I discussed the problem of making a center of Torah [with my learning partner] and he was not impressed with the need for such a thing. He thought a person's responsibility is to learn and to keep Torah himself. That is to go out a buy the Babylonian Talmud  with Rashi, Tosphot, the Avi Ezri, and Reb Chaim Soloveitchik's Chidushei HaRambam and just plow through them at home.

There is some point to supporting Torah, but it is like shooting in the dark. Most of the places you give your money to are going to be scams. Unless you are in a place nearby and you walk in and pray there and see what is going on up close and personal, then there is no more chance of your money going to support real Torah than if you would just throw it into the wind and hope some worthy person will pick it up and find it.

Music written for the glory of God

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Since it is hard to depend on the idea that the area you live in will somehow magically turn into a place of Torah the best thing is to at least make your own space into a מקום תורה a place of Torah as best you can.
I don't know how things are in California but in NY most of the necessary books for this were very cheap. When I first got to yeshiva it was suggested to me to get the Rashba, the Ritva the Ramban and my own tractate. And I also got myself an entire Shulchan Aruch and Tur. Even though i was on a stipend of an average yeshiva student and had very little extra cash these books were simply to get.

There are some cities that it just does not work to make them into a place of Torah. LA is a perfect example. All the the insane religious world  there are the Sitra Achra [Demonic]. Somehow the Dark Side possessed LA in a hidden way the same as they did in Baltimore. I have no idea how N.Y. managed to get world class yeshivas all within walking distance of each other and other cities are wastelands.

Baltimore was once a candidate for being a Torah center.  It had in it a Torah sage.

For some reason it seems to me that it is harder to make a place of Torah than meets the eye.

Apparently it is not just a matter of throwing money at someone who is claiming to be learning Torah.
I never realized this. I was in a Baal Teshuva Yeshiva in NY that by all rights should not have been a Torah center. It might have been some place intent on brainwashing collage kids. But for some odd reason it turned out in fact to be  place of Torah. This was Rav Freifeld's place Shar Yashuv.One possible reason might have been the teachers. Naphtali Yeger, Rav Forest, Rav Rabinovitz, each a Torah giant in their own right.

And of course Brooklyn was blessed with authentic sages. Rav Hutner, Rav Kalmanovitch, Shmuel Berenbaum etc. So it does seem that to make a place of Torah you really need a Torah sage. You can't just throw money at a bunch of nobodies and expect results. Israel would seem to be a good example of this phenomenon. Bnei Brak is well known as a Torah center. It would  seem to be no accident that the greatest sage of that generation, Rav Shach was there. [Take a look at his Avi Ezri and you will see what I mean.]

Glory and honor to the God of Israel

These music files [and all past and future Music that God has granted to me to write]are dedicated to the God of Israel, the God of my father Philip Rosten and the God of my Mother Leila.

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The Torah is decidedly Right Wing. As a political laws are concerned the Torah is definitely for private property, highly limited government, traditional morality, and family values.

Torah is about personal morality but it is also a political blueprint for a functional society.
Every time there is a law that says do such and such because I am the Lord your God it is referring to personal morality.
"Love your neighbor like yourself because I am the Lord your God." We can't imagine Congress passing a law like that. And what kind of punishment would there be for not obeying it? Perhaps a jail sentence of thirty days?

But there are plenty of laws which are political and civil law and this part of the Torah is decidedly Right Wing. As a political laws are concerned the Torah is definitely for private property, highly limited government, traditional morality, and family values.

Music link for the glory of the All Mighty

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The rhythm  comes from the Renaissance.

My approach is based on learning.
There are five basic things I think people ought to learn and finish. This idea is based to a large degree on what I was taught when I was in yeshiva. In fact in the first yeshiva I went to it was definitely clear that learning Torah is the highest Divine service.
And I accept this but I add to it Math and Physics for the reason that the Rambam includes Physics and Metaphysics in the category of Torah.

So these are the five
(1) The written Law, that is the Old Testament.
(2) The oral Law, that is the two Talmuds, Tosefta, Sifra, Sifri, Mechilta, Torat Kohanim
(3) Musar, that is the Musar books based on the approach of the Rambam and Saadia Gaon.
(4) Math [You can't really finish this -but you can get up to Algebraic Topology. There does not seem to be a short cut. Mainly you need to do Algebra and Topology, and then connect them.]
(5) Physics [This also you can't finish, but you can at least get up to String Theory.]

If I would be consistent I would include the Metaphysics of Aristotle, but I would rather not include that on my list right now. If I would have perfect faith in the Rambam, then of course I would include it, but I am in general I am a little unhappy with philosophy.
But in fact if you can and you have faith in the wise [that is the Rambam], then by all means learn the Metaphysics of Aristotle. It is about 13 books. But learn it with Plato, Plotinus, and Kant.


This is my approach however it is based on what I saw in my parents. There was something so amazing and magical about the relationship between my parents that my brothers and myself have spent our whole lives wondering what it was and wishing we could duplicate it in our own lives.
So what you see in the above paragraph is my own take on what they were about. If you would ask my brothers they would say that yes I am right that Torah and and natural sciences were import to them but also family values and loyalty to family and also working at an honest job for a living and of course Classical Music. My Dad supported the Opera in  Los Angeles and obviously sent a check to Cal Tech every year

   רמב''ם הלכות שגגות  פרק ז' שייך למסכת שבת פרק הכלל גדולה יש שאלה על רמב''ם. נראה שהוא אומר שאם אחד שוכח את כל  הל''ט אבות מלאכתם ועונשן אז הוא מביא ל''ט חטאות
ואז באיזה אופן שהוא זוכר שבת ? בנו של רמב''ם, אברהם, אמר שיש לך לומר רמב''ם אומר גם שוכח ל''ט אבות מלאכה או ועונשן, אבל לא את שניהם וכולם ביחד. או שהוא שכח את התולדות. בגמרא מובא שר 'יוחנן אמר שגגת עונש שמה שגגה. ריש לקיש אמר שגגת עונש שמה מזיד. הגמרא שאלה על המשנה. למה זה לציין ל''ט? כולנו יכולים לספור. הוא עונה לומר לנו  הוא מביא ל''ט אם הוא שכח את כל. ואז זה אומר שזה טוב לר 'יוחנן, אבל מה לגבי לריש לקיש? באיזה אופן שהוא זוכר שבת בכלל? הגמרא עונה ריש לקיש אמר תחום שבת ואליבא דר' עקיבא. הזכרתי את יד על הבעיה ברמב''ם לשותף הלמידה שלי. הוא אמר שאין בעיה ברמב''ם כי זה קל וחומר. אני לא יכול להבין למה הוא מתכוון. אני חושב מה שהוא אומר זה שהקבוצה של כל הדברים שמחויבים בחטאות לר 'יוחנן היא הרבה יותר גדולה מן הקבוצה של ריש לקיש. למעשה זה כולל כל דבר בקבוצה של ריש לקיש ואז כפליים. אז אם משהו הוא בקבוצה לריש לקיש, אז קל וחומר לר 'יוחנן, ועל ידי הגדרה  גם לרמב''ם. אבל אם זה מה שהוא התכוון יש לי שאלה. לי זה נראה שהחץ הולך בכיוון ההפוך. לריש לקיש קצת ידע נחשב הרבה. הידיעה של עונש מספיק כדי לגרום לו מזיד. אותו ידע לר 'יוחנן נחשב קטן. אז כמה כמות קטנה של ידע לריש לקיש, לר 'יוחנן יכול להיות שלא מספיק כדי לגרום לו להיחשב כלזכור שבת בכלל

From what I remember in Shabat there is  question on the Rambam. He seems to be saying if one forgets all 39 kinds of work and their punishment then he bring 39 sin offerings [a female goat or a female sheep].
Then in what way did he remember Shabbat?

I think the son of the Rambam, Avraham said that you have to say the Rambam means either forgetting the 39 kinds of work or their punishment but not both and all together. Or he forgot the branches.

From what I remember in the Talmud the discussion is this. R. Yochanan says forgetting the punishment is also considered שוגג. Reish Lakish said that is called on purpose.

I think the Gemara asked on the Mishna. Why does it specify the number 39?  We can all count. It answers to tell us one is liable 39 offerings if he forgot all. And then it says that is good to Rabbi Yochanan but what about to Reish Lakish? In what way did he remember Shabbat at all? And I think the Gemara answers Reish Lakish would say he remembered the Shabbat boundary like  R. Akiva.
I mentioned off hand the problem about the Rambam to my learning partner.

He said, "There is no problem on the Rambam because it is a an a fortiori."

I can't figure out what he meant. I think what he means is that the set of all things that are obligated in a sin offering to R Yochanan is much larger that the set of Reish Lakish. In fact, it includes everything in the set of Reish Lakish, and then twice as much. So if something is in the set to Reish Lakish, then a fortiori to R. Yochanan, and by definition then also to the Rambam.
But if this is what he meant I have  a question. To me it seems that the arrow goes the opposite way. To RL a little knowledge is considered a lot. Knowing the punishment is enough to make him מזיד (on purpose). That same knowledge to R Yochanan is considered small. So some small amount of knowledge to RL, R Yochanan might very well consider to be not enough to make him be considered as remembering Shabbat at all.

Appendix:
 I should have mentioned that to bring a sin offering, one needs a little knowledge.
If he did not know anything about Shabbat at all then he brings only one sacrifice for all the work and all the shabatot. [To Munbaz even one he does not bring]

  מסכת שבת פרק כלל גדול there is  question on the רמב''ם.He seems to be saying if one forgets all ל''ט אבות מלאכה and their ועונשן then he brings ל''ט חטאות.
Then in what way did he remember שבת?

The son of the רמב''ם, Avraham, said that you have to say the רמב''ם means either forgetting ל''ט אבות מלאכה or ועונשן but not both and all together. Or he forgot the תולדות.
ר' יוחנן אמר שגגת עונש שמה שגגה. ריש לקיש אמר שגגת עונש שמה מזיד.

I think the Gemara asked on the Mishna. Why does it specify the  ל''ט?  We can all count. It answers to tell us one is liable ל''ט offerings if he forgot all. And then it says that is good to ר' יוחנן but what about to ריש לקיש? In what way did he remember שבת at all? And I think it answers ריש לקיש אמר  תחום שבת ואליבא דר' עקיבא.
I mentioned off hand the problem about the רמב''ם to my learning partner.

He said there is no problem on the רמב''ם because it is a an קל וחומר. I can't figure out what he meant. I think what he means is that the קבוצה of all things that are obligated in a sin offering to ר' יוחנן is much larger that the קבוצה of ריש לקיש. In fact it includes everything in the קבוצה of ריש לקיש and then twice as much. So if something is in the קבוצה to ריש לקיש then  קל וחומר to ר' יוחנן and by definition then also to the רמב''ם.
But if this is what he meant I have  a question. To me it seems that the arrow goes the opposite way. To ריש לקיש a little knowledge is considered a lot. Knowing the עונש is enough to make him מזיד. That same knowledge to ר' יוחנן is considered small. So some small amount of knowledge to ריש לקיש לר' יוחנן might very well considered to be not enough to make him be considered as remembering שבת at all.

My approach is based on learning.
There are five basic things I think people ought to learn and finish. This idea is based to a large degree on what I was taught when I was in yeshiva. In fact in the first yeshiva I went to it was definitely clear that learning Torah is the highest Divine service.
And I accept this but I add to it Math and Physics for the reason that the Rambam includes Physics and Metaphysics in the category of Torah.

So these are the five
(1) The written Law, that is the Old Testament.
(2) The oral Law, that is the two Talmuds, Tosefta, Sifra, Sifri, Mechilta, Torat Kohanim
(3) Musar, that is the Musar books based on the approach of the Rambam and Saadia Gaon.
(4) Math
(5) Physics

If I would be consistent I would include the Metaphysics of Aristotle, but I would rather not include that on my list right now. If I would have perfect faith in the Rambam then of course I would include it but I am in general I little unhappy with philosophy.

This is my approach however it is based on what I saw in my parents. There was something so amazing and magical about the relationship between my parents that my brothers and myself have spent our whole lives wondering what it was and wishing we could duplicate it in our own lives.
So what you see in the above paragraph is my own take on what they were about. If you would ask my brothers they would say that yes I am right that Torah and and natural sciences were import to them but also family values and loyalty to family and also working at an honest job for a living and of course Classical Music. My Dad supported the Opera in  Los Angeles and obviously sent a check to Cal Tech every year

The basic rule about homosexuality is that of what is called an ערווה. Those are the forbidden relations of Leviticus. Most of them have the death penalty when done in front of two witnesses. If done accidentally then they have to bring a sin offering to the Temple in Jerusalem. If there is no Temple then they have to build it and then bring the sin offering.

People's opinions are not relevant as far as the Torah is concerned.
This rule does not change even if people desire to change the rule or transgress it. The reason for this is that the rules of the Torah are forever. They don't become nullified if someone keeps them o keeps them perfectly or disobeys them. They remain fixed. And these rules are in fact rules. They are not good advice. The reason Christians get mixed up with this  that many rules of the Torah are personal codes of conduct. Many are exactly what Christians think: moral rules. But not all of them are moral rules. Many are laws that are meant to be enforced by a court of law. and the Torah requires us to make courts of law to enforce these rules.  But that is the sole function of the courts.They can't make new rules. they can't add or subtract. They are allowed however to make temporary provisions in order that the rules of the Torah should not be infringed on.


Of course there are other rules in the Torah and it does take a good deal of effort to learn them.
For this reason I suggest having an hour session every day to get through the Oral and Written Law.
That is the Old Testament and the Talmud Bavli and the Jerusalem Talmud--page after page in order, from the beginning to the end.

Music written for the glory of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

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It is hard to know how to go about learning Torah.

There is a general principle that to know any subject even half way decently you need at least 10,000 hours.
And if you are able that is the best thing to do with Torah. Find a yeshiva that does Torah ten hours a day and do that program for four years. Then you get 12000 hours. That is not enough however to become expert. It is just to get your feet wet.But if you have that basic four years under your belt then when later you go to college and work the foundation is laid for good work.

But even with that you start your own program at home. In theory it should not be hard. You get a regular Talmud Bavli with Tosphot and the Maharsha. You have one hour of in depth learning and then the rest of the time you just plow through it. Most tractates also have some major achron (authority after the Middle Ages) on them, Like the Yadot Nedarim on Nedarim.When I was doing Ketubot there were few achronim that I used. The major one was the Pnei Yehoshua. But I was alone in this. In both yeshivas that I was at [Shar Yashuv and the Mirrer in NY]  most people did not even look at achronim. They just prepared for the Rosh yeshiva's class and that was that. and in the afternoon they reviewed the class. And the classes were always along the lines of Chaim Soloveitchik.--which was kind of Rambam oriented.

But this Rambam approach seems to me to be more relevant to Halacha. I don't mean to downgrade it, but it seems  to me to be different that straight Gemara learning. As for Halacha I think it is a good thing to learn. What I think is the best to get the book of Chaim Soloveitchik on the Rambam along with the Avi Ezri of Rav Elazar Menachem Shach and just go through the Rambam  along with both of these two books. Then to do the Tur and Shulchan Aruch and the Aruch Hashulchan.
This is all great stuff but it is not the same as learning Gemara.

[With Rav Shach's book it is best just to plow through it straight. Not along side the Rambam.]

Music for the glory of God

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See this link Ideas in Bava Metzia

In כתובות you have to say that the טענת וודאי aspect of her טענה helps because if it was just her מיגו we say we don't say מיגו to take out money. So it is her מיגו with her weak טענת וודאי that takes out of חזקת ממון. There is not  a קל וחומר from that where there is a strong טענת וודאי but it is against a מיגו as in the case of רב יהודה with the two people in בית דין and one says you owe and the other says I don't know.





בכתובות צריכים  לומר שטענת וודאי שלה  עוזרת שאם זה היה רק ​​שיש לה מיגו אנחנו אומרים לא אומרים מיגו להוציא כסף.ואפילו לפי השיטה שאומרים מיגו להוציא זו לא אמורה כאן להיות הסיבה היחידה.  אז זה מיגו עם טענת וודאי חלשה שמוציא מחזקת ממון. אין קל וחומר מזה כשיש טענת וודאי חזק אבל נגד מיגו כמו בדיון של רב יהודה עם שני אנשים בבית דין ואחד אומר שאתה חייב ואחר אומר שאני לא יודע



This is just a quick review of something that was in my English note. Tosphot had said that there is a difference between a strong definite plea and a weak one. Rav Judah said when 2 people come to the beit din and one says you owe me 200 and the other says I don't know the definite plea wins.  But in Bava Kama we say money stays where it is until there is proof. The different is between a weak and string plea. But then in Ketubot there is a weak plea and Abyee says the law of Rav Judah is of  Shmuel. Then Abyee is pushed off. Then Tosphot says even with Abyee we have to say the aw of Rav Judah is the same as that of Shmuel. I am just showing how there is no way to show this to be the case. Rather I answered and explained Tosphot that they mean it is the same law. Not that one came from the other.

(1) I did not realize that excommunication was   very serious until recently I saw the Mishna Lamelech say it has a halachic category of an oath.
This opens up a few interesting questions. For example what about the excommunication of the Gra? What about people that I know had done something wrong and were really under need to be excommunicated? Even if no one pays attention to these legal issue they remain valid halacha questions. This is just like any other halacha question. If no one pays attention to it does it become invalid? Certainly not.

(2 )So just as an introduction let me say that the idea of an oath is thus. One says, "This loaf of bread is forbidden to me like a sacrifice." The loaf becomes forbidden to him as if it was a sacrifice.  If he says to someone this loaf of mine is forbidden to you like  sacrifice  then also the other person is not allowed to eat it. A person can forbid his object to others.
The Mishna LaMelech says an excommunication gets its strength from this law. It is a type of Isur Neder. That means that one that transgresses it is transgressing a prohibition of the Torah.
(3) It applies to coming generations.
(4) It is not just for the 24 specific list but for anyone who transgress a prohibition for the Torah or a rabbinical prohibition on purpose.
(5) You don't need actual testimony When the facts of the case are public knowledge.

What this seems to mean is that the excommunication of the Gra was in fact according to halacha and was valid and still is. This helps us understand why when people join the groups he banned, they become crazy.

Music for the glory of God

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