WE LOVE GUYS THAT LEARN TORAH

Every area of value has close to it an area of opposite value that looks externally like a part of the area of positive value. You can see this in science where there is good work being done but also you can see crackpots that know enough to sound credible to fool the layman, but are just confused. So this is the case in every area of value.--including Torah. That is why it is important to use common sense to discern. 

That is why I am thrilled when I see people  that can discern the great authentic Torah quality in the Chafetz Chaim and Musar [ethics].

In "lumdanut" or "Lumdus" [learning deeply] there is also this aspect. But here it is harder for people to tell the real thing from the fake  when they are not themselves good learners. Concerning Rav Shach's book the Avi Ezri, of all books that introduce one to the idea of how to learn, I found it the most powerful and deep.  

WE LOVE GUYS THAT LEARN TORAH

Learning fast. Say the words in order and go on is the way to learn Torah, Physics and Math.

Learning fast was an idea that for me had a lot of support. There were the popular speed reading books around in those days. Then there was a collage I applied to that was all about reading fast and going through a few book every week. Then Reb Simcha Wassermann gave me the Musar book אורחות צדיקים Ways of the Righteous that had a whole chapter about going through Shas lots of times fast. Even in violin I saw that when I prepared by just going through the piece straight lots of times I did a lot better at my violin lesson, than if I spend time on the single parts that were giving me trouble.

So in terms of Torah learning this is what I tried to do. At some point however it seemed to me that by just concentrating on a single Tosphot that I would make more progress than if I just read on. So my feeling is that for every subject one does he or she should combine both methods fast and in depth.

In fact,- because not everyone has a authentic Lithuanian yeshiva nearby, and it is wise to avoid hasidic cults so one does not lose his sanity, I think the best idea for Torah study is to buy one tractate and a book of Musar  and just learn them at home.

[Simcha Wassermann was incidentally the son of Reb Elchanan Wassermann the major disciple of the Chafetz Chaim. He was the one to recommend to me to go to the Shar Yeshuv yeshiva in NY which eventually got me to the Mir. I used to hang out with him and in his yeshiva in those ancient days. I ate with him and his wife on Shabat and went to his yeshiva at the end of classes in high school. But I can see today that to have gotten anywhere in Gemara I really needed to go to NY.]

In yeshiva it was possible for me to have long sessions. The normal yeshiva session was from about 915 until 205 and then Mincha. [5 hours]. The from 330 until 815 and then Maariv.  [Also circa 5 hours]. But since I left yeshiva I have found short sessions to be more workable for me.] That is if find I can not do that long stretch, then I try to break up the day into small segments. --Almost teh same way they do in high school.

In any case what I suggest is one session to go through the entire oral and written law words for word from beginning to end. That is Gemara Rashi Tosphot Mahrasha and Maharam  about a half a page per day. [That is about 40 minutes per day.] Then when you have gone through the Bavli that way then the Jerusalem Talmud in the same way-with the Pnei Moshe. Then the Tosephta, Mechilta Sifra Sifri and Midrashim.

[This would work well for Physics also I assume. The trouble is that Physics needs a lot of time just like Torah does. It is hard enough to get to any degree of expertise in one area.]

Torah, Physics, Metaphysics

The secrets of Torah called מעשה בראשית and מעשה מרכבה I would like to suggest are learning Physics and Meta-Physics.  And therefore worth spending time on. And I would also like to suggest how to spend time on them.
(1) As proof of my first contention I can simply refer to the Rambam who says this openly in the Guide for the Perplexed.  To believe it is hard because you need אמונת חכמים belief in the wise. But if you have belief that the Rambam was wise then this is already established. A second proof will be my previews essays that show the Kabalah is a synthesis of Pre Socratics. It more fits the context of Medieval Alchemy than being insightful into the actual nature of things.
(2) The way to learn depends on age. But it is universal that the first moments when you get up in the morning are the most essential. Thus I say to boil ground coffee together with ground tea leaves as one. Drink this with Chalva or something and then learn for as long as this gets you. Then what I think helps learning after that is sit-ups and push-ups. This kind of exercise helps to continue learning. It is much better than jogging which causes one to not be able to learn afterwards.

[In NY they tend to drip hot water onto coffee and I don't think that is as effective as boiling it directly in a pot. Also my mother in law Rita Finn said to let it boil for 30 seconds. Or what I do since I don't have a watch I cover the pan and wait until the steam comes out furiously. I also do squat and stand as I wait. Try about 10 at first. That is something I saw on Russian TV and it makes sense to me even though they did not teach that to me in high school.]]



(3) If you learn the Ari as a great commentary on Torah and  great synthesis of medieval thought then by all means do it. But avoid all later people that supposedly were explaining the Ari. I first of all consider it amazingly stupid for people to claim they were on the level or higher than the Ari. Especially since they are usually highly deluded schizophrenic manics as a rule. Next all mystic writings after the Ari all are from the Sitra Achra as a rule. [I mean Kelipa Noga as the Gra said.} That is their revelations are to put it bluntly are simply not true. But they are poplar because of entertainment value and emotional value. Not truth value.

The Rambam considers Torah and Mitzvot to be an introduction to Physics and Metaphysics. And he makes it clear he means the kind of things the ancient Greeks called Physics and Metaphysics. (See the introduction to the Guide for the Perplexed.) Not Mysticism.

The Rambam considers Torah and Mitzvot to be an introduction to Physics and Metaphysics. And he makes it clear he means the kind of things the ancient Greeks called Physics and Metaphysics. (See the introduction to the Guide for the Perplexed.) Not Mysticism. For this reason I thought to say over what kind of path I think can help people in this direction. It is the idea that you see in the Talmud לעולם ליגרס אדם אף על גב דמשכח ואף על גב דלא ידע מאי קאמר. One should always be "גורס". One should always just say the words and go on even though he does not remember and even though he does not know what he is saying. This does not take the place of time and effort though.But I have found this to be helpful. You can see this idea expanded on in Sichot HaRan chapter 76.

In any case this is not to take the place of learning Gemara. The basic idea of the Rambam is this: That the fulfillment of the commandment to love and fear God is by learning Physics and Metaphysics. But one can't get to that level without first learning the Oral and Written Torah. Now in fact you could say the Rambam holds the entire Oral Law is contained his  book the Mishne Torah and you could go through it in a week easily. Fine. Do so. But still in order to understand the Mishne Torah one needs to learn the Talmud.
And this should not be taken as an excuse for Bitul Torah. [Bitul Torah means not learning Torah when one has the time to do so. It is considered a major sin Talmud. ] When one can be learning Torah he must do so. It is just that the Rambam considered these two fields to be part of the Oral Law.You can see that if you compare the beginning of Mishna Torah where he says Physics and MetaPhysics =Pardes, and the Laws of learning Torah where he says Pardes is in the category of the Oral Law.