Q&A: Consulting the Rabbi About Success in Studies
Consulting the Rabbi About Success in Studies
Question
Hello Rabbi Abraham,
First, I want to thank the Rabbi for the blog and for the Rabbi’s efforts to raise the intellectual level of religion. I hope the Rabbi will continue working on this important issue.
Question:
How did the Rabbi succeed in his Torah studies and his general studies?
I very much want to advance in my religious studies and in my academic studies, and I would like to hear from someone with personal experience in the matter how he reached his achievements.
Do the Rabbi’s achievements come from talent or from a special method of study?
Or in other words: what does the Rabbi advise me to do in order to succeed in my studies?
Answer
The expression “the intellectual level of religion” is a bit jarring to me. Maybe it would be better to say the intellectual level of the discussion of religious issues (and in general). I hope I make some contribution to that.
I don’t have an algorithm, and I don’t think there is one at all. If you want to know something, just try to learn it, either on your own or in an orderly face-to-face framework. As you progress, you can develop further according to your taste, your interests, and your abilities. The only thing I have to tell you, and it is universal, is that you should have a genuine desire and be willing to invest energy and effort in it.
Discussion on Answer
Fine. It’s not important.
I didn’t understand the Rabbi’s reservation about the phrase “the intellectuality of religion.” I meant turning religion (that is, a person’s turning toward the divine) from vague emotion into something based on foundational assumptions and logical arguments.