Rambam In Laws of Truma chapter 1 halacha 11).

I was noticing in the Rambam that grain that grew in the possession of an idolater in Israel and was bought by a Israeli and it's finishing work was done in the hand of the Israeli is obligated in truma and tithe from the Torah. (In Laws of Truma chapter 1 halacha 11). And yet in chapter 1 halacha 22 grain that grew outside of Israel and was brought to Israel and it finishing work was done in the hand of a Israeli is obligated in truma and tithe only from the words of the scribes.

And Rav Haim of Brisk explains there that the reason is you need two things for grain to be obligated in truma and tithe, First, that when it grew to a third of its full growth (ripe stage), it was in the possession of a Israeli. Second,  it's finishing work was done by the hand of  Israeli. 

 I realize that this is in no contradiction to the first halacha since the law is that possession of a idolater does not cause the obligation of truma and maaser to disappear. [Otherwise you could  that when it grew in the possession of an idolater and only the finishing work was done in the possession of a Israeli then it should be obligated only from the word of the Scribe. ]

[the subject  that possession of a idolater does not cause the obligation of truma and maaser to disappear i brought in a few places but mainly I remember it from Bava Metzia.]

no one really care what I write o I think there i ni much of a point to clarify thing>still for anyone who i interested I will ay a few words. There is an argument in the Gemara i a idolater buys land in Israel if the produce is obligated in the presents to the priests and levites. that i how address the question on the above law that even if it grew in the possession of an idolater still if the finishing work was done by a Jew, the produce i obligated.

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I was noticing in the רמב''ם that grain that grew in the possession of anssss idolater in Israel and was bought by a Israeli and it מירוח was done in the hand of the Israeli is obligated in תרומה and מעשר from the תורה [דאורייתא]. (In הלכות תרומה פרק א'  הלכה י''א ). And yet in פרק א' הלכה כ''ב grain that grew outside of Israel and was brought to Israel and it's מירוח (smoothing of the stack of grain, it' finishing work) was done in the hand of a Israeli is obligated in תרומה and מעשר only from the words of the scribes [דרבנן].

And רב חיים מבריסק explains there that the reason is you need two things for grain to be obligated in תרומה and מעשר, First, that when it grew to a third of its full growth (ripe stage) it was in the possession of a Israeli. Second,  it's finishing work was done by the hand of  Israeli. 

 I realize that this is in no contradiction to the first halacha since the law is אין קניין לעכו''ם בישראל להפקיע מיי רומה ומעשר  [Otherwise you could  that when it grew in the possession of an idolater and only the finishing work was done in the possession of a Israeli, then it should be obligated only from the words of the Scribes. ]

שמתי לב ברמב''ם שתבואה שגדלה ברשותו של עובד אלילים בישראל ונקנה על ידי ישראלי והמירוח נעשה ביד הישראלי חייבת בתרומה ומעשר מהתורה [דאורייתא] . (בהלכות תרומה פרק א' הלכה י''א ). ובכל זאת בפרק א' הלכה כ''ב תבואה שגדלה מחוץ לישראל והובאה לישראל והמירוח (החלקת ערימת התבואה, זה עבודת גמר) נעשה ביד ישראלי חייבת בתרומה ומעשר רק מדברי סופרים [דרבנן]. ומבאר שם רב חיים מבריסק שהטעם הוא שצריך שני דברים כדי שתבואה תתחייב בתרומה ומעשר. ראשית, שכאשר גדלה לשליש מלוא גידולה (שלב בשל) הייתה ברשותו של ישראלי. שנית, עבודת הגמר שלה נעשתה ביד ישראלי. אני מבין שזה לא עומד בסתירה להלכה הראשונה שכן ההלכה היא אין קניין לעכו''ם בישראל להפקיע מידי תרומה ומעשר [אחרת אפשר לשאול שכאשר זה גדל ברשותו של עובד אלילים ורק עבודת הגמר נעשתה בהחזקה של ישראלי, אזי יש לחייבה רק מדברי הסופרים. ]

 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