e69 midi file [e69 mp3] [e69 nwc format]written in Uman  right before I came to Israel for a year in Netivot I kind of regret that in my learning session with David Bronson we stopped in towards the end of Bava Metzia page 116. I was really hoping to get to page 119 with him because of the astounding fact that he could see into the depths of the sugia almost without trying. page 119 is important because there is the argument about דורשין טעמה דקרא  We go by the reason for the law, not the literal meaning of the words. And even though I was able to learn what Rav Shach had to say about that subject in the Avi Ezri, I still believe that if I merited to learn that subject with Bronson, I would have seen the almost infinite depth in Tosphot. [And also the next page with those important Tosphot.] חבל על דאבדין It is upsetting to lose ideas and understanding of the depths of those sugiot/subjects that I could have learned and shared with others.

 There is a kind of proof that mysticism, as interesting as it might be, leads to the destruction of one's soul. This ironically enough is from the Ari [Rav Isaac Luria himself]  There are three books that explain verses of the Torah from the Ari written by Rav Chaim Vital. At the end of the Torah on the verse יערוף כמטר לקחי [my doctrine will pour/murder like rain] refers to those that learn mysticism before having fulfilled all the conditions of fasting and separation from this world, and also having finished the two Talmuds in depth.

[Is there a solution to this problem? I am not sure. The Shelah [Shnei Luchot Habrit] brings the idea one should not stroll in Pardes unless he has spent most of the day in Gemara. 

 Wyatt Earp decided to get some "culture" , so he and his friend bought a set of Shakespeare. After some time someone asked him what he thought of Shakespeare. Answer: "That feller Hamet was sure talkative. He would not have lasted long in Kansas."

And that of course was the whole issue with Earp. When someone decided to interview him for a book of his life story Earp had only three words he would answer to any question. "Yep", "Nope", and "Don't recall."

I learned this lesson in a different way in the LeM of Rav Nahman, vol I:6 that hold that by silence one merits to his bat zivug. [soul-mate] [Not in so many words but, in a later Torah lesson he says that Torah lesson vol I:6 holds the intensions of Elul and the intensions of Elul are good for finding one's bat zivug.] 

 g3 music file e69

 I do not see how people can distinguish between civilians and military in the Ukraine. My own landlord in the Ukraine said to me openly that if the Russians would ever come there he would sniper them from his windows.

And for many years people that were in the majority in the cities saying privately [to me] that things were better under the Russians.

In the open marketplace I could not find a single person that said things were better under after the fall of the USSR. Everyone that I asked said things were better then, not now.

SO who speaks for the Ukraine? The average women selling their fruit and eggs at the market who always say things were better under Russian rule, or the violent fanatics that threaten to murder anyone who voices support for Russia? 

And I can even say why this was the case--the Ukraine was a kind of  place of no law. Theft is the accepted norm. I can see that Western people that volunteer will be surprized when they find their money and possessions stolen --when they thought they were coming to help the Ukrainians.

 In the book of Job we find God sided with Job, even though he was wrong. Not with Elihu the son the Esau even though he was right.  Elihu had said exactly as the Gemara itself says אין  ייסורים בלי עוון There are no afflictions without sin. So we see it is not what one believes or says that is the key difference. Rather it is what one is, his essence--his deeds.

 [I am referring to the end of the Book of Job where God sides with Job in spite of everything his friends had said was true. 

Acta non verba-actions not words is what matters. 

 שיחו בכל נפלאותיו (speak of all of His Wonders) psalms105 It is hard to imagine that to speak of the wonders of God would not include his wonders in the way He created the Universe. The Laws of Physics. And Rav Nahman clearly had a idea about this saying the there is hidden Torah in the ground. טבעו בארץ שעריה [the gates of Torah sank into the ground. Now the hidden Torah is sunk into the Laws of Physics.] 

[I am referring to one of the last Torah lessons in volume one of the LeM]