PY, the idea of niflaos haborei is said in multiple places, including the chovos halevavos. Noman Lamm’s words, however, are NOT saying that. Nobody says that a lack of knowing niflaos haborei means your knowledge is incomplete. Norman Lamm is clearly saying you need secular knowledge because otherwise you’re incomplete, which is consistent with some of the broader interpretations of TIDE. He posited that perhaps one should make a bracha before entering the chemistry lab. Where did the Rambam ever suggest that? Norman Lamm is quite clear on what he meant.
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