to repeat one whole chapter 40 days in a row

In my fervor for learning fast I have not mentioned on my blog another way of learning that I have found effective-the forty days in a row idea. This is not a way to make a lot of progress, but it is a way that when you find some essential kernel in your learning-- to internalize it.  I did this  a few times in Joos's book Theoretical Physics  and also  in math. [Differential equations]This idea I also applied to Tosphot. [That is I would review the same Tosphot or same page of Gemara for a few weeks --every day the same material]

But with Tosphot and or the Chidushei HaRambam of Reb Chaim Soloveitchik I would usually not get up to exactly forty days.

In any case, for a person  like myself, the forty days in a row I have found helps in understanding what I learn, and also in retaining it. [That is to repeat one whole chapter 40 days in a row.]

Torah with Derech Eretz [the way of the Earth, a vocation and manners] especially Math and Physics. Exactly like the Rambam said [concerning Physics and Metaphysics.]

In the Lekutai Moharan Volume 3 chapter 8 it says on Rosh HaShanah to be in an authentic Litvak yeshiva. That is, at any rate, what the language there implies. That "The same thing that is accomplished on Rosh Hashanah is accomplished by being in a true authentic yeshiva with an authentic rosh yeshiva."

In the absence of such a thing I can understand why people come to Uman. But Reb Nachman did not say to come to his grave on Rosh Hashanah. He said to come to his grave for the ten psalms. He never mentioned Rosh Hashanah in connection with his grave.
And after all what counts as an authentic yeshiva? My own experience with yeshivas was in the red. The minus column was generally longer than the profits.[They are after all human institutions, they are not divine.] And besides that my on parents were heavily into Torah with Derech Eretz [the way of the Earth, a vocation and manners] especially Math and Physics. Exactly like the Rambam said [concerning Physics and Metaphysics.]
The weight of the evidence suggests my parents and the Rambam were right. This results in my four point approach: Gemara, Musar, Math, and Physics. In this case the Math and Physics are part of the service of God--not secular.

I have great respect for the Gra and Reb Israel Salanter and the yeshivas founded on their principles but I also have great and greater respect for my parents as the Torah itself demands and they were certainly worthy of that respect. [I do realize there are parents that do not merit much respect, but that is not relevant in my case.] Plus my own experience  suggests something is a bit off in the yeshiva world, and I am sure I am not alone in this awareness. In fact, the entire religious world seems to be a bit insane. So by theory and by experience, I come to this basic path of Torah, Math, and Physics.

(There is something troubling about the entire religious world but it is hard to put my finger on it--or to see exactly what it is. My parents got out of the problem by simply avoiding it altogether and attending a Reform Temple and sending us brothers to public school. This approach makes sense to me except that I think one needs to learn the Oral and Written Law either at home or in some Litvak yeshiva setting and to keep the Torah. But the world of the religious  is certainly farther from Torah than the Reform. It has some kind of kelipa in it.   )

The State of Israel

Dr Kelley Ross  in his essay on Israel is critical of nationalist principle.
But the Alt Right has resurrected the nationalist principle which seems to make sense to me simply based on human nature [super-organism, social meme, natural hierarchy the pecking order.] This seems to go in a Hegelian direction. And Hegel is difficult. Sometimes he is amazingly enlightening and sometimes amazingly infuriating. Still in any case it looks like  nationalism is important.

The Alt Right [Brett Stevens] has noticed that Theodore Herzl was building the idea of a State of Israel on the concept of nationalism. So nowadays when globalism is an obvious failure it seems logical to go back to nationalism as a founding principle.

[Dr Ross is very supportive of the State of Israel but more from an Enlightenment perspective rather than a nationalist principle.]

The thing that to me this all comes down to is Howard Bloom's Lucifer Principle.


The right  however is looking at this more from an ethnic principle while I a thinking more along Howard Bloom's idea of a super-organism based on a social meme--the meme in this case being Law of Moses.[i.e. the Written and Oral Law].

Music for the glory of God

s45 C Major  [this needs editing] s44 E minor Edited I think this new version of s44 is slightly better


s51 D minor 6-8 time

The hiding of God' face

What was pointed out by Nietzsche was really mentioned in the Torah itself--the problem with הסתרת פנים. {The hiding of God' face}. That is at the end of Deuteronomy. This is the reason people go to someone like Bava Sali for guidance or a blessing. It is not because they are unaware that it is better to go to God directly. Rather it is because they have gone to God directly to the best of their ability, and still have not gotten an answer.

It was pointed out to me by David Bronson that Nachmanides gives a support for this idea-that in the verses where it says, "Do not go to magicians or astrologers" -and right after that it says, "but for you God will bring a prophet."

Still what seems to me is that is  a concession to human nature. That is how Maimonides understands many of the commandments in any case.

What makes more sense to be is the idea of going to go in private prayer in a place where no one else is and asking God for his guidance just as if you would have a Bava Sali to ask.

If you have a forest nearby what you could do is make it a daily schedule to jog there and when there to spend time talking with God alone, and then jog back

Western Civilization

Western Civilization is again being invaded by barbarian hordes.

300 Spartans and a certain number of allies [I forgot how many -I think it was about 2000] stopped the Persian invasion of Helles which was close to 3 million men. It happened once. I can happen again.


 It was in fact about one Spartan per 10,000 Persian soldiers. We know the number of Persians because Xerxes made a closure that would contain 10,000 men exactly. and thus he counted his invading army. The amazing thing was a king of Sparta that had been kicked out and was advising  Xerxes told he that his army against 300 Spartans was not even a contest.[In fact the only reason the Spartans finally fell was someone betrayed their flank.]

"No problems without sin."

I realize the path of repentance is far from me. How do I know this? Well two things. One is everything in my life fell apart at a certain point, and we know from the Torah that, "There are no problems without sin." [Even though the book of Job infers differently, still this seems to be the basic approach of the Torah.]


The way that Reb Shmuel Berenbaum [the Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir yeshiva in NY] dealt with almost any problem was this, "Learn Torah."  That was his cure all for every type of difficulty that anyone brought before him. [That went along with his emphasis on not speaking Lashon Hara(slander). See the book, Chafetz Chaim for details. A very important book I might add.]

What seems right about this idea of "Learning Torah"is that, in fact, I think that repentance involves finding a basic set of rules of conduct and sticking with them. Certainly anything that I am doing wrong or have done wrong is mentioned somewhere in Oral and Written Law. In any case, I certainly have not found out what I am doing wrong.

Note: The subject of "No problems without sin" is an argument in the Talmud. But the conclusion is "There is death without sin, but never problems without sin." This comes up in Tractate Shabat.

[Even though I realize I must be far off the mark there are still a number of basic principles I have tried to stick with. Even though I realize they do not really count as true repentance for whatever I have done wrong, still they are I think good ad hoc measures, [i.e. good for the needs of the hour..]
(1) Speak the truth at all cost (2) Learn Torah , the Written and Oral Law (3) Ten Commandments, (4) the Golden Rule [Do unto other as you would have others do unto you.]..

[Some might think religious fanaticism is the answer. What religious fanatic does not think he has the absolute truth? However I never saw any good come from religious fanaticism-never. It just takes people away from the more important aspects of Torah like obligations between man and his fellow man.]