R.Yochanan said an idol that broke by itself is forbidden for use. Reish Lakish said it is allowed [to use. [e.g. to sell.]
The Gemara [avoda zara 41b] asks on R.L. from a mishna that a ground up idol is forbidden. Answer: a decree from the scribes since it might be found and used. Rather it must be thrown into the sea.
Ritva: the same question of the Gemara applies to R Yohanan. [meaning the case RY allows it i.e. when the idolater  himself nullifies it. Answer: יאוש שלא מדעת אינו יאוש giving up without knowledge is not giving up.
Rav Shach notes that this causes the original question of the Gemara to revert to RL without the benefit of the answer of the gemara.
He answers that both RL and RY agree that in fact an idol that broke by itself is no longer an idol from the Torah. All one can do is perhaps have a decree to forbid it.
My question here is that the original question of the Gemara assumes if a ground up idol is still forbidden then all the more so with the pieces still in tact. I simply am not sure how this was answered.

For some reason people do not take the problem with idolatry seriously. Clearly this was the reason the Gra signed the famous letter of excommunication and yet that fact is universally ignored.

The major reason the Gra signed the letter of excommunication clearly is because of the problem with idolatry. The problem with worshiping a corpse is certainly no worse than worshiping a statue.

And just because people put on black clothing is that supposed to imply that somehow or other that is equivalent to keeping the holy Torah? Or supposed to make them smarter or superior to others?
So we can surely see the Gra was right  and it is about time to start paying attention even though it is a bit late. Better late than never. The reason is the effects of ignoring idolatry is still with us.
And it is not just idolatry. Worship of the Sitra achra [Dark Side] is surely a more severe kind of idolatry.

"All men are created equal" is a fiction but very often believing a fiction is better than not doing so.
After all the fact that this is the core belief of the USA is better than the opposite that people are created unequal which opens to door to not nice things. You do want to treat people according to their actions.

And this is  a general principle. Sometimes believing in  a fiction can be helpful since it will help protect you from other fictions that might be much worse.

Rav Avraham Abulafia held that Jesus was not just a tzadik [saint], but more than a tzadik. But not to the degree of any kind of way that Christians believe. Rather the Seal of the sixth day.
Clearly his approach towards the Catholic church shows that in itself. [Not just his going to debate with the pope but also in places in his writings he is highly negative towards the church.] On the other hand. So as opposed towards his attitude towards the Catholic church, his attitude towards Jesus himself was very positive.
The basic idea is this: There are souls which come from the world of Emanation. Plenty. The Avot (Patriarchs) Moshe, Aaron, Joseph, David, Rav Haim Vital.  But most saints are from lower worlds. For example the children of Jacob the patriarch were all from the world of the Divine Throne [Creation.]
Regular souls of people are usually from any one of the lower worlds Creation, Formation, the Physical Universe.

One major difference between Emanation and the lower worlds is that Emanation is אלקות Divine.

Professor Moshe Idel has written plenty on Abulafia and other stream of ecstatic mystics from the Middle Ages so that would be the place to look for more information.`
[One way of understanding the insights of Rav Abulafia would be by non intuitive immediate knowledge of Leonard Nelson and Kelley Ross. That is a kind of knowledge that does not depend on experience nor on reason.

w92 B Flat major

Whites did not make it because of advantages.

Africa had resource advantages, unlimited agriculture and minerals  While no other land was as desolate as Northern Europe--nothing but solid ground and trees along with lots of ice. That is all Europe had until Whites came.  So it is lack of advantages that led Europe to success. In fact I have asked myself why did Whites go to Europe in the first place? Were there not lots of resources in southern lands where the human race came from? Perhaps they were driven out? That is the only answer that makes sense to me. So whites made it in spite of adversity.
So what I predict is that now also they will succeed even they are being driven out and people seek to destroy them. They will succeed because of adversity.


Here is a nice example what Western Civilization has created:


Take your pick of pics of riots and attempts to destroy American cities to show the contrast,
For example: Take this picture for a prime example of "Black is Beautiful".

Which one do you prefer?

The sages said: one who does a kindness for whom that does not recognize it is as if they threw a stone at Markulis. If slaves have no gratitude for being freed, it would have been better not to free them.

Often you hear Christians say that slavery is inherently unjust.But such a stupid mistake can not have happened in the Middle Ages when people like Aquinas were rigorous and logical. But since the Christian world has forgotten about learning the Torah with painstaking exactitude they have fallen into a really ridiculous position and now are reaping the rewards.\
For Christians believe that a law of the Torah is wrong and unjust. In the Civil War, the North was highly committed to this even to the degree of murdering 1/2 a million Southerners based on the proposition that the North knew better. [As if murder is not also  a prohibition.]
Now this issue has nothing to do with the question if Christians are obligated to keep the Law of God. That has nothing to do with it. Rather the issue is they are saying that a law of the Torah is unjust and that they know better than God what is right and wrong.

Just for a reminder to myself and others that might have forgotten about the subject let me just mention here that there are two kinds of slaves. A Hebrew slave and a gentile slave. The verses in Exodus after the Ten Commandments refer to buying a Hebrew slave. The subject of a gentile slave comes up in other places. But in short the idea that a slave goes free after 6 years is referring to a Hebrew slave. A gentile slave never goes free unless his master frees him by receiving money [not anything the value of money, but actual silver coins. Not even dollar bills which are in the eyes of the Torah just documents שטרי הדיוט. A Hebrew slave can be freed if his master accepts either money or objects that have the value of money]--or he can write a document that frees the slave.
So I suggest to people that they should not submit. Do not let the slaves take over.
The sages said:
one who does a kindness for whom that does not recognize it is as if they threw a stone at Markulis.
If slaves have no gratitude for being freed, it would have been better not to free them. [Markulis is a predecessor to Mercury but his worship was different. The way of service was to throw stones at it.]

And if they come to attack you, I recommend to take the most drastic measures possible to protect your person, home and property. Stand your ground and never give in. Never accept their narrative as if you did something wrong. Giving in a little now will mean giving in a lot more later on.

[Also I want to recommend to people to stop looking at the news and getting upset. Rather get a shot gun and sit home and learn Torah. The reason a shot gun is important is that it is easier to hit a target with a shot gun than with any other kind of weapon.]