One is not allowed to mention the name of an idol and certainly not to swear an oath by an idol. Now for a regular prohibition of the Torah one gets lashes. [That is the punishment unless something else is stated openly.] But here things are a little different. One who swears by an idol has not done an act. The Gemara in Sanhedrin 63 side A says the opinion that one gets lashes for swearing by an idol is coming like R Yehuda who holds one can get lashes even for a prohibition that does not have an act. 

The Rambam brings that one does get lashes for this and the Raavad asks that that is only like R. Yehuda. But the law is not like R. Yehuda but rather R Yose who held one does not get lashes for a prohibition that does not have an act. 

Rav Shach answers that Rabin who stated the original version of the law before the Gemara made its corrections to his statement said simply one does not get lashes for a prohibition that does not have an act except swearing and vowing. [And that original statement was said according to the law which is like R Yose. And the way that original statement was said involved not just swearing a false oath but also swearing in the name of an idol.]

I am trying to figure out what possible reason the Rambam would have had to ignore the correction of the Gemara.

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 "The evil inclination is dressed in mitzvot". [This is from the LeM of R.Nahman of Breslov. vol I. perek 1. ] The Satan never comes to  a person and says come and do a sin. Rather it is always "come and do a mitzvah." But hidden in the mitzvah is some poison that is unseen. You you this same idea in the commentary of the Gra on Mishlei in the beginning where the evil inclination comes and says: "Come and bring peace offerings."

So my approach is to avoid anything and everything that has any connection with the religious world unless it is straight from the Gra  according to the approach of Rav Shach and Rav Kinyesvsky. [The trouble is the aspect of the trojan horse that has seeped and infiltrated everything in the religious world] 

Without the Litvak approach based on the Gra, one lacks the backbone

 I see sometimes in the books of Rav Nahman statements that need to be taken with a grain of salt. His approach is basically to get to the core essence of Torah. But that is not to say that his approach is the whole shebang. Without the Litvak approach based on the Gra, one lacks the backbone [the structure]. It would be like a a person with no bones. 

the emphasis of the Litvak world was to learn in depth along the lines of Rav Haim of Brisk and Rav Shach.

 Rav Nahman has in one Torah lesson the idea that when one finds that he learns but does not understand the advice is to shout  the words. On occasion I have tried that myself and it works, but it seems to be advice for occasions that present the opportunity to do so. Because in general, I find it simpler to take the basic path of learning of Rav Nahman of just saying the words and going on more practical.

Also Rav Nahman did bring the idea of review both in the LeM and Sefer HaMidot. But clearly according to the Conversations of Rav Nahman 76, that is only a part time affair. Still I want to bring one way of review that I have tried and seems to work for me. As I progress through a book, I go one page forward and then keep my place and then review all the way back to the beginning. Then I go one more page forward and then from that new place also review back to the beginning. 

[But I should add that there were different ideas of how to learn in depth in Shar Yashuv in NY and the Mir in NY. But in any case, the emphasis of the Litvak world was to learn in depth along the lines of Rav Haim of Brisk and Rav Shach. [That is a more global approach than the previous achronim later authorities [like the Pnei Yehoshua and Maharsha] that concentrate more on local issues.]

Slander [lashon hara]

Slander [lashon hara] is causing damage. That is the main issue. This fact can get obscured within all the details you find in the Hafez Haim. In lesser degrees of severity comes the points of the Hafez Haim that speaking even truth  that results in damage that would not happen if judged in court is lashon hara pliss all the other conditions. [There are 7 condition altogether to be able to say something negative about someone else. In issues of between man and his fellow man. In issues of between man and God the conditions are not the same but seem to be related.]

Rehilut is different. That is causing hatred between people. That is not the same thing as lashon hara.

In any case, the point of the Hafez Haim that lashon hara is dived into between man and fellow man and man and God does not come out of this principle-of causing damage. [Causing damage to one's reputation is also causing damage.]

[There however is a sort of balance in that to warn others of to stay away from evil people is a positive command. And the prohibition of lashon hara does not forbid that. Thus the letter of excommunication of the Gra is important to abide with since it in fact warns us of danger that we would not know otherwise. In fact it would be hard to know without the warning of the Gra and Rav Shach.]

When at the Mir there was a sort of emphasis on not speaking lashon hara [slander]. I noticed this in a few ways. One was that right after the morning prayers there were people that had a small session in learning two laws per day in the book about the laws of slander [Hafez Haim]. Also I noticed a general emphasis on this particular law in the daily conduct of most people pus the roshei yeshiva. 

There was another specific emphasis on laws about monetary matters.

And these two points were in addition to the general atmosphere of emphasis on learning Torah.

So looking back on that period I think it is clear why I and so many others look back on our time at the Mir as a golden age.