It has been known for a long time that the religious world is sick. It is hard to know why. The fault I believe is not in the holy Torah, but rather just the opposite. The trouble is the Torah of the Dark Side. This was the very reason the Gra put his signature of the famous letter of excommunication. The fact that this was ignored I believe is what has caused all the troubles.
My evaluation here is not based such on simple confidence in the Gra, [faith in the wise] as much as experience. It is no secret that the religious world is off its rocker. [I admit though that it would have been better if I had listened to the Gra in the first place simply based on faith.]
So the idea here is that what is wrong with the religious world is that they have this facade of keeping Torah, but in fact keep anti-Torah--the Torah of the Sitra Achra.
So the best idea at this point would be to reconsider paying heed to the Gra in this area. If that could set things right I am not sure. That might not be enough. But at least it would be a start.
I mean to treat the letter of excommunication as if it had and still has legal validity. [Which it did and still does.] Also may I add by the law of the Torah, the rule about a "Herem" (excommunication) is more strict than "nidui" which is just rebuke. The law of Herem is a great deal more severe.
[But if we would go by strict letter of the law, Rav Nahman would be OK and not in the category of the Herem. See the exact wording and you will see what I mean.]
[side note: There is a network of yeshivas which go strictly by the Gra. I knew the head of the first of this type, Rav Eliyahu Silverman and his father who started the whole thing. This approach is the ideal of what the Lithuanian yeshiva is supposed to be. Also, Ponovitch, Brisk, and the Mir in NY are certainly also great. The only thing that I am saying is that they would be better of they were going by the Gra in all details, not just some. Of all of them I would have to say that Ponovitch is the best.]
I would like to bring an insight of Rav Shach of Ponovitch which is a nice example of his crystal clear type of thought.
It concerns a law in the Rambam laws of damages caused by one's property. 1/2 pebbles knocked by an animal that causes damage is usually 1/2 damages. But what if the animal kicked [not just knocked it its normal way of walking)? In public domain no obligations, but if the other part grabs 1/4 he keeps it for this is a doubt. If in private domain then 1/4 is obligated and if the other party grabs 1/2 he can keep it.
The question is, "Why?" Not only does this not seems to follow from the Gemara but also in the first half the Rambam is saying we do not know if kicking is a "Shinui" change from the norm. Then right away in the next sentence he says we do know.
Rav Shach explains this perfectly clearly. The question he says if kicking is a shinui and thus becomes "keren" horn and fall out of the category of damages caused by the foot of the animal [hof].
So in the public domain if it is not a change the owner is not obligated in anything. If it is a change and thus "Keren" HaTam which is half damages but here because of the doubt he gets only 1/4.
In the private domain if it is not a change the 1/2 damages would be required to pay for, but if a change then 1/4. And this kind of change can go on Keren [horn] also.
My evaluation here is not based such on simple confidence in the Gra, [faith in the wise] as much as experience. It is no secret that the religious world is off its rocker. [I admit though that it would have been better if I had listened to the Gra in the first place simply based on faith.]
So the idea here is that what is wrong with the religious world is that they have this facade of keeping Torah, but in fact keep anti-Torah--the Torah of the Sitra Achra.
So the best idea at this point would be to reconsider paying heed to the Gra in this area. If that could set things right I am not sure. That might not be enough. But at least it would be a start.
I mean to treat the letter of excommunication as if it had and still has legal validity. [Which it did and still does.] Also may I add by the law of the Torah, the rule about a "Herem" (excommunication) is more strict than "nidui" which is just rebuke. The law of Herem is a great deal more severe.
[But if we would go by strict letter of the law, Rav Nahman would be OK and not in the category of the Herem. See the exact wording and you will see what I mean.]
[side note: There is a network of yeshivas which go strictly by the Gra. I knew the head of the first of this type, Rav Eliyahu Silverman and his father who started the whole thing. This approach is the ideal of what the Lithuanian yeshiva is supposed to be. Also, Ponovitch, Brisk, and the Mir in NY are certainly also great. The only thing that I am saying is that they would be better of they were going by the Gra in all details, not just some. Of all of them I would have to say that Ponovitch is the best.]
I would like to bring an insight of Rav Shach of Ponovitch which is a nice example of his crystal clear type of thought.
It concerns a law in the Rambam laws of damages caused by one's property. 1/2 pebbles knocked by an animal that causes damage is usually 1/2 damages. But what if the animal kicked [not just knocked it its normal way of walking)? In public domain no obligations, but if the other part grabs 1/4 he keeps it for this is a doubt. If in private domain then 1/4 is obligated and if the other party grabs 1/2 he can keep it.
The question is, "Why?" Not only does this not seems to follow from the Gemara but also in the first half the Rambam is saying we do not know if kicking is a "Shinui" change from the norm. Then right away in the next sentence he says we do know.
Rav Shach explains this perfectly clearly. The question he says if kicking is a shinui and thus becomes "keren" horn and fall out of the category of damages caused by the foot of the animal [hof].
So in the public domain if it is not a change the owner is not obligated in anything. If it is a change and thus "Keren" HaTam which is half damages but here because of the doubt he gets only 1/4.
In the private domain if it is not a change the 1/2 damages would be required to pay for, but if a change then 1/4. And this kind of change can go on Keren [horn] also.
