[Avodah] The Vilna Gaon and Secular Studies

[Prof. Levine]

At 04:30 PM 4/9/2018, Micha Berger wrote:
>On Mon, Apr 09, 2018 at 02:28:06PM -0400, Prof. Levine wrote:
>: One may ignore what the GRA said,  but that does not mean that it is
>: not true.  The only way for someone to intelligently disprove with
>: what the GRA said would be for him to study secular subjects and find
>: that his learning has not improved and is not missing things...
>
>Unless one might argue that the study warps what one learned and one's
>ability to judge the quality of one's learning.

Are you implying that the GRA's extensive secular education 
"warped"  is learning?   I hope not.

Rav Shimon Schwab never finished the 9th grade,  but he had extensive 
secular knowledge that he acquired on his own.  Are you implying that 
Rav Schwab's learning was "warped"  because of his extensive secular 
knowledge?  I hope not.

And they there is Rav Y. Soloveichik who had a Ph d in  philosophy 
which the GRA said was a waste of time to study.  Are you 
implying  that  his learning was "warped."

I could go on with others.

On the contrary,  according to the GRA one's learning is deficient if 
one does not have secular knowledge.
  YL
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