Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar
Mussar is an illuminating, approachable, and highly practical set of teachings for cultivating personal growth and spiritual realization in the midst of day-to-day life. Here is an accessible and inspiring introduction to this Jewish spiritual path, which until lately has been best known in the world of Orthodox Judaism. The core teaching of Mussar is that our deepest essence is inherently pure and holy, but this inner radiance is obscured by extremes of emotion, desire, and bad habits. Our work in life is to uncover the brilliant light of the soul. The Mussar masters developed transformative teachings and practices—some of which are contemplative, some of which focus on how we relate to others in daily life—to help us to heal and refine ourselves.
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Contents
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Introduction
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3 |
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What Is Mussar?
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8 |
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A Map of the Inner Life
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17 |
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The Inner Adversary
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22 |
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Navigating the Way
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28 |
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Two Illustrations
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40 |
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The Map
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43 |
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Humility
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45 |
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Moderation
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173 |
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LovingKindness
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184 |
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Responsibility
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197 |
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Trust
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209 |
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Faith
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220 |
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Yirah
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232 |
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The Route
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247 |
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Doing Mussar
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249 |
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Patience
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55 |
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Gratitude
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63 |
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Compassion
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75 |
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Order
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87 |
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Equanimity
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98 |
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Honor
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107 |
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Simplicity
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115 |
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Enthusiasm
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125 |
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Silence
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139 |
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Generosity
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150 |
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Truth
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163 |
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Common terms and phrases
action Alter of Novarodok asked aware become behavior blessed called challenge chapter chesed Cheshbon compassion cultivate Deuteronomy/Devarim divine equanimity experience faith fear feel focus generosity Genesis/Bereshit gifts give God’s gratitude ha’Nefesh HaShem heart Hebrew hitbodedut holy honor human humility ibn Pakuda inner Jerusalem kabbalah Kelm Kelm Yeshiva lives loving-kindness mashgiach means mind Moshe Chaim Luzzatto Moshe Cordovero Mussar masters Mussar Movement Mussar practice Mussar teachers Ohr Yisrael one’s Orchot Tzaddikim ourselves path person Pirkei Avot Rabbi Dessler Rabbi Luzzatto Rabbi Moshe Chaim Rabbi Salanter Rabbi Simcha Zissel Rabbi Yisrael Salanter Rambam Rebbe responsibility Rosh Yeshiva sages Shabbat Shlomo Wolbe silence Simcha Zissel Ziv situation someone sort soul soul-trait spiritual curriculum story student Talmud teaching tells things thought tion Torah trait trans trust truth tzedakah wisdom words worry Yechezkel Levenstein Yeshiva yetzer ha’ra yirah