"Outside books".[ ספרים חיצוניים] The way the Rif and Rosh understand this is that outside books are books that explain the Torah not according to קבלת חז''ל. There are lots of books in the Ultra-Religious world that would come under the category of ספרים חיצוניים outside books according to that definition.
I did not go into detail because I am not sure where to draw the line. [Almost all religious books nowadays explain the Torah not according to the tradition of Chazal {the sages of the Talmud}] They always add mizvot that are not from Torah nor the Talmud. Always. And they subtract things the Chazal (sages) say are important. And they pervert the meaning of Torah to always mean that their cult is the right one. [And the things they add are always related to OCD things like mikveh or food preparation or graves of tzadikim or sexual hangups or to advance their cult. They say keep Torah but add this such and such. This is opposed to the Torah which says "Thou shalt not add nor subtract to the things that God has commanded you in the book of the Law."
(No offence intended towards Reb Nachman who was a great tzadik. Rather the critique here is directed to those groups that make a cult out him.)
The back topic starts with a mishna in Sanhedrin: "These are those who have no portion in the next world... R. Akiva added, 'One who reads outside books'." The Rambam does not poskin [decide]like R. Akiva. He brings in Laws of Repentance all the things that one loses his portion in the next world for and does not include the statement of R Akiva. But to the Rambam there are books that are forbidden ספרי עבודה זרה books on idol worship. This is brought in Laws of Idolatry.
Does the Rambam have the version printed in our Gemaras outside books are "Books of Minim?"
"Minim" Rashi there says means "books of idol worship." Is this perhaps what the Rambam is thinking? Minim we know has a specific definition and it does not mean idolatry?
[We know the Rambam is not just borrowing from Aristotle but also says that the command to learn the Oral Law includes the two subjects of Physics and Metaphysics as understood by the ancient Greeks. So he is certainly not thinking of Aristotle of Plato as being forbidden.
One person was involved in a cult (the Adi Da group) and left it. He died in a plane crash a few months later. But he left a few writings and interviews which explain the problem. He called it "consciousness trap." Books that seems to have everything right and even great advice--but there is some consciousness trap hidden inside them.
[כל הפורש מעבודה זרה מיד מת who ever separates himself from idol worship immediately dies. That is there is no escape. As for that fellow who fell into that cult I can only say that some people have come into the world to reveal some great secret and once they reveal it they are gone. It is almost as if they gave their life in order to bring some great knowledge into the world.
Like President Kennedy brought the awareness of jogging into the world. So that fellow who fell into that cult- perhaps he existed just to tell us all some of the dangers of cults and how to be afraid of things we ought to be afraid of.
In any case, if there are people out there that want to know what I think are kosher Torah books: the Written and Oral Law [the two Talmuds and midrashei Chazal]. There is little in mysticism that I think is kosher. The only kosher things would be the Arizal himself and Yaakov Abuchatzeira, nothing else. Everything else I would burn [just like the Gra did in Villna] as being books using the Chazal to create cults of idolatry.\
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ספרים חיצוניים. The way the רי''ף and רא''ש understand this is that ספרים חיצוניים are books that explain the Torah not according to קבלת חז''ל. There are lots of books in the חרדי world that would come under the category of ספרים חיצוניים outside books according to that definition.
Almost all religious books nowadays explain the Torah not according to the tradition of חז''ל the sages of the Talmud. They always add מצוות that are not from Torah nor the Talmud. Always. And they subtract things the חז''ל say are important. And they pervert the meaning of Torah to always mean that their cult is the right one.
The back topic starts with a משנה in סנהדרין: אלו בם שאין להם חלק בעולם הבאה האפיקורסים וכו' רבי עקיבא אמר גם הקורא בספרים חיצונים The רבב''ם does אינו פוסק כרבי עקיבא. He brings in הלכות תשובה all the things that one loses his portion in the next world for and does not include the statement of רבי עקיבא. But to the רמב''ם there are books that are forbidden ספרי עבודה זרה books on idol worship. This is brought in הלכות עבודה זרה.
Does the רמב''ם have the version printed in our גמרא outside books are ספרי מינים?
רש''י מפרש מינים להיות עובדי כוכבים Is this perhaps what the רמב''ם is thinking? מינים we know has a specific definition and it does not mean idolatry.
We know the רמב''ם is not just borrowing from אריסטו but also says that the command to learn the Oral Law includes the two subjects of פיסיקה and Metaphysics as understood by the ancient Greeks. So he is certainly not thinking of Aristotle of Plato as being forbidden.
One person was involved in a cult and left it. He died in a plane crash a few months later. But he left a few writings and interviews which explain the problem. He called it "consciousness trap." Books that seems to have everything right and even great advice--but there is some consciousness trap hidden inside them.
[כל הפורש מעבודה זרה מיד מת who ever separates himself from idol worship immediately dies. That is there is no escape. As for that fellow who fell into that cult I can only say that some people have come into the world to reveal some great secret and once they reveal it they are gone. It is almost as if they gave their life in order to bring some great knowledge into the world.
) סנהדרין. פרק חלק. ספרים חיצוניים. האופן שבו רי''ף ורא''ש הבינו את זאת הוא כי ספרים חיצוניים הם ספרים המסבירים את התורה ולא על פי קבלת חז''ל. יש המון ספרים בעולם החרדיים שיגיעו תחת הקטגוריה של הספרים חיצוניים. כל הספרים הדתיים כמעט כולם בימינו באים לפרש את התורה ולא על פי המסורת של חז''ל. הם תמיד רוצים להוסיף מצוות שאינן מן התורה ולא בתלמוד. תמיד. והם רוצים להחסיר דברים שחז''ל אומרים שהם חשובים. והם סוטים המשמעות של התורה תמיד לומר כי הפולחן שלהם הוא נכון. את הנושא מתחיל עם המשנה בסנהדרין: אלו בם שאין להם חלק בעולם הבא האפיקורסים וכו' רבי עקיבא אמר גם הקורא בספרי חיצונים. רבב''ם אינו פוסק כרבי עקיבא. הוא מביא בהלכות תשובה כל הדברים שאחד מאבד את חלקו בעולם הבא ואינו כולל את הדעה על רבי עקיבא. אבל להרמב''ם ישנם ספרים אסורים, ספרים על עבודת אלילים. זה מובא הלכות עבודה זרה. האם לרמב''ם את הגרסה של הגמרא שלנו "ספרי מינים"? רש''י מפרש מינים להיות עובדי כוכבים. האם זה אולי מה שהיה רמב''ם גרס. אבל מינים אנחנו יודעים את ההגדרה הספציפית וזה לא עבודה זרה. אנחנו יודעים את רמב''ם הוא פשוט לא רק לווה מאריסטו אלא גם אומר כי הפקודה כדי ללמוד את התורה שבעל פה כוללת את שני נושאים של פיסיקה ומטאפיסיקה כפי שהם היו מובנים על ידי היוונים העתיקים. אז הוא בהחלט לא חושב על אריסטו ואפלטון כמי אסור.
ספרים חיצונים יש להם "מלכודת תודעה." ספרים שנראה שיש להם את הכל נכון ואפילו עצות נהדרות - אבל יש מלכודת תודעה, חלק חבוי בהם.
I did not go into detail because I am not sure where to draw the line. [Almost all religious books nowadays explain the Torah not according to the tradition of Chazal {the sages of the Talmud}] They always add mizvot that are not from Torah nor the Talmud. Always. And they subtract things the Chazal (sages) say are important. And they pervert the meaning of Torah to always mean that their cult is the right one. [And the things they add are always related to OCD things like mikveh or food preparation or graves of tzadikim or sexual hangups or to advance their cult. They say keep Torah but add this such and such. This is opposed to the Torah which says "Thou shalt not add nor subtract to the things that God has commanded you in the book of the Law."
(No offence intended towards Reb Nachman who was a great tzadik. Rather the critique here is directed to those groups that make a cult out him.)
The back topic starts with a mishna in Sanhedrin: "These are those who have no portion in the next world... R. Akiva added, 'One who reads outside books'." The Rambam does not poskin [decide]like R. Akiva. He brings in Laws of Repentance all the things that one loses his portion in the next world for and does not include the statement of R Akiva. But to the Rambam there are books that are forbidden ספרי עבודה זרה books on idol worship. This is brought in Laws of Idolatry.
Does the Rambam have the version printed in our Gemaras outside books are "Books of Minim?"
"Minim" Rashi there says means "books of idol worship." Is this perhaps what the Rambam is thinking? Minim we know has a specific definition and it does not mean idolatry?
[We know the Rambam is not just borrowing from Aristotle but also says that the command to learn the Oral Law includes the two subjects of Physics and Metaphysics as understood by the ancient Greeks. So he is certainly not thinking of Aristotle of Plato as being forbidden.
One person was involved in a cult (the Adi Da group) and left it. He died in a plane crash a few months later. But he left a few writings and interviews which explain the problem. He called it "consciousness trap." Books that seems to have everything right and even great advice--but there is some consciousness trap hidden inside them.
[כל הפורש מעבודה זרה מיד מת who ever separates himself from idol worship immediately dies. That is there is no escape. As for that fellow who fell into that cult I can only say that some people have come into the world to reveal some great secret and once they reveal it they are gone. It is almost as if they gave their life in order to bring some great knowledge into the world.
Like President Kennedy brought the awareness of jogging into the world. So that fellow who fell into that cult- perhaps he existed just to tell us all some of the dangers of cults and how to be afraid of things we ought to be afraid of.
In any case, if there are people out there that want to know what I think are kosher Torah books: the Written and Oral Law [the two Talmuds and midrashei Chazal]. There is little in mysticism that I think is kosher. The only kosher things would be the Arizal himself and Yaakov Abuchatzeira, nothing else. Everything else I would burn [just like the Gra did in Villna] as being books using the Chazal to create cults of idolatry.\
___________________________________________________________________________
ספרים חיצוניים. The way the רי''ף and רא''ש understand this is that ספרים חיצוניים are books that explain the Torah not according to קבלת חז''ל. There are lots of books in the חרדי world that would come under the category of ספרים חיצוניים outside books according to that definition.
Almost all religious books nowadays explain the Torah not according to the tradition of חז''ל the sages of the Talmud. They always add מצוות that are not from Torah nor the Talmud. Always. And they subtract things the חז''ל say are important. And they pervert the meaning of Torah to always mean that their cult is the right one.
The back topic starts with a משנה in סנהדרין: אלו בם שאין להם חלק בעולם הבאה האפיקורסים וכו' רבי עקיבא אמר גם הקורא בספרים חיצונים The רבב''ם does אינו פוסק כרבי עקיבא. He brings in הלכות תשובה all the things that one loses his portion in the next world for and does not include the statement of רבי עקיבא. But to the רמב''ם there are books that are forbidden ספרי עבודה זרה books on idol worship. This is brought in הלכות עבודה זרה.
Does the רמב''ם have the version printed in our גמרא outside books are ספרי מינים?
רש''י מפרש מינים להיות עובדי כוכבים Is this perhaps what the רמב''ם is thinking? מינים we know has a specific definition and it does not mean idolatry.
We know the רמב''ם is not just borrowing from אריסטו but also says that the command to learn the Oral Law includes the two subjects of פיסיקה and Metaphysics as understood by the ancient Greeks. So he is certainly not thinking of Aristotle of Plato as being forbidden.
One person was involved in a cult and left it. He died in a plane crash a few months later. But he left a few writings and interviews which explain the problem. He called it "consciousness trap." Books that seems to have everything right and even great advice--but there is some consciousness trap hidden inside them.
[כל הפורש מעבודה זרה מיד מת who ever separates himself from idol worship immediately dies. That is there is no escape. As for that fellow who fell into that cult I can only say that some people have come into the world to reveal some great secret and once they reveal it they are gone. It is almost as if they gave their life in order to bring some great knowledge into the world.
) סנהדרין. פרק חלק. ספרים חיצוניים. האופן שבו רי''ף ורא''ש הבינו את זאת הוא כי ספרים חיצוניים הם ספרים המסבירים את התורה ולא על פי קבלת חז''ל. יש המון ספרים בעולם החרדיים שיגיעו תחת הקטגוריה של הספרים חיצוניים. כל הספרים הדתיים כמעט כולם בימינו באים לפרש את התורה ולא על פי המסורת של חז''ל. הם תמיד רוצים להוסיף מצוות שאינן מן התורה ולא בתלמוד. תמיד. והם רוצים להחסיר דברים שחז''ל אומרים שהם חשובים. והם סוטים המשמעות של התורה תמיד לומר כי הפולחן שלהם הוא נכון. את הנושא מתחיל עם המשנה בסנהדרין: אלו בם שאין להם חלק בעולם הבא האפיקורסים וכו' רבי עקיבא אמר גם הקורא בספרי חיצונים. רבב''ם אינו פוסק כרבי עקיבא. הוא מביא בהלכות תשובה כל הדברים שאחד מאבד את חלקו בעולם הבא ואינו כולל את הדעה על רבי עקיבא. אבל להרמב''ם ישנם ספרים אסורים, ספרים על עבודת אלילים. זה מובא הלכות עבודה זרה. האם לרמב''ם את הגרסה של הגמרא שלנו "ספרי מינים"? רש''י מפרש מינים להיות עובדי כוכבים. האם זה אולי מה שהיה רמב''ם גרס. אבל מינים אנחנו יודעים את ההגדרה הספציפית וזה לא עבודה זרה. אנחנו יודעים את רמב''ם הוא פשוט לא רק לווה מאריסטו אלא גם אומר כי הפקודה כדי ללמוד את התורה שבעל פה כוללת את שני נושאים של פיסיקה ומטאפיסיקה כפי שהם היו מובנים על ידי היוונים העתיקים. אז הוא בהחלט לא חושב על אריסטו ואפלטון כמי אסור.
ספרים חיצונים יש להם "מלכודת תודעה." ספרים שנראה שיש להם את הכל נכון ואפילו עצות נהדרות - אבל יש מלכודת תודעה, חלק חבוי בהם.
