30.7.16
[The sages of the Talmud were aware of the problem with people that use Torah for making a living.
In some way the world of Torah [the world of Yeshivas] was at least in my own mind a kind of representation of heaven. But at a certain point the organization itself lost credibility to me and I think many others. Not in the same way as the Catholic church lost its credibility but in a somewhat similar way.
They can not just make mistakes. But even worse. Do real evil.
I have seen enough to show me the unspoken truth about these things.
religious teachers are home wreckers. The are the most destructive thing for marriages and families.
The Zohar refers to them in this unique language, "Torah scholars that are demons." I have found that to be appropriate and not an exaggeration.
I uphold the Oral and Written Law the Law of Moses and the two Talmuds, but in contrast to the world of yeshiva, I have to do it in opposition to the official Establishment. [Lithuanian yeshivas however I do support as long as I get the impression they are authentic. But that is rare. The best are (as is well known) Ponovitch, and after that Brisk. I would have to say they are probably in fact very good. After them I think the three great NY yeshivas are important, Mir, Chaim Berlin and Torah VeDaat.] [There are offshoots of these great places which are also good. That is people that learned in these places sometimes started small Batei Midrash [study halls] which I would consider to be authentic and good places.]
[The sages of the Talmud were aware of the problem with people that use Torah for making a living. I only quoted the Zohar because it makes the point a lot more clear. I mean to say Torah scholars are doing wrong when they use the Torah to make money is not the same thing as saying they are demons from hell sent on earth to destroy human life. You have to admit the Zohar makes the same point but in a more powerful way. ] But it still does not get to the major problem today which is a bit worse because of worship of people that are assumed to be righteous. This is definitely not in accord with the Torah. And the power they weld is beyond anything that a politician could dream of. They have the kind of power you see only in gurus that command willing followers. These followers will do anything for their guru, die for him or commit murder for him. This problem is largely unspoken. People can criticize gurus all they want. But the kind of worship of humans I have seen in the religious world out shadows that of gurus.
Giving to most yeshivas is not giving to charity. It is giving to parasites. Yes, the poor are mostly parasites, but so are many of the “successful” who knowingly take on useless jobs for the salaries and power. And the religious teachers, self-help instructors, populist priests and psychologists? What they do is parasitic, but thickly disguised.
29.7.16
נפש החיים The Soul of Life by the disciple of the Gra [Eliyahu from Villna]
נפש החיים The Soul of Life by the disciple of the Gra [ Eliyahu from Villna] (Reb Chaim from Volloshin) is a very good book. It was included in the list of Musar {Ethics} books recommended by Israel Salanter.
It deals with vital and urgent issues that are modern.
I mean to say the basic set of ethics books from the middle ages are very good, but they tend not to deal with some issues that came up after that period.
Some of the issues are Bitul Torah. That is not just the mitzvah of learning Torahת but the sin of not learning Torah when one can be learning. A detailed discussion of what is idolatry. It also shows the way of prayer and service in the way of the Arizal (Isaac Luria).
I think it is, possibly, the most important Musar book ever to be written, because of its dealing with the issues that are urgent, but just were not relevant during the Middle Ages.
The actual books of Musar that are best are the known set of Mediaeval ones, plus the disciples of Reb Israel Salanter who wrote more modern approaches like the Madgragat HaAdam [מדרגת האדם] about trust in God and Isaac Blasser about fear of God. That was the general tendency of the Musar movement for each person to find some trait the felt they needed to work on and to hold onto, and often they would write a lot about that particular issue. I myself did not really go for any of that and went off in different directions, but I did find one trait that I have tried to hold onto at all cost--to speak the truth always no matter what. This actually had an early beginning when I read the Musar book אורחות צדיקים The Ways Of The Righteous.
[There has been good stuff in terms of Musar. Recently someone found more writings of Isaac Blazzer, the major disciple of Reb Israel Salanter, and printed them. It is almost impossible to find, but I saw a copy in Netivot. [So from him we have two books- אור ישראל and this newer book.] There is a new and well researched biography on the Gra also that came out about 7 years ago- which I have heard is very good. It must be good judging by how many people were enraged at it.
Everyone in some official position condemned the authors even though they had done meticulous research.You can see it must be the best book on the subject of the Gra.
I did not see the book myself but from what I understood the conclusion of the authors was that the Gra meant what he said about the excommunication. This apparently got everyone in Israel very angry at the authors, and now you can't find this book anywhere. [There were previous books about this issue. But this was a modern book that took the stance that the Gra meant what he said. and that the cherem has halachic validity.
It deals with vital and urgent issues that are modern.
I mean to say the basic set of ethics books from the middle ages are very good, but they tend not to deal with some issues that came up after that period.
Some of the issues are Bitul Torah. That is not just the mitzvah of learning Torahת but the sin of not learning Torah when one can be learning. A detailed discussion of what is idolatry. It also shows the way of prayer and service in the way of the Arizal (Isaac Luria).
I think it is, possibly, the most important Musar book ever to be written, because of its dealing with the issues that are urgent, but just were not relevant during the Middle Ages.
The actual books of Musar that are best are the known set of Mediaeval ones, plus the disciples of Reb Israel Salanter who wrote more modern approaches like the Madgragat HaAdam [מדרגת האדם] about trust in God and Isaac Blasser about fear of God. That was the general tendency of the Musar movement for each person to find some trait the felt they needed to work on and to hold onto, and often they would write a lot about that particular issue. I myself did not really go for any of that and went off in different directions, but I did find one trait that I have tried to hold onto at all cost--to speak the truth always no matter what. This actually had an early beginning when I read the Musar book אורחות צדיקים The Ways Of The Righteous.
[There has been good stuff in terms of Musar. Recently someone found more writings of Isaac Blazzer, the major disciple of Reb Israel Salanter, and printed them. It is almost impossible to find, but I saw a copy in Netivot. [So from him we have two books- אור ישראל and this newer book.] There is a new and well researched biography on the Gra also that came out about 7 years ago- which I have heard is very good. It must be good judging by how many people were enraged at it.
Everyone in some official position condemned the authors even though they had done meticulous research.You can see it must be the best book on the subject of the Gra.
I did not see the book myself but from what I understood the conclusion of the authors was that the Gra meant what he said about the excommunication. This apparently got everyone in Israel very angry at the authors, and now you can't find this book anywhere. [There were previous books about this issue. But this was a modern book that took the stance that the Gra meant what he said. and that the cherem has halachic validity.
I should however mention that when growing up I only liked classical music, Mozart, Bach, Beethoven. Only about ten years ago I discovered Renaissance Music. But I have always had an appreciation for the Renaissance period.
My Dad gave me Mozart Symphony 19, 24, the Magic Flute by Mozart, Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Egmont Overture by Beethoven.
Rifle-Wielding North Carolina 13 Year Old Girl Scares Off Home Invaders
According to wikpedia.org, Snow Camp, North Carolina is a small unincorporated community with a large Quaker population. It doesn’t seem the kind of place where violent crime would threaten innocent life. Then again, who knows? Snow Camp is surrounded by larger cities and even the smallest towns in America are home to drug abuse, and attendant crime. Like this [via wncn.com]:
Kirk Puckett, a spokesperson for the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office, said two sisters, 12 and 13, were inside the home when they heard knocking on the front door.
Puckett said when they looked outside, they saw three unfamiliar men. He said the older sister grabbed her dad’s rifle.
The suspects then broke in through the back door. Puckett said the 13-year-old pointed the rifle at them, causing them to run away without taking anything.
Kirk Puckett, a spokesperson for the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office, said two sisters, 12 and 13, were inside the home when they heard knocking on the front door.
Puckett said when they looked outside, they saw three unfamiliar men. He said the older sister grabbed her dad’s rifle.
The suspects then broke in through the back door. Puckett said the 13-year-old pointed the rifle at them, causing them to run away without taking anything.
28.7.16
The Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule.
In this small paragraph I am depending a lot on the analysis of Howard Bloom in The Lucifer Principle and Allen Bloom in The Closing of the American Mind both.
The details are mainly in the book by Allen Bloom about problems with the Enlightenment. But in terms of a solution --the meme-I am thinking of Harold Bloom.
That is I am thinking the solution is in bringing back a certain kind of Meme--unit of social information.--The Law of Moses.
The Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule.
I should mention that there is much in the Catholic Church that I think does not agree with the Oral and Written Law. Still I see the church as an important ally in terms of upholding the Law of Moses.
Whatever brings to the Law of Moses is good as far as I am concerned.
A problem plagues the world of Torah.
A problem plagues the world of Torah. Anyone with enough Charisma can claim to know Torah. There is no objective test and no checks and balances. Thus it is a world full of fraud and scams.
You can see why the Rambam included Physics into his conception of what the Oral Law is. Not just because of the objective reality part of מעשה בראשית [the work of creation] but also to connect to the דעת of God in a objective way.
You can see why the Rambam included Physics into his conception of what the Oral Law is. Not just because of the objective reality part of מעשה בראשית [the work of creation] but also to connect to the דעת of God in a objective way.
The connection between the Litvak Yeshiva approach and the family of Yaakov Abuchatzaira
I had some connection with the family of Yaakov Abuchatzaira. This was mainly through a grandson of Bava Sali, Shimon Buso.
This connection gave me a certain amount of clarity about the importance of Torah--that is the oral and written law and Musar [Musar in the sense of Reb Israel Salanater.] and the general path of Reb Chaim Soloveitchik. Or said simply the Lithuanian Musar yeshiva approach.
I mention this because of the clarity that came to me on these issues through my connection with family of Bava Sali [i.e. Israel Abu-cha-tzei-ra ישראל אבוחצירה]
This is a Sephardi family but this clarity about the Musar Litvak approach was very clear to them as expressed to me by many years of involvement with this family.
I had in fact been impressed with this path before that. In fact, you could say I really found happiness and fulfillment through the Litvak Musar Yeshiva path.
But not everyone can be in a Litvak yeshiva. So what some people do is they try the "kollel thing" or Beit Midrash [study hall for anyone that wants to learn Torah].
The basic ups and downs about this path- I have written about in other blog entries. But here I wanted to mention this Bava Sali connection because of the clarity it helped me achieve concerning this. That is, -almost all of the issues I have brought upon this blog, I discussed at great length with Shmon Buso, and also had discussion with the daughter of Bava Sali, Avigail Buso.
There is no question that this basic Musar Litvak approach is what Mrs Avigail Buso was thinking as the right approach. I also had some connection with the direct descendants of the older brother of Bava Sali known as עטרת ראשינו. [David Abuchatzira] Looking back on it there is no question that all held from this basic Litvak Approach. It definitely was not the "sefardi pride" approach of the many Sephardi Jews. It was as Litvak as you could possibly be.
[I would also like to suggest the books of Reb Yaakov Abuchatzeira as an addition to the traditional books Musar.]
This connection gave me a certain amount of clarity about the importance of Torah--that is the oral and written law and Musar [Musar in the sense of Reb Israel Salanater.] and the general path of Reb Chaim Soloveitchik. Or said simply the Lithuanian Musar yeshiva approach.
I mention this because of the clarity that came to me on these issues through my connection with family of Bava Sali [i.e. Israel Abu-cha-tzei-ra ישראל אבוחצירה]
This is a Sephardi family but this clarity about the Musar Litvak approach was very clear to them as expressed to me by many years of involvement with this family.
I had in fact been impressed with this path before that. In fact, you could say I really found happiness and fulfillment through the Litvak Musar Yeshiva path.
But not everyone can be in a Litvak yeshiva. So what some people do is they try the "kollel thing" or Beit Midrash [study hall for anyone that wants to learn Torah].
The basic ups and downs about this path- I have written about in other blog entries. But here I wanted to mention this Bava Sali connection because of the clarity it helped me achieve concerning this. That is, -almost all of the issues I have brought upon this blog, I discussed at great length with Shmon Buso, and also had discussion with the daughter of Bava Sali, Avigail Buso.
There is no question that this basic Musar Litvak approach is what Mrs Avigail Buso was thinking as the right approach. I also had some connection with the direct descendants of the older brother of Bava Sali known as עטרת ראשינו. [David Abuchatzira] Looking back on it there is no question that all held from this basic Litvak Approach. It definitely was not the "sefardi pride" approach of the many Sephardi Jews. It was as Litvak as you could possibly be.
[I would also like to suggest the books of Reb Yaakov Abuchatzeira as an addition to the traditional books Musar.]
27.7.16
I can still see the need for people to learn morality from the Law of God, (the Five Books of Moses)
.
I can see that even with learning Torah (the Five Books of Moses), people can be morally challenged, [or sometimes even worse.] But still, as much as the Oral and Written Law that people learn, the better.
I have seen often people think that belonging to their group makes them righteous. But to me that seems like a mistake. The main thing to me is the Law of Moses, the Oral and Written Law. Not what group one is a part of.
[I have seen enough of the world to show me that without the Torah people are lacking morals. When the whole society is without Torah, things looks pretty bad. ]
So my basic approach is this people should learn the Old Testament, the two Talmuds, Physics up to and including String Theory, and Aristotle's Metaphysics.
THE WAY for this is to do 1/2 a page per day with Tosphot and Maharsha [i.e. one whole side of a "daf". ]
.
I can see that even with learning Torah (the Five Books of Moses), people can be morally challenged, [or sometimes even worse.] But still, as much as the Oral and Written Law that people learn, the better.
I have seen often people think that belonging to their group makes them righteous. But to me that seems like a mistake. The main thing to me is the Law of Moses, the Oral and Written Law. Not what group one is a part of.
[I have seen enough of the world to show me that without the Torah people are lacking morals. When the whole society is without Torah, things looks pretty bad. ]
So my basic approach is this people should learn the Old Testament, the two Talmuds, Physics up to and including String Theory, and Aristotle's Metaphysics.
THE WAY for this is to do 1/2 a page per day with Tosphot and Maharsha [i.e. one whole side of a "daf". ]
The general way I try to learn is by having fresh ground coffee and doing the learning as early as possible in the morning after a good night sleep. It is also important to be motivated. No matter how much energy you have if you do not have desire and will to learn Physics and the Talmud and Musar then nothing can help. You need to have the will. But if that essential ingredient is there, then you need coffee. Fresh ground in the store. You do not need to cook it. You can mix it with water and and egg and drink it with Russian Halvah.
You also need a good night sleep before hand and as much as possible to guard that first hour when you wake up that it should be for learning alone. Nothing else.
[The basic idea in this is that there is an aspect of holiness that comes into one's soul by means of connecting with God's wisdom as revealed in the work of Creation. So there is the idea of learning Torah which includes the work of Creation and the work of the Divine Chariot as defined by the Rishonim like Ibn Pakuda and the Rambam and the Gaon Saadia. [They were aware of mysticism but held that the command to learn the work of creation and the work of the Divine Chariot did not refer to mysticism.]
[The basic idea in this is that there is an aspect of holiness that comes into one's soul by means of connecting with God's wisdom as revealed in the work of Creation. So there is the idea of learning Torah which includes the work of Creation and the work of the Divine Chariot as defined by the Rishonim like Ibn Pakuda and the Rambam and the Gaon Saadia. [They were aware of mysticism but held that the command to learn the work of creation and the work of the Divine Chariot did not refer to mysticism.]
Even though there are people in Islam that are not violent many seem to simply be like a Trojan Horse. Salad dressing on top of a poison salad to make it seem tasty.
The French are now under attack by Muslims. The French should not have killed Joan De Arc, nor their last king. The best repentance is bring back Throne and Altar.
My impression is violence is a direct result of Islam. I do not think this is work place violence. That is I mean to say it is the result of a certain kind of social meme that gets incorporated inside a persons personality at a certain age. If the social meme is bad, it will result in bad deeds regardless of the inherent disposition of the person.
I have seen this a lot. People can start out with good or bad dispositions, but if they are taught an evil belief system, the belief system will take over.
Thus we see why learning Musar is very important. [Mediaeval Ethics]
The French are now under attack by Muslims. The French should not have killed Joan De Arc, nor their last king. The best repentance is bring back Throne and Altar.
My impression is violence is a direct result of Islam. I do not think this is work place violence. That is I mean to say it is the result of a certain kind of social meme that gets incorporated inside a persons personality at a certain age. If the social meme is bad, it will result in bad deeds regardless of the inherent disposition of the person.
I have seen this a lot. People can start out with good or bad dispositions, but if they are taught an evil belief system, the belief system will take over.
Thus we see why learning Musar is very important. [Mediaeval Ethics]
Are the refugees "fleeing from terrorism" or fleeing towards terrorism?
Are the refugees "fleeing from terrorism" or fleeing towards terrorism?
One who is kind in a place where he ought to be cruel in the end will be cruel in a place where he ought to be kind. [I forget where that is I think it is in tractate Shabat. about king Saul. Saul was kind in a place where he was told to be cruel--Amalek. Thus the Talmud says the result of this is he was cruel in a place where he ought to have been kind [The city of priests which gave David refuge. Saul wiped out that whole city.]
One who is kind in a place where he ought to be cruel in the end will be cruel in a place where he ought to be kind. [I forget where that is I think it is in tractate Shabat. about king Saul. Saul was kind in a place where he was told to be cruel--Amalek. Thus the Talmud says the result of this is he was cruel in a place where he ought to have been kind [The city of priests which gave David refuge. Saul wiped out that whole city.]
How to consider Joan of Arc? I brought that up with my learning partner years ago when I first saw the transcript of her trial. I found that transcript to be more compelling and shocking than anything else I had read about her. It was like I was in the courtroom with her.
But as many other issues my learning partner did not relate well to what I was asking.
He was thinking that whatever is Jewish is good and right and whatever is not is the Sitra Achra.
That approach seems to me to be highly inaccurate. While I do think there is a Sitra Achra [Dark Realm] I do not think the dividing lines are drawn according to those specifications.
Part of my reasoning is the Gra at the beginning of Shir Hashirim but also the Arizal.[about the higher root of the children of Noah].
But also I have a kind of Kantian view point about unconditioned realities. [Reason does not work there and when it tries to it comes up with self contradictions.]
The best way I think to consider Joan de"Arc is as the Rambam. I mean to say that he would not be willing to cut any slack to any kind of approach that is not a part of the Oral and Written Law of Moses, but he would also see a preliminary stage bringing to the Law of God.
[You would have to see his approach to Ancient Hellas (Nemusai HaYevanim")
Appendix:
(1) The laws of the ancient Greeks [as known to Avraham the patriarch ] was considered by Maimonides to be Natural Law that needed to be revealed in order for the higher level of the Law of Mount Sinai to come into the world.
(2) The Rambam would not cut any slack to Joan De'Arc as being part of the Catholic Church. He would in spite of the good and worthy aspects still consider the basic structure as wrong. According to the Torah we are commanded not to worship a person even as a mediator. And this applies to gentiles as well as to Jews. That is the faith of the Law of Moses in Ethical Monotheism. No mediators. And that God is not a composite and he is not the world. That is the Rambam (and Aquinas also for that mater) considered these things objective morality.
But as many other issues my learning partner did not relate well to what I was asking.
He was thinking that whatever is Jewish is good and right and whatever is not is the Sitra Achra.
That approach seems to me to be highly inaccurate. While I do think there is a Sitra Achra [Dark Realm] I do not think the dividing lines are drawn according to those specifications.
Part of my reasoning is the Gra at the beginning of Shir Hashirim but also the Arizal.[about the higher root of the children of Noah].
But also I have a kind of Kantian view point about unconditioned realities. [Reason does not work there and when it tries to it comes up with self contradictions.]
The best way I think to consider Joan de"Arc is as the Rambam. I mean to say that he would not be willing to cut any slack to any kind of approach that is not a part of the Oral and Written Law of Moses, but he would also see a preliminary stage bringing to the Law of God.
[You would have to see his approach to Ancient Hellas (Nemusai HaYevanim")
Appendix:
(1) The laws of the ancient Greeks [as known to Avraham the patriarch ] was considered by Maimonides to be Natural Law that needed to be revealed in order for the higher level of the Law of Mount Sinai to come into the world.
(2) The Rambam would not cut any slack to Joan De'Arc as being part of the Catholic Church. He would in spite of the good and worthy aspects still consider the basic structure as wrong. According to the Torah we are commanded not to worship a person even as a mediator. And this applies to gentiles as well as to Jews. That is the faith of the Law of Moses in Ethical Monotheism. No mediators. And that God is not a composite and he is not the world. That is the Rambam (and Aquinas also for that mater) considered these things objective morality.
26.7.16
There is a good way to defend the Musar Movement of Reb Israel Salanter. This way would have to start with an unspoken premise of all authentic Lithuanian yeshivas that the rishonim are always right. The achronim however can and do makes mistakes, This premise is based on objective facts.
But it is not widely known. The Middle Ages fell out of favor in the secular world.
The thing that makes rishonim so important is hard to tell. On one hand it looks like that entire age--especially in France was exceptional in logic. That is logical thinking. A book like most achromim write filled with fuzzy circular logic would have never gotten past first base. It would have been laughed out of court. There is something more however about the rishonim that is more than just logic.[rishonim might not be infallible but in terms of logic they always are]
But it is all I need to defend Musar. That is the idea that only the medieval writers had the capacity to understand and describe in a logically consistent way the world view of the Torah.
Rishonim are medieval authorities. [Anyone from Hai Gaon and onward up until Rav Joseph Karo. ]
Achronim are people after Joseph Karo, including Joseph Karo. Rishonim also include the Gra.
But it is not widely known. The Middle Ages fell out of favor in the secular world.
The thing that makes rishonim so important is hard to tell. On one hand it looks like that entire age--especially in France was exceptional in logic. That is logical thinking. A book like most achromim write filled with fuzzy circular logic would have never gotten past first base. It would have been laughed out of court. There is something more however about the rishonim that is more than just logic.[rishonim might not be infallible but in terms of logic they always are]
But it is all I need to defend Musar. That is the idea that only the medieval writers had the capacity to understand and describe in a logically consistent way the world view of the Torah.
Rishonim are medieval authorities. [Anyone from Hai Gaon and onward up until Rav Joseph Karo. ]
Achronim are people after Joseph Karo, including Joseph Karo. Rishonim also include the Gra.
Torah with Derech Ertez [a vocation]
My basic path in a nutshell is to learn The Oral Law, the Written Law, Physics and Math and Aristotle Metaphysics. This is a slight modification of Maimonides. While Maimonides did include the two sets of books of Aristotle The Physics and the Meta-Physics into his program of how to learn Torah he was referring specifically to the books of ARISTOTLE. In my modification of Maimonides I would instead put String Theory and Abstract Algebra and Algebraic Topology instead of Aristotle's Physics.
I should mention that Torah with Derech Ertez [a vocation] was the path of my parents. They did not think that being a position to use Torah for money was a good idea. If I could have done yeshiva in the morning and then learned some vocation in the afternoon they would have been overjoyed but as it was I was in Far Rockaway where the closest college was Brooklyn College and it was a few hours on the subway. Even my own Rosh Yeshiva Reb Shelomo Friefeld was telling me to go to college.
At the time however I do not know what I would have majored in. I did not know how to learn Physics in those days in a way that I could do well in it. Even today years later it takes me a whole long kind of round about way to get anywhere. I have to read the words in order --just saying the words straight and going on. Then after about 50 pages or so I go back reading the last paragraph and then the one before that etc until I get to the beginning of the book. It takes a lot of time.
But just for the record this is what the Rambam advised and my parents and also from what I have seen this makes the most sense. Torah with Derech Eretz.
[I imagine I could have learned Kant or Music, but as it was I was pretty involved with Torah. And I think at least for those years I needed to be involved with Torah all day in order to make any progress at all.]
I also should mention that unless the Rambam had specifically included Physics in the mitzvah of learning Torah, I would not have much motivation for learning it. It is rather the combination of the Rambam along with my parents that convinced me to spend time on it. Otherwise I would have thought it is bitul Torah.
[Bitul Torah is the sin of spending time on anything when you could be spending it on learning Torah. This sin is considered very severe in the Torah and it was certainly a major part of the thinking of the yeshiva world]
One of the best books on Physics I have found to be free. You can find the links on my blog.
As for Musar and Torah the best books of Musar are the Nefesh Hachaim which go into more modern issues like bitul Torah and idolatry. And the Chovot Levavot. But the best idea in terms of Musar is to have a Cheder Musar {Musar Room} like I saw in Netivot. One room that has only Musar books and to get the basic set of Mediaeval Musar and the books of the Gra and the disciples of Reb Israel Salanter.
[I am not saying I have no doubts about this. In fact if I could I would be sitting and learning Torah all the time. Every second. But there were many factors preventing me from this-enough in fact for me t begin to wonder if sitting and learning Torah all day is in fact the best path. But I admit I could be wrong and that the sitting and learning all day is the right thing. I am just saying that for me that path did not work out so well and at some point I found it impossible to follow. So I concluded that the Rambam was right all along. But that might simply mean I was not on the kind of spiritual level necessary to learn Torah all day.]
I should mention that Torah with Derech Ertez [a vocation] was the path of my parents. They did not think that being a position to use Torah for money was a good idea. If I could have done yeshiva in the morning and then learned some vocation in the afternoon they would have been overjoyed but as it was I was in Far Rockaway where the closest college was Brooklyn College and it was a few hours on the subway. Even my own Rosh Yeshiva Reb Shelomo Friefeld was telling me to go to college.
At the time however I do not know what I would have majored in. I did not know how to learn Physics in those days in a way that I could do well in it. Even today years later it takes me a whole long kind of round about way to get anywhere. I have to read the words in order --just saying the words straight and going on. Then after about 50 pages or so I go back reading the last paragraph and then the one before that etc until I get to the beginning of the book. It takes a lot of time.
But just for the record this is what the Rambam advised and my parents and also from what I have seen this makes the most sense. Torah with Derech Eretz.
[I imagine I could have learned Kant or Music, but as it was I was pretty involved with Torah. And I think at least for those years I needed to be involved with Torah all day in order to make any progress at all.]
I also should mention that unless the Rambam had specifically included Physics in the mitzvah of learning Torah, I would not have much motivation for learning it. It is rather the combination of the Rambam along with my parents that convinced me to spend time on it. Otherwise I would have thought it is bitul Torah.
[Bitul Torah is the sin of spending time on anything when you could be spending it on learning Torah. This sin is considered very severe in the Torah and it was certainly a major part of the thinking of the yeshiva world]
One of the best books on Physics I have found to be free. You can find the links on my blog.
As for Musar and Torah the best books of Musar are the Nefesh Hachaim which go into more modern issues like bitul Torah and idolatry. And the Chovot Levavot. But the best idea in terms of Musar is to have a Cheder Musar {Musar Room} like I saw in Netivot. One room that has only Musar books and to get the basic set of Mediaeval Musar and the books of the Gra and the disciples of Reb Israel Salanter.
[I am not saying I have no doubts about this. In fact if I could I would be sitting and learning Torah all the time. Every second. But there were many factors preventing me from this-enough in fact for me t begin to wonder if sitting and learning Torah all day is in fact the best path. But I admit I could be wrong and that the sitting and learning all day is the right thing. I am just saying that for me that path did not work out so well and at some point I found it impossible to follow. So I concluded that the Rambam was right all along. But that might simply mean I was not on the kind of spiritual level necessary to learn Torah all day.]
25.7.16
The barbarians
The barbarians are not at the gates. They are in the gates.
Breaking news out of the town of Ansbach, Germany where authorities have confirmed that a device was responsible for a blast that killed 1 and injured11 12 at a restaurant near a music festival which may have been the target:
Breaking news out of the town of Ansbach, Germany where authorities have confirmed that a device was responsible for a blast that killed 1 and injured
Suspect in #Ansbach bombing was Syrian refugee denied asylum
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