In one of the stories of Rav Nahman of Uman you find the idea that at one time all the higher lights were together and then separated. The process of bring the world to a higher plane consists of bring together these lights again. [Each light or Divine trait is embodied in some "tzadik" saint.

So when we find problems in Breslov or the Litvak world, there should be no question why. It is after the whirlwind that caused the lights or Divine traits to become separated. So even if people are following the Gra, that does not mean there are not problems in the Litvak world. Similarly with Breslov.

The main thing is to identify who exactly is representing one of the Divine traits and if possible to join the paths of these different tsaddikim together. And even more important to separate out the phonies and false teachers that are so common in the religious world. 

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  If someone does by Mitasek [מתעסק] [fooling around] a type of sin that requires a sin offering, do they need to bring a sin offering? That is not the same thing as accident. For all sin offerings come only because of accident, never because of doing something on purpose. Accident here means doing one thing and something else results.

But Mitasek is different. To Tosphot he is not obligated to bring a sin offering except for when there is pleasure involved like sexual sin or eating forbidden fat. [That is all the fact that is on the stomach of the animal.]  (The statement of Shmuel is המתעסק בחלבים ועריות חייב משום שנהנה) 

Rav Shach brings down that the Rambam is a bit different. It could be he holds like Tosphot. And the reason that for Shabat he brings only the "Ptur" ["Ptur" means a reason not to be obligated in something] of מלאכת מחשבת ["thought out work"] is that receiving pleasure is possible also for a work on Shabat and so it is needed to have  a special ptur even in such a case. Tosphot brings this idea in Sanhedrin page 62 which I was doing with my learning partner David Bronson. [That is why this subject came up in my little booklet  Ideas is Shas. That was because David had some ideas here.]

But still it is curious that in laws of sin offerings nothing about gaining pleasure is mentioned. So it looks like the only ptur for shabat is thought out work.

So then what about laws of forbidden food 14: law 12? There the Rambam does say one who eats forbidden food by mitasek is obligated because he derived pleasure? Rav Shach answers that that place is talking not about a sin offering but rather an case of doing something on purpose and doing on purpose is possible even for mitasek since one can be mitasek "fooling around" on purpose and then the sin comes about because of the fooling around.

What comes out from all this is that is general mitasek to the Rambam is not a ptur for a sin offering except for Shabat when to be obligated one needs thought out work מלאכת מחשבת

 A lot of learning Torah depends on where you are starting from. sometimes being in Ponovitch is not possible.

So what you do is to first realize there is an obligation get through the Written and Oral Law. That is brought in the Gra. Plus there is te importance of what the Rambam wrote "Just like there is not adding or subtracting from the written Trah so there is not adding or subtracting from the Oral Torah. So that means the obligation of getting through Torah is the two Talmuds and the midrashie halacha and midrashi hagada."

Then there is the Seder HaLimud of Rav Nahman-which really comes from the Gemara but rav nahman spells it out clearly. Say the words and go on.

This is not to diminish in depth learning. Rather everyone needs an in depth session and a fast session. This idea of Rav Nahman relates to the fast session. 

There is also the importance of knowing about Bitul Torah. Bot anything you want to learn should you learn. Rather what you are required that you must do. That which does not come into the category of obligation is bitul Torah.

Then there is the fact that the basic idea of learning fast essentially applies to the first time. That is this: the first time just the Gemara with no commentary. Second time you add rashi, Third time Tosphot  fourth time maharsha and maharam 

This really depends on the situation. For if you have the merit to be in a litvak yeshiva then the best idea is just follow the regular sessions. But it occurred today that someone asked me the approach to take in their situation in which they are slightly older to be in a yeshiva,

Even though the basic approach of Litvak yeshivas is based on the Gra, it seems to me that that is  a bit too undefined. It would be better if there was a straight commitment to follow the Gra.

This way there is also a sort of protection against the Sitra Achra.

סביב רשעים יתהלכון "The wicked walk around the holiness". That is,-- the Dark Side is always going around places of holiness to see if they can find a crack to slip into the place.

[I should admit here that I am no where near following the straight path of Torah of the Gra. But I feel words of advice that might help others to walk on the straight and narrow are good-- even if I am not able to follow that path myself.]

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