10.6.15
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.
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.
9.6.15
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.
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.]
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.
mathematics [mathematics in midi format] i31 [i31 in midi forat]
mathematics [mathematics in midi format] i31 [i31 in midi forat]
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.
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.
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