Derech Hashem - The Way of the God

<p>[When one approaches a subject] the most effective way to apprehend it is to break down all its details categorize them and discern their interrelationships.</p><p>And so based on its place will be the examinations by which it is necessary to examine it according to its nature to fully understand its form and its function: If it is a part he will seek to know the whole of which it is a part. If it is a specific he will seek to analyze the category. If it is a cause he will seek to analyze its effects; if an effect its cause. If it is an association he will seek [knowledge] about the subject as well as to know what type of association it is - if precedent if antecedent or if accompanying; if essential or contingent; and if potential or actual. All of these are examinations without which he will not completely comprehend the form of the thing. With all of it [However] he may contemplate the nature of the thing to know if it is constant or limited. And if it is limited he should investigate its limits. For surely any true matter will end up becoming false if it is ascribed to a subject not fitting it or if it is seen outside of its limits.</p><p>However one must consider that the number of details is much too great for the intellect of man to contain and one can't know them all. Yet what is fit is for him to attempt to know the general principles. As the nature of every principle is to contain [knowledge about] many details. So when one grasps one principle he [also] grasps a great number of details. And even though he has not yet examined them because they are [only] details [subsumed by] the principle; [nevertheless] when one of them comes to him he is not stunted by knowing it since [its] general matter - which perforce must exist - is already known to him. And likewise the Sages may their memory be blessed said (Sifrei Devarim 306:20) Matters of Torah should always be in your hands as general principles and not as details.</p><p>Yet what is required in the knowledge of general principles is knowing them through all of their limits and in all of their characteristics as I wrote above. And you must even pay attention to and not neglect things that first appear to be lacking any application. For there is no small or large thing in a general principle that does not have [some] application in the details. And if it does not add or take away anything about some of the details it will certainly have great application about others. Since a principle is a principle about all the details it must contain [some information] about each of them. Hence you must be very exacting about this and examine their functions their relationships and their connections with great precision. And you must examine their processes and progression very well - [to know] how one matter leads to another from the beginning to the end. 'And then you will be successful and then you will understand.'</p>