MUSSAR PROGRAM ClASS #2 - JewishPathways.com

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Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, in his book Alei Shur, defined wholeness as the ability to withstand a test that life throws your way. You pass the test because of your wholeness, but that assessment pertains only to the particular test you are facing right then. The next moment is another lifetime, and your wholeness is entirely contingent on how you respond to that experience. Be a Mensch The goals of Mussar that we have discussed so far – to be holy and whole – can seem to be more for the likes of tzaddikim than for you and me. Recognizing that we could fall into such thinking, the Mussar teachers have described the goals for spiritual practice in much more homely ways: When all is said and done, holiness and wholeness and any other elevated idea of the spiritual goal comes down to a simple Yiddish notion: You are supposed to be a mensch, i.e., "a decent human being." That one Yiddish word conveys the full measure of the integrity, honor and respect that a person can hope for in life. The great chassidic teacher, the Kotzker Rebbe (1787-1859), comments on the verse, "Be holy people to me." In Hebrew, the word "people" comes before "holy." On this the Kotzker Rebbe declared: "Fine, be holy. But remember – first one has to be a mensch." Rabbi Yisrael Salanter articulates this down-to-earth goal of Mussar in speaking about a golem, a supernatural creature of Jewish folklore: The Maharal of Prague created a golem, and this was a great wonder. But how much more wonderful is it to transform a corporeal human being into a mensch. 8
In Lesson #1, you composed a list of your own traits that you identified were in some way not ideal. Take out your list and read it over now. Consider how you feel about these aspects of who you are and how you behave. Most of us feel very badly about the things we do that fall short in some way. For you, too? From a Mussar point of view, however, it is possible and even desirable to reconceive these "failings" not as simple shortcomings, but as a personal spiritual curriculum. Rectifying your traits is how you elevate your soul and make yourself whole, and that is a necessary part of what you are here on Earth to do. Instead of feeling badly about these aspects of your inner life, you could actually become excited and motivated by seeing these as thresholds for growth. Take 5 minutes each day to review each trait on your list and your reasons for putting it there. As you do, keep in mind that were it not for this bit of incompleteness, you would be deprived of the possibility to grow toward completion. Try to feel that each place where you are ‘not perfect’ is actually a gift, because it provides you with one spiritual step waiting to be climbed. In that way, you befriend your spiritual curriculum. Instead of feeling stuck with these terrible deficiencies, or putting energy into rationalizing and excusing who you are, you now see that there is a ladder before you, waiting for you to begin your climb, rung by rung. To ensure your steady progress in this area, do your 5-minute review at a set time each day. Turn off the phone, move away from the computer, and close the door to your room. The ability to create quiet, contemplative time will be a key to your success in this Mussar course. So best to begin right now, designating the daily time and space. 9
Page 1 and 2: Mussar Program Class #2 Striving to
Page 3 and 4: Holiness as a Command I have called
Page 5 and 6: [The 16th century kabbalist, Rabbi
Page 7: From this perspective, then, all of

MUSSAR PROGRAM ClASS #2 - JewishPathways.com

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