What is Mussar? Mussar is a Jewish spiritual practice that gives us instruction on how we can live meaningful, ethical lives, based on the idea of cultivating inner values such as gratitude, patience, kindness, and more. With origins in the Torah, the practice grew in popularity in 19th Century Eastern Europe through Jewish spiritual teachers.
Why study Mussar? Mussar scholars understood that just learning about kindness does not make us more kind. The practice of mussar, as described by mussar teacher Rabbi Elya Lopian (1876–1970), is “teaching the heart what the mind already understands.”
About the class: The class will not only teach some of the essential ideas of mussar, but also show how mussar practice is an integral part of Jewish life. After an initial grounding, we will consider a middah (character trait/virtue) at each session so that you will have the opportunity to begin to feel what a beginning mussar practice involves and integrate it into your life.
About the Instructor: Rabbi Rachel Bovitz is the executive director of the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning. She is also a longtime practitioner and an experienced teacher at The Center for Contemporary Mussar.