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"devekut" (attachment with God)

There is an aspect of "devekut" (attachment with God) that comes by learning Torah. And that mainly happens in the context of straight Torah. A slight deviation leaves that effect and even brings one to harm. Now by straight Torah I mean mainly Gemara Tosphot and Rishonim [Mediaeval authorities].
But it can include akhronim also like the Maharsha and the Avi Ezri.

Now why I bring this up is that we see in the Torah itself there is a commandment to be attached to God [Deuteronomy 30:20] and that leaves one wondering how to go about that.
The disciple of the Gra in the Nefesh HaHaim goes into great length showing in fact how learning Torah does bring God's light down into all the worlds. [He brings it from several places in the Chazal].
And I think most people in straight Litvak yeshivas in fact feel this devekut thought it is not talked about at all.
Perhaps the reason it is not talked about is spirituality can get easily sidetracked.
So as a side effect, devekut is certainly there in Litvak yeshivas. But because of the danger that accompanies any overt effort or open effort in spiritual directions, that aspect of learning Torah is downplayed.

I would like also to expand this idea of learning Torah to include the wisdom of God in Creation as most Rishonim say. That means the obligations of the heart and the rambam and others

devekut attachment with God connected with learning the Ari-  learning the Ari is in itself learning Torah.

I like Kant a lot and I think his questions were  good most people did not accept his answers. That left room for immediate non intuitive knowledge of Fries and Leonard Nelson.  But even Reid accepted the old world view that our mind is form without matter was not really the best approach. The questions brought up by Descartes,and Berkeley he did not really answer except to say that common sense shows our we our we do have knowledge of the objective world. I

Why electricity is allowed on Shabat

I just wanted to mention why electricity is allowed on Shabat. It is not fire which is an oxidation process. [Electricity is  a flow of electrons.] And it is not building, nor fixing a vessel. It is simply turning on a light. That is not the same thing as fixing a light.
[What the fixation of the religious is about this I have no idea. It seems that they have to defend the idea turning on a light is forbidden at all cost with no support from the Gemara or Rishonim. If only they would have the same fixation about things that the Gemara actually does say!

[ I wrote  long blog on this a long time ago in more detail. I had heard about the Chazon Ish but did not have the chance to look at his book on this issue until I got back to the Mir in NY and there looked at it. I was impressed, but then talked with Rav Nelkenbaum about it and he said  that the Chazon Ish was simply not right. I had no idea what he meant at first but then I realized what that  must have meant. That is : you have to squeeze the Chazon Ish into the Gemara. It does not come out of the Gemara itself. You have to make up your own idea why electricity must be forbidden and then try to fit it into the Gemara.]

Later someone showed to me the book of the disciple of the Chazon Ish [Rav Aurbach] that also says electricity is not building nor fixing a vessel.


The main reason why the religious are fixated about this is it makes them feel superior to others while also helping to divert attention from things that the Torah actually does require.

Sukka.

Sukka. The covering needs to be more shade than sun. But to what hour of the day does that refer? If when the sun gets up in the morning, the shade will  be vast. If at midday it will be minuscule.

Rav Ovadiah Joseph did a great thing a few years back when he noted that the sheets they use for the walls flap in the wind. So you need the three small ropes on the side lower areas  to count as walls.

obsession with religion is the primary trait of a schizoid personality.

To clarify a previous post: There is nothing wrong with being religious. Fear of God is a great thing. But there is some kind of aspect of balance of values that one needs. And that balance is what the Torah itself says.

Sapolsky [Stanford University] also mentions that obsession with religion is the primary trait of a schizoid personality.

I thought to mention that getting the right kind of orientation right away in the morning seems like a good idea to me. So to start the day with one of the classical books of Ethics like Obligations of the Heart [חובות לבבות] or any other of the books of Musar seems important to me. [That is the Mesilat Yesharim, Gates of Repentance, Ways of the Righteous etc.]
This is what I try to do myself in order to get my mind set straight right at the beginning of the day.