The Cold War was easy to figure out. USA values opposed to Communism. Where ever you were on that spectrum it was easy to see what the issues were. Now things seem a lot more hard to see.

When the issue was  about Communism I at least could read the basic books and see where I held on that issue. [I did not think Communism made much sense. However I did not think it was as terrible as some made it out to be either. The oddest thing in Uman was every single person I meet and asked about how things were back then always told me "Things were better then".]


As for myself, I figure my parents had things right. Be a "mensch" (decent human being). Be self reliant. Basic American values. But they taught by doing and almost never by words. I also ought to add that when the USA needed my Dad he volunteered for the USAF,  and afterwards helped with inventing stuff.  [Infrared Camera, the second camera on the U-2 (not the first team but the second team)) and then the satellites that used Infra red and then laser communication.]
 In any case I hope this gives the basic idea. I mean to say that in the USA there was a set of basic values that are not easy to explain now that most of them have been forgotten.

In terms of trust in God, I would like to add this idea of Kant--that you are not aware of what goes on under the surface of consciousness. You can be aware of what you are now thinking. And you can recall what you were thinking before. But under that surface you do not know what is going on. And I would like to add that you have a certain amount of control over what you are thinking about. While you might not have absolute control all teh time but at least some part of the time , you can control what you are thinking about. So you can think to yourself that God will help you. And you can replace negative thoughts with that positive thought.

Faith and trust depend on one's words.

In terms of trust in God I wanted to mention that Rav Nahman of Breslov says in LeM Vol II, chapter 44 and later the idea that "faith depends on the mouth." [That is,-- saying words of faith in God counts as faith itself, and also brings one to faith. So one has to be very careful never to say words of denying faith-- even if one does not mean them. [The next place this is brought I think is around LeM Vol II. 86.]
So I wanted to add an idea that since we know that faith and trust in God are connected that therefore trust in God also depends on one's words. That is just saying words of trust in God like "God will help me. God will protect me. God will guide me," is in itself counted as trust in God and also brings one to trust even when at first one does not have it.

  The most famous issue concerning trust in God is when does one do "effort" [Hishtadlut]? This is an argument among rishonim [first authorities. i.e. authors from the Middle Ages] And it is a known fact that concerning any argument among rishonim each is "the words of the Living God" so you do not expect to find a resolution. [note 1] [The way this is referred to in Hebrew is "a machloket Rishonim" "argument of first authorities". Once you have gotten to the point something is a Machloket Rishonim that is the resolution of the discussion.]
  For example if you find an argument between the Ri and Rabbainu Tam you do not expect to find a complete solution. You rather expect to find support for one or the other. You never expect to disprove one or the other. If one thinks he has disproved a Rishon that means he is either stupid or insane. [note 2]
  [It would be like today if someone says they can accurately predicate the value of  a stock or the whole stock market in the ten ten years. They simply means the fellow thinks he is a lot smarter than he really is.]
[I do not know the reason for this. It probably has to do with a fact noted by Michael Huemer that the logic of the Middle Ages was always logically rigorous. The problems had to do with the beginning axioms. After the Middle Ages the axioms always sound a lot better but the logic is almost always circular.

Notes:

[note 1] The idea of "these and these are the words of the living God" comes from the Gemara in terms of arguments among the sages of the Gemara or Mishna. The idea is that even if it has been decided that the law is like or or the other, that does not mean the other was wrong. Rather "both are the words of the living God" even though the law was decided by one.]

[note 2] This does not apply to "achronim" people that wrote after the Beit Yoseph [Rav Yoseph Karo].[After the Middle Ages] They can be wrong and often are.

how to encourage devotion towards God while being aware of the pitfalls? My own experience is that Torah scholars tend to be demons. The exception is the true and authentic ones that are learning Torah for it own sake.

Even though I hold highly of the importance of learning and keeping Torah, the trouble is that there are obstacles such as the agents if the dark side. This was clearly the point of Rav Nahman when he referred to the Torah scholars that are demons.  Clearly his intention was to increase devotion to God--not to diminish it. So his question was how to encourage devotion towards God while being aware of the pitfalls? His choice was this approach to openly warn people. This is unusual I admit.

However the only people that I have heard of that take this warning to heart is the Na Nach group.

My own experience is that Torah scholars tend to be demons. The exception is the true and authentic ones that are learning Torah for it own sake.

Trust in God

The two modern books on Trust in God are from Navardok and the Chazon Ish. So based on what I learned from them I have been thinking for about a week what trust in God really means.
I mean to say that it is not the issue of when to do "Hishtadelut" [put out effort to get your needs] and when not. Rather I have wondered what the basic idea of trust is in the first place.
It can not be the thought that God controls events because that is just faith. And it can not be that God controls events in your own life because that is also just faith. But it can not be knowledge that things will be good, because often they are not. So what is it?

I think trust in God means the thought and feeling that "God will help me"  even when reason says He will not or does not care.

[That is here is a case like the idea of Leonard Nelson and Kelley Ross that faith [immediate non intuitive knowledge] is not a faculty of reason and can be counter reason. [Based in Kant about the limits of reason. That leaves Kant with trouble about knowledge that is not based on reason nor empirical evidence. So Fries decided there is a third faculty of knowledge not based on either one. But his approach also had problems until Leonard Nelson modified it. However I forget off hand what the problems were or how they were answered.]

Kelley Ross [The Kant Fries School] is different from Michael Huemer [Intuitionists] but not that very different. With Kelley Ross you have knowledge not based on Reason or senses. Faith. But with Michael Huemer you know things because he expands the role of Reason.

Carl Jung might provide some insight into what Rav Nahman of Breslov meant by Torah Scholars that are demons

The problem that Rav Nahman is pointing out about Torah scholars that are demons is referring to a problem that  exists in the religious world. That the people that are at the top are demons. This filters down into the entire religious world.
I mean to say that Rav Nahman is not saying that every single Torah scholar is a demon. Rather just those at the top.

You would have to understand this I think in the way of Carl Jung about arch types. That is these people start out with human souls. But then they get attracted by the money and  the ability show themselves as experts in Torah. So slowly they lose their human souls and get possessed by an arch type "Torah Scholar Demon".

The idea would be along the lines that Rav Nahman referred to in a different context that the Satan found it difficult to trick and seduce people into evil and so he needed assistants. So he sends his demons to posses the souls of Torah scholars to make his job easier.

{This theme comes from the Zohar and Gemara itself but are mentioned only briefly. Rav Nahman however mentions this throughout the LeM.]


To me it seems that it really ought not to be hard to figure out who is a a true Torah scholars from the realm of holiness. Off hand it ought to be simple. Anyone following the straight path of Torah--i.e the path of the Gra and Rav Shach is from the realm of holiness. And I really would go with this assessment except for the trouble that somehow it seems the Dark Side has managed to infiltrate even the straight and narrow Torah world of the path of the Gra. So a simple assessment seems no longer possible. [I myself had a great time in both Litvak yeshivas that I went to, but if things are the same today as back then I am not so sure.]