Consciousness traps

 Consciousness traps abound. They are like little hooks to that have bait. They are meant to capture one's mind. They work by helping to solve some problem. Then you think, "Well since they helped with that, then they must be able to help with more things."  Then one is caught. Zohar is like that. One might get impressed with some statement or other and then get pulled in by the hook. The hook that is hidden inside the bait. 

So then how does one discern good from evil. By Reason. Not faith in statements that are charismatic but have little or no substance. 

Reason is not a strong guide -because it is most often instrumental Reason.  Still it is the sole way of discerning objective morality. For objective morality is a set of universals. And universals are properties that individual things have in common. And the only way to discern them is by reason.  For that is the major characteristic of reason to see the common traits among thing -the synthetic a priori of Kant. Things that are known, but not known by observation. And morality are rules that are known [like: do not murder for the fun of it] but they are not known by observation. That is you can not know an "ought""from an is". You can see an "IS". It might look horrible. But that does not imply an "ought". To know something is wrong is not by observation but by reason that can see universal principles

A consciousness trap is something you need to be wary of for you must now yourself-you area human being. and flawed. It is too easy to get pulled into something evil by the appearance of its being great and holy.

What is the difference between an Afghan seeking refuge and Ukrainian seeking refuge? The second will not rape your children, and try to convert you to Islam Sharia Law, or if you do not accept, then kill you. The difference is clear. אין אדם גר עם נחש בכפיפה אחת  A Gemara brings the idea that a person can not dwell with someone else that is trying to hurt them. 

There is a reason not to bring into your home someone that will try to destroy it.

 I think it is proper to mention something that I have said before-but merits repeating. I had outstanding medical care in Uman, in the Ukraine. I mean outstanding. This was over years. The only incident I wrote about was the event where I broke my foot. Local people called an ambulance and brought me to the hospital and there they gave me a whole series of tests blood, etc, etc. And a bed and meals. And never once asked about payment.  And when I offered to pay, no one wanted to hear about it. [Later I paid something for extra materials. But normally they never charge for anything.] ]The doctor came in in the morning and they took x rays. The amount of dedication to doing a good job was palpable. I can walk today thanks to God and his special angelic messengers at the local hospital. Segei Alexivitch the doctor, and Irina the nurse that held my hand during the operation to comfort me [I asked her to because I was frightened] and the woman doctor in charge of anesthetics that was super careful to give just the right amount, not too much as in general, not too little.

But this is one event from others. Eg the Country Hospital район Больница [as different from the city one] also the two times I was there was amazing.  The doctor himself I recall was trained in Denipr where there is (as I understand) a very great medical training school.  Why was I there? Because after breaking my foot I was bed ridden for some time I was not moving about at all. So my Stomach began to hurt with pain that I had never felt before. We went to the Rayon Bolniza region hospital and they checked on me. They saw the problem, gave me some medicine and within a minute, the pain was gone.

But one thing I have to mention. No doctor in Uman ever wanted anything to do with experimental medicine. Nothing new. Nothing not needed. drugs that had not been around for many decades were not ever considered.

 The problem with Intelligent Design is that it attributes God's direct intervention in the process. The problem with Evolution is that by definition, it can not be directed. It has to be random mutations. Only the ones that fit better with their environment survive.  Neither consider that God's direct intervention is not in all places and always at the same time. You can see this in the Hagadah of Passover that in the last plague it was God, no angel. That means much of the time, God' intervention is through angels. As the Rambam puts it in the Guide God's direct השגחה פרטית Direct Providence is only on the intellectuals. [As horrifying as that sounds].

Thus what we see in evolution is that Divine Reason permeates everything. That this Divine Reason is the reason that the world is not a chaotic mess. This is obviously from Plotinus with Logos being the middle Emanation, but with Hegel developing the idea further.

I think to share this link to videos on mathematics from Harpreet.

 The reason I share this is I realize that learning math just from textbooks is like learning to play the violin from a textbook. It just does not work. You need to hear it from a teacher.  אבדתם את הנעשה. אחוז בנשמע "You lost the 'We will do'. So now hold onto 'we will hear'" [Midrash]

 I have not written about Gemara for a long time because I have been confused about a certain issue. This is Ula in Bava Batra 26 b -a person that has a tree within 16 amot  [arm's breath] of the boundary if his property with that of his neighbor can not bring first fruits.  The Gemara brings then R. Yochanan who concludes  he can because על מנת כן הנחיל יהושוע את הארץ. The issue that has been bothering me is that this is subject to an argument between Rabbainu Chananel and Tosphot. Tosphot obviously holds that between Ula and R Yochanan there is no doubt that if he bought three trees, he gets 16 amot around them and even more if they extend further. The only issue here is that there is just one tree. But to Rabbainu Chananel the law is not like Ula at all. Not just because of R Yochanan, but also because of R Yosi that one can plant a tree right at the boundary itself.

The actual Gemara brings Ula אמר עולא אילן הסמוך למיצר חבירו ט''ז אמה אינו מביא ביכורים גזלן הוא because of roots the extend that far. 

 There was a surfing competition that just finished here yesterday. Morocco won first prize. [There was four in all. two for men and two for women.] [The winners I think were also from France, Germany and Portugal.] The water here is crystal clear. But on occasion with stormy weather or rain the overflow in the sea makes the sea muddy. I thought about this problem and thought to myself I have never heard of such a problem in the USA. So there must be some solution. Then it occurred to me the the runoff water from the city should be directed into a large pipe that would be laid out for about a half a kilometer into the depths of the sea.  I mean to say that I think this would solve other problems also. It is not just the mud in the water but sometimes other kinds of parasites can get too close to the shore--being attracted by the run off. \

Why you ask do I put this on my blog. ונשמרתם מאוד לנפשותיכם The Gemara brings this verse to show that one is required to take care of his physical health.