Klafter's 13 ikkarei hashkafa for the 21st century

Infrequent but great j-blog commenter Nachum Klafter posted his list of "13 ikkarei hashkafa* for the 21st century" at Hirhurim. He is obviously being somewhat tongue-in-cheek, writing, "I believe that anyone who does not master this list should have no chelek in Cyberspace." But I think that tongue is only somewhat in cheek.

It isn't necessarily my list, I don't endorse it or agree with each point, either in whole or in part, but it's a great list and bears repeating:

1. It is important to know the difference between a posuk and a medrash.
2. It is important to know the difference between a ma'amar halakha and ma'amar aggadata.
3. It is important to know the difference between aniquated scientific and medical beliefs reported in the gemara which originate from ancient goyishe philosophers, and spiritual truths which are reported in the gemara which originate in a mesorah from har sinai.
4. It is important to know the difference between pesukim which are metaphors and pesukim which are literal.
5. It is important to know the difference between halakha and chumra.
6. It is important to know the difference between halakha and minhag.
7. It is important to know the difference between the private hanhagos of the Gr"a and his piskei halakha.
8. It is important to know the difference between "gedolim" who can say a good vort or who can give good shiur on the sugya, and real posekim who have a sophisticated understanding of politics, sociology, psychology, medicine, and science.
9. It is important to know the difference between a true machlokess le-shem shamayim and the machinations of a group of despicable, small minded, hateful, vengeful, power-hungry rashayim.
10. It is important to know the difference between examining your ma'asim and examining your mezuzos.
11. It is important to know the difference between ga'ava and yir'as shomayim.
12. It is important to know the difference between chochma and "da'as Torah".
13. It is important to know the difference between situations that call for pesak halakha, and those which call for etizah.

Oh, and:

However, it is NOT important to know the difference between metzitza be-peh and metzitza be-feh.

Posted here.

*ikkarei hashkafa = fundamentals of Orthodox Jewish thought. The list is a takeoff of Maimonides's list of 13 cardinal principles of Jewish faith.