Were you taught about mussar? Didn't exist in my community when I was growing up. Only learned about it much later in life. #Mussar is a #Jewish #spiritual practice that enables one to refine one’s character traits. Some of the #mindfulness practices that it teaches are
Cheshbon HaNefesh - an accounting of the soul.
Hargashah – An awareness of where one stands. Mussar teaches that we next “become aware of the ideal, internalize it, and create a longing to reach it.”
Tevet Soul Trait Studio mussar practice guide for 5783.
Let's get curious about 2023.
#jewish #jewitch @mazeldon #mussar
#happynewyear
https://devotaj.substack.com/p/soul-trait-studio-tevet-5783?sd=pf
Start the secular year off with a mussar practice session focused on the soul trait of sakranut (סקרנות) curiosity.
Tevet Soul Trait Studio:
Sunday: 11/27/2022
3-4:30pm ET
Learn more & register: https://devotaj.com/soultraitstudio
In Tevet we will be working with the soul trait of sakranut (סקרנות) curiosity that also corresponds with the Doreshet - the seeker.
There is no cost to attend Soul Trait Studio, but registration is required.
A recent acquisition - Widen Your Tent, Micha Berger. - In the introduction of his magnum opus, Shaarei Yosher, Rav Shimon Shkop (1860-1939) outlines his views of mussar and theology – What is the purpose of Judaism? The nature of holiness? What does it mean to be a good person, to be made in the “image” of G-d? How can I be happy with what I have? How can I learn to understand and love other people?
Interesting question. Do you think some form of non-Jewish colonization occurred in our collective thought, which made us less interested in #mussar or Jewish spirituality?
Many of us do feel that some aspects of non-Jewish #philosophies in the 1800s and 1900s had corrosive effects on the Jewish community when it came to #spirituality. Fortunately, #Jews are re-learning our heritage in this area
https://merrimackvalleyhavurah.wordpress.com/2020/07/16/spirituality-in-judaism/
Wow, serious burn. But #Rabbi Micha Berger has a fair point:
Narcissistic #Spirituality: I was at a #Mussar conference once, and Rabbi Dr. Meir Levin asked me “When did Mussar shift from being about giving to others to being about working on my own middos?” In general, this kind of self-focus is an error that is all too easy in many spiritual paths.
I've seen this in a couple of self-appointed mussar masters. Mussar is great, but we need to remember what it was supposed to be about
I hope people share this: Here we see Conservative, Reform and Orthodox #Jews studying #Torah and #mussar together in #Brookline, Massachusetts.
We should encourage our local Jewish community leaders to do the same - Torah, #Mishnah, Talmud, #Maimonides, Mussar, are our common inheritance. With good will any community can create opportunities for cooperation, spirituality, Talmud Torah, and communal strength.
Here we see Conservative, Reform and Orthodox Jews studying #Torah and #mussar together in Brookline, Massachusetts. We can encourage our local community leaders to do the same -Torah, Mishnah, Talmud, Maimonides, Mussar, are our common inheritance. Opportunities for cooperation, spirituality, Talmud Torah, and communal strength.
@judaism
@mazeldon
#Mazeldon #Jewish #Judaism #Jews #klalyisrael
Problems among some Mussar teachers? Rabbi Dr. Meir Levin asks “When did Mussar shift from being about giving to others to being about working on my own middos?” This kind of self-focus is an error that is all too easy in many spiritual paths."
https://aspaqlaria.aishdas.org/2012/09/08/narcissistic-spirituality/
@judaism
@mazeldon
#Jewdiverse #Mazeldon #Jewniverse
#Jewish #Judaism #Jews #JewishStudies #Babka #Mussar
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