there are parasites in the oceans and seas

 It might seem not all the relevant to this blog but I wanted to mention that there are parasites in the oceans and seas. An example is the teredo. Columbus on his 4th voyage to South America discovered a worm that literally ate up his ships.  Not a single ship was sea worthy after being eaten by that worm. So I wanted to mention that sometimes humans can also encounter parasites when they go to the beach. So what I wanted to mention is that these worms do not like to be squished. If one finds under his skin a parasite, I recommend squishing that area. That is much more effective than applying any type of medicine. בחולין מובא סכנתא חמירא מאיסורא In tractate Hulin it is brought the question why a danger to life was brought up in one discussion.. The answer was danger to human life is more be stressed that prohibitions.

Robert E Lee he sent a letter to the Secretary of War of the North objecting and signed "your humble servant."

 One of the greatest heroes of the Civil Was was Robert E Lee.  When he saw Northern soldiers under orders of General Pope [ a Northern general replacing McClellan]  maintain Nazi tactics [to take rob and plunder and much worse] against the populations of the South, he sent a letter to the Secretary of War of the North objecting and signed "your humble servant." When the shoe was on the other foot- when Southern troops were in control of Pennsylvania, their conduct was exemplary under orders or Robert E Lee. They did not touch the property or belongings of anyone under pain of death.[See the actual order signed by Robert E Lee. ] People in Pennsylvania said they would rather quarter 40,000 troops of the South than 1,000 of the North --their own side! [That was a statement of a Pennsylvanian farmer to a northern reporter.]

black masters slave owners.

 Black people are now enslaving white people. Forcing them to work for them for what is called welfare, but is in fact forced labor--forcing people to work without recompense. So the objection to slavery is not sincere. Rather the objection is that blacks want to be the masters. 

[The goal is a exchange of white masters for black masters.]

z10 music file

 z10 C major  z10 midi  z10 nwc

 History is I think the main reason for the opposition towards Jesus. Especially the expulsion from Spain is certainly foremost in the minds of most Sephardim. Yet learning the actual history of the bitter struggle to rid Spain of Muslim overlords gave me an idea of why Isabella and Ferdinand thought it would be best not to have  a "fifth column" of people that were either active  in helping the Muslims, or at least were certainly on the Muslim side in terms of ideology --thinking (as they still do) the Muslims were not idolaters as they think Christians are.

 

Columbus received his commission to  just as Isabella and Ferdinand were entering Granada, the last stronghold of Muslim rule in Spain. And that is exactly when the decree was issued. I.e. in simple terms the king and queen were not making any distinctions at that time. All enemies had to go.

And as for the idea of Christians being idolatrous has seemed to me less than accurate after learning some of the  books of Avraham Abulafia [a mystic of the middle ages.] [Only printed recently. Mainly he is brought in the Remak [Rav Moshe of Cordova] and Rav Chaim Vital. I saw his books only in microfilm. Later they were printed.]  

So then why would it not be idolatry? You would have to resort to the idea of souls of Emanation [a frequent concept in the Ari/Rav Isaac Luria]. And Emanation is pure Godliness.  

 The major reason why some rishonim [mediaeval authorities] hold one ought to learn Physics and Metaphysics is that they see this as the fulfillment of the commands to love and fear God. So the issue does not depend on talent. Rather they see these two subjects as an integral part of Torah. But as you can see in the Guide for the Perplexed that they were referring to these subjects as understood by Aristotle. But they have gained in the meantime. So I think that today one ought to learn Physics up until String Theory. Metaphysics is a bit less well established --exactly what it includes. I suggest Kant, Fries, Leonard Nelson.  [There is a certain tension between this school of thought and Hegel, but both seem to have good points.]

  Kelley Ross has a  great web site introducing the approach of Kant and Fries 

SPERBER also has a nice essay on this

I can see why the testing system that you find in school is important to some degree. You do not want unqualified people teaching Physics or other subjects. On the other hand, tests can be frustrating and can discourage people. 

My feeling is that everyone can learn Physics and Mathematics, but not everyone can be a physics professor. 

The first thing one needs is the idea that it is important to learn, even for one that is not particularly talented.  Why is it important? Mainly you see this in חובות לבבות ומעלות המידות ומורה נבוכים Obligations of the Hearts, Greatness of Good Character, and the Guide for the Perplexed.

[Ibn Pakuda, Binyamin the doctor, and Rambam/Maimonides.] In particular the Rambam spells it out in the Guide in the parable of the country of the king at the end of vol. III or vol. IV [I forget which].

The next thing one needs is to say the words and go on from beginning to end. That type of fast learning is brought in Gemara, and Ways of the Righteous, and also Rav Nahman of Breslov brings it in Conversations of Rav Nahman 76.

Then the next thing is review. But I have not figured out about review if there is any one method. Myself I go back page by page. But review might have other methods.