People are not thinking of idolatry as a problem but to me it is the most serious problem. see Deuteronomy 17. But I suppose that if it is Jewish idolatry that makes it ok. so the cult that the Gra signed the letter of excommunication on is just a much idolatry as if they were worshipping some Hindu god.

the way of learning fast --amazing pieces of advice the Gemara is the way of learning fast [which is actually stated openly in the Gemara Shabat page 63. לעולם לגרס אנש אף על גב משכח ואף על גב דא ידע מאי קאמר שנאמר גרסה נפשי לתאווה כי תורך אהבתי

 One of the most amazing pieces of advice the Gemara is the way of learning fast [which is actually stated openly in the Gemara Shabat page 63. לעולם לגרס אנש אף על גב משכח ואף על גב דא ידע מאי קאמר שנאמר גרסה נפשי לתאווה כי תורך אהבתי "One should always learn fast, even though he forgets, and even though he does not even know what he  saying"][And this is brought at length in the Musar book Ways of the Righteous.]]And this came in very helpful to me while I was in two great Litvak Yeshivot the Mir in NY and Shar Yahuv. Both emphasize in depth learning --which on one hand is great. But on the other hand I was not  making much progress. The way  is just to say the words in order and go on, and I found that this with trust in God that I would eventually understand did help me a lot.  I know it does not take the place of the deep sort of learning of the Litvak Yeshivot, still this fact kind of learning did help me a lot and even came in useful when I went to the Polytechnic Institute of NYU. After  all I had not been in Physics for a long time and had even forgotten high school math, so this  way of learning did help me catch up.[ In fact even in high school I hardly did any math at all, So even just to get into the physics program in the first place I had a ton of work just to catch up.] and even now a few years later I still do this fast kind of learning.

Before I went to prepare, I did not even recall how to divide fractions. I did that fast sort of learning that  and got through Trig and Calculus. When classes started, I was up to speed. But then I needed to the in depth sort of learning of the Litvak world that goes by the Gra. And so I still hold one needs some sessions to learn fast,, and other sessions for in depth.    

 There were amazing experiences in Uman, Ukraine for me. The best was I had a learning partner by the ziun of Rav Nacham who had that way of learning that had almost been forgotten. And it might already be lost. It is a sort of learning that gets into the hidden layers of depth in the Tophot and Gemara. Maybe one just needs the right sort of head for it. This is very different from the sort of in deep learning which is done today which is based on Rav Chaim of Brisk. That usually sees the argument between Tosphot and the Rambam and tries to find the reason for the Rambam. While this is also important, still it misses the depths of Tosphot. Eventually I decided to return to Israel, but I still feel a great debt of gratitude to all the wonderful people there that helped me in so many way. 

 The basic approach of the Gra and the Litvak yeshivot is learning Torah  and trust in God. These two reinforce each other. So when one is spending all day and night in the yeshiva learning Torah one is not thinking about parnasa [making a living]. One tries to walk in this path for his yeshiva years and then  gets married and goes with that same idea that as long as one learns Torah and serves God, God will take care of the needs of his family. So in essence, trust in God is at the very centre of the Learning Torah idea.

On a large scale this is not in practice. but on the individual scale it is. one can still trust and God and God does take care of one.

 For really hard core Litvaks, there is almost no value in learning unless it is learning in depth. This I saw in Shar Yashuv in particular, But at the Mir and many other Litvak yeshivot, the afternoon is devoted to learning bekiut [fast learning].  So as a compromise, I learned every paragraph twice and went on. After all, I had not the intellectual tools to go in depth.  But eventually, I found myself learning with David Bronson in Uman, and his natural ability to see into the depths of Tosphot and the Gemara opened up for me the whole concept of learning in depth. But my learning with him came to an end. 

 For many people like me, I think the best thing is the combination of having some session in depth [review ten times of every thing, and learning the rishonim/early authorities and achronim/later authorities on the sugia (subject)] and another for fast learning. 

Also I would like to add here an idea that the real learning comes by listening to an expert. Rav Nahman brings this idea based on a Midrash that says this: Klal Israel [the House of Israel] at Sinai when offered the commandments said, "We will listen and do." But later they made the Golden Calf. Then God now says to us :"You have lost the we will do. So now at least hold onto we will listen."  Now Rav Nahman explain that saying the words yourself is "doing." But  we have lost that. That means learning yourself is not very effective.  Effective learning happens only by listening.

 Z92

The Rambam writes [Laws of Shkalim 1:2] הרמב''ם כותב [הלכות 'שקלים א הלכה ב]

הרמב''ם כותב [הלכות שקלים א' הלכה ב'] שלש מאות ועשרים שעורה משקל תבואה [לא נפח] שווה שקל אחד. זה היה לפני שהוסיפו לשקל כדי שיהיה שווה לסלע. בבכורות רב אשי שלח שש עשרה זוז של פדיון הבן. אז חמש כפול שלש מאות עשרים שווה שש עשרה זוז. אז זוז אחד הוא מאה שעורה גרגר. אבל החכמים של בית שני הוסיפו לשקל לעשות אותו שלש מאות שמונים וארבע. אז שלש מאות שמונים וארבע כפול חמש שווה עשרים זוז. אז רב אחא שלח הודעה לרב אשי להוסיף שלושה זוז לעשות זאת עשרים זוז. אז זוז זה תשעים ושש שעורה גרגר. איך זה מתאם לרמב''ם מסכת דמאי ב' משנה ה שהזוז הוא שש עשרה גרגרי שעורה

 The  Rambam writes [Laws of Shkalim 1:2] 320 barley grain weight [not volume] i one shekel. before they added to the shekel to make it equal to the sela. Rav Ashi sent 16 zuz to pay the 5 shekels of pidion haben. so 5 times 320=16 zuz. So one zuz is 100 barley grain. but the sages of the second temple added to the shekel to make it 384 grain. so 384 times 5 = 20 zuz. So Rav Acha sent word to Rav Ashi to add three zuz to make it 20 zuz. So a zuz is 96 grain. How does that correlate  with Rambam Tractate Demai chapter 2 mishna 5 that the zuz is 16 barley grain? 

 The רמב''ם writes [Laws of  'שקלים א הלכה ב] שלש מאות ועשרים שעורה grain weight [not volume] שווה one שקל. That was before they added to the שקל to make it equal to the סלע. In בכורות רב אשי sent שש עשרה זוז to pay the מש שקל  of פדיון הבן. So חמש multiplied by שלש מאות  עשרים שווה שש עשרה זוז. So one זוז is מאה barley grain. But the חכמים of the בית שני added to the שקל to make it שלש מאות שמונים וארבה grain. So שלש מאות שמונים וארבה multiplied by חמש שווה עשרים זוז. So רב אחא sent word to רב אשי to add three זוז to make it עשרים זוז. So a זוז is תשעים ושש grain. How does that correlate  with  רמב''ם מסכת דמאי ב' משנה ה that the זוז is שש עשרה barley grain?