The Nefesh
HaChaim is about service of God in a comprehensive way. It is about learning Torah
and prayer. To avoid modern day idolatry and Monotheism. I do not know if there
is translation. But even if there was it would probably be Politically Correct. [This is the Musar book by a disciple of the Gra]
Monotheism is mainly the idea that God is one, not a composite, and He is not the world, and the world is not him.
I might mention that I think part of the reason the Rambam went with Aristotle was that people had been wrestling with neo platonic thought and monotheism for a thousand years. Neo Platonic thought was the default position but it was hard to get it to go along with simple Torah Monotheism. So the Rambam just jettisoned a lot of Neo Platonic thought and went straight with Aristotle.
So God would be defined as the First Cause. It makes everything amazingly simple. Nothing is godliness except God.
This is important because knowledge of this fact can save one from idolatry. And that in itself is great thing because כל הכופר בעבודה זרה כאילו מודה בכל התורה כולה anyone that denies idolatry is as if he agrees with the whole Torah. That is the Whole Torah can be more or less condensed into that one command do not do idolatry. And when one has fulfilled this then he need not seek for tikunim {other corrections} for things. For the the Torah is life and the good.
Monotheism is mainly the idea that God is one, not a composite, and He is not the world, and the world is not him.
I might mention that I think part of the reason the Rambam went with Aristotle was that people had been wrestling with neo platonic thought and monotheism for a thousand years. Neo Platonic thought was the default position but it was hard to get it to go along with simple Torah Monotheism. So the Rambam just jettisoned a lot of Neo Platonic thought and went straight with Aristotle.
So God would be defined as the First Cause. It makes everything amazingly simple. Nothing is godliness except God.
This is important because knowledge of this fact can save one from idolatry. And that in itself is great thing because כל הכופר בעבודה זרה כאילו מודה בכל התורה כולה anyone that denies idolatry is as if he agrees with the whole Torah. That is the Whole Torah can be more or less condensed into that one command do not do idolatry. And when one has fulfilled this then he need not seek for tikunim {other corrections} for things. For the the Torah is life and the good.
