t59 written May 24, 2017 in Uman [That was a year before I had to escape, since it was becoming exceedingly violent. I barely escaped with my life.] 

 I have no hard data about this but I think most Jews that came to the USA before WWII were mostly interested in STEM.  The natural sciences.  This might have just been the natural tendency. For example, my dad went into STEM. [His parents had come to the USA right after WWI. ] Why? I think it was  the influence of his older brother Alex. But did their parents mention this to them, or was it just something that they wanted to do? Violin also. I know my own father was contemplating either a career as a violinist or in STEM. But after those first generations, the interest seems to have waned. Why is this? I think because people are not aware of the statement of the Gra [brought by his disciple Baruch of Shkolev] that "According to the lack of knowledge in any one of the seven wisdoms, one will lack hundred fold more in understanding of Torah."  

[The seven wisdoms are not actually STEM, but that would be the modern equivalent.]

When I was in Polytechnic learning Physics, I recall a lot of the the professors were Jewish, but what really got my attention was when I had some complicated problem, the professors were not around, I went to a bunch of Asian students. And they solved my problem in an instant. 

 

 What is the problem with השקפה world view. It is too easy to talk about it for hours without knowing anything. And this is the major problem in the religious world.  They can talk endlessly about "Hashkafa" without the slightest idea of Gemara, Rashi and Tosphot.

It is false religion that pretends to be authentic Torah.

Thank God there were people like Rav Kinyevsky or Rav Shach to set people straight about what Torah is really about. But the general religious world follows "Torah Scholars that are demons," [in that memorable phrase from Rav Nahman.] [If Rav Nahman had come into the world just for that phrase, it would be enough.]]תלמידי חכמים שדיים יהודאיים{LeM I:12 and I:28},-- or that other one רברבי עשו [LeM I:8]

In the commentary of the Gra on Proverbs, it brings the idea that a person needs no effort at all -[perhaps even without Trust in God. This seems to be unclear/]. This is based on Rosh Hashana 26b. "The People in the study hall did not know the meaning of the verse 'Throw on the Lord your burden and he will support you.' They thought that one should trust in God and also do effort. However that did not fit the verse which should have said, 'your needs'. What is the 'burden' [in a language that means 'things that you ask for'. ] Then they saw the event with Raba Bar Bar Chana who was walking and carrying a burden. A merchant came by and said, 'Put your burden on my camel.' Then the people in the study hall said, 'We see that even for what a person has to pay for, if it is from Heaven, people will beg to do it for him.'" 

 

I do not know when one should trust, and when one should do effort. But in my own life, doing effort always backfires. So I try to trust in God for everything as much as I can.--That means, I try to minimize the efforts, and instead to trust that what is decreed for me, will come to me, whether I like it or not. 

However I should add that "kollel" is not the same thing as trust in God. Kollel is using Torah to make money. However you might find some permission for that. Okay. But that still does not mean it is trust in God. It is openly using Torah as a means to make money. Let us not mince words about it.

 I would have to root for the Ukraine since I have an endless debt of gratitude for the many people there that helped me when I needed help. The details are not important, but the fact of the matter is that people went far beyond their means to help me in all sorts of difficult situations when I needed help.y life.

 z69 music file.  It seems to me that this piece is basically done-for now. But certainly it will need later editing. So I present it as it is, on condition that people that listen will forgive me for rough spots.

 I know that when I first saw the path of learning of Rav Nahman--saying the words and going on, I mentioned this to Motti Freifeld [the son of Shelomo Freifeld, the founder of the great Litvak yeshiva Shar Yashuv]. Motti was adamant that Review is the only proper path. And to a large degree you see this in Litvak yeshivot--deep intense learning. and tons of review.

So doing "just saying the words and going on", I could not do since by that I understood zilch. But the intense sort of deep learning you have in the great Litvak Yeshivot I also had no idea how to get to that.

So I had a sort of compromise to say every section of the Gemara and Tosphot twice--and then go on. Eventually I added the Maharasha and Pnei Yehoshua. and since these were hard to get at all, I used to review them about ten times or more.

After some time has gone by, I can see the importance of both methods: fast learning and slow painstaking in depth.

[For the kind of in depth learning in the Litvak Yeshivot it is helpful to have a learning partner with a computer like mind [like  I had for awhile, David Bronson]. Without him, it takes a lot more time "to calculate the sugia" [the calculate the subject.] as they call it in Israel. For those like me that are more or less on our own in learning, I recommend getting as many of the books of the great Litvish sages from Rav Chaim of Brisk up to Rav Shach. -]