quickly and go on as it says in the Talmud לעולם לגרס אינש אע''ג דמשכח ואע''ג דלא ידע מאי קאמר Always one should jut say the words and go on even though he forgets and even though he does not know what he is saying.
[That is for the first few times you read a text. After that I try to say the words forwards and backwards from the end of section to the beginning, and I based that on the Mediaeval book called ספר היראה and I saw hints to this in the Arizal, and also Reb Moshe Chaim Lutzato.]
Tosphot however is a different story. With Tosphot the best thing is to take one and stay on it repeating it over every day and taking off from there with Tosphot as your starting point. That is you look up all the Gemaras he brings and also the sister Tosphot in other tractates that is parallel to the Tosphot you are doing.
