Belief in God is rational. Everything has a cause. So unless there is a first cause, then you would have an infinite regress. And then nothing could exist. Therefore there must be a first cause. Therefore God, the first cause, exists. QED.
28.12.21
Not a good idea to conquer Taiwan
A Passover offering can only be a male. So let's say one consecrates a female for a Passover offering and she gives birth to a male. This is one of those issues where the Rambam seems to contradict the Gemara directly.
27.12.21
the idea of learning Torah as being the highest ideal.
I think is a sad fact that people do not have the idea of learning Torah as being the highest ideal. This is an essential approach of the Litvak world [based on the Gra]. But I have wondered about how this fits with other aspects of Torah. For example, attachment with God? Or other things in Torah which seem to be prime values.
One is the land of Israel. That is after all an open verse [in Deuteronomy in the section called the Section on Fear.] "Do all these commandments in order that you should come to the Land and dwell in the Land."
Also the sages of Musar pointed out that great importance of good character. This comes even before the commandments as it says to walk in His ways and to keep his commandments. The first thing in the verse comes first in preference as we see in the seven types of fruit that the Land Of Israel was praised for.
Plus, I have also noted that the command to learn Torah is wider than is thought [because to some Rishonim it includes Physics and Metaphysics]. And it more narrow than what it thought because as the Rambam says Just like there is no adding or subtracting from the written Law so there is no adding or subtracting from the Oral Law. "That means the only things that are authentic Torah are the Old Testament the two Talmuds, and the various midrashei Halacha an Midrashei Agada. So anything written after about 500 AD does not count as Torah.
26.12.21
defending Taiwan.
There is a kind of difference between democracies. While I can see the importance of supporting democracy, that does not mean the same thing everywhere. So to give one example I can see the importance of defending Taiwan. Some might object because of the USA involvment in Vietnam. But that is not the same thing as defending South Vietnam. (It was about as a corrupt democracy as one could imagine. Thar is exactly why many people in South Vietnam supported the North.) Others might object to the USA involvment in Afghanistan. But defending Taiwan is not same thing as trying to create a Democracy in Afghanistan.
[ I am referring to the problem that China seems intend on conquering Taiwan like it did Hong Kong. What is it that I have against Communism? It is that not everyone that claims to be exploited has been exploited. Some have and some have not. If you attribute validity to anyone who claims to have been exploited, you end up with the way the USA is becoming nowadays.]
Even though there is a lot of great insights and advice in the books of Rav Nahman, still there area few areas where there is a problem. The idea of "graves of the righteous" seems to be problematic.
Even though there is a lot of great insights and advice in the books of Rav Nahman, still there area few areas where there is a problem. The idea of "graves of the righteous" seems to be problematic. See the Nefesh Hachaim of Rav Chaim of Voloshin [a major disciple of the Gra] that one that intends to tie his soul with even the greatest of saints is doing idolatry.
There is some aspect of "being connected with the soul of a tzadik" that is a problem. And even more so the soul of a saint who has died.
The reason is there is a sort of "kelipa" [force of uncleanliness] that is attached to people that have died. {Normally this is called the "angel of death".} So we hope the souls of our loved ones who have passed on have found a better world to exist in. But in this world, there is a sort of uncleanliness that is attached to the dead. You might take a look at the Book of Numbers to see this and also in the Mishna Seder Taharot, tractates Kelim and Tents.
On the other hand there is plenty of advice in the books of Rav Nahman that I find to be indispensable. sine qua non. [Private talking with God, method of learning, etc.]
23.12.21
To Ibn Pakuda and the Rambam there is an aspect of math and physics which come under the category of "Learning Torah."
To me it seems that the IUT Inter- Universal Teichmuller Theory and also the Scholze Langland's Program connection between Geometry and Algebra are important advances. But I do not have anything to say about either since I am involved in trying to study both. [That is even though recently I decided to quit the study of the Langland's program in order to have a bit more time to look into IUT.
Why is this important? u might ask. Answer: To Ibn Pakuda and the Rambam there is an aspect of math and physics which come under the category of "Learning Torah."
This is seen in Chovot Levavot Gate of Behina chapter 3, and in the Mishna Torah concerning the idea of dividing one's learning time into three parts. And right there the Rambam says "the things called Pardes [ field of fruit trees] are included in Gemara" and he defined "Pardes" in the first four chapters of Mishna Torah as Physics and Metaphysics. There however, it is possible to mistake his intension. But In the Guide for the Perplexed his intension is much more clear.
[I am starting to see that Shinichi Mochizuki's IUT is built on a lot of previous results that I need to work through.]]