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<font size=3>From The Mussar Movement, Volume 1, Part 2, pages 18 -
19.<br><br>
He divided Torah study into two categories: The study itself and
objectivity ("lishmah"). His method followed along these lines:
first to proceed with the sharpest application of the mind
("giftig" in his Yiddish) in argumentation and debate —
"each person clinging stubbornly to his own, and attacking his
colleagues', opinions" which is the sine qua non for the
clarification of the subject. Then, finally to proceed calmly,
"coolly to consider both his and his opponent's opinion" —
"each person abandoning his own position so as to follow the
majority opinion or the opinion of the greater authority" in
conformity with the accepted principles — and so arrive at the truth.
This is "lishmah" — studying for the sake of truth. Our Sages
have<x-tab> </x-tab>
described this
by<x-tab> </x-tab>a play on
words (Num. 21.14) : "Et vahev besufah" "Even if a father
and his son, teacher and pupil, who study Torah in the same gate
(academy) and
become<x-tab> </x-tab>enemies of
one<x-tab> </x-tab>another,<x-tab>
</x-tab>they do not
depart from there until they love (vahev) each other in the end
(besofah).<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab><br><br>
<br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
Earlier issues of The RYS Daily are at
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http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/salanter/<br>
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