Description: Introduction to Mussar 03
We have addressed the first two questions about learning mussar, that it seems like we know all the material already, and it seems simple. The Ramchal explained to us, how distant the little knowledge we have is from true understanding of the concepts that are so important to Avodas Hashem. That knowledge seems to affect us very, very little – why? Because we don’t really have the depth and clarity and feeling of that knowledge.
In addition, the Ramchal explains, that it’s not enough even to understand the concepts. We have to develop methods of acquiring these values! We have to come up with a plan of turning into a ‘ohaiv Hashem,’ someone who loves Hashem! The Ramchal asks, are the different fundamentals of serving Hashem things that come to us naturally? Do we love Hashem or fear Him the way we naturally sleep and eat? No, unfortunately we don’t! Clearly, besides just learning the concepts, also need to devise methods and habits that will bring us to achieve the level of ‘chassidus’, piety, that we understand is our obligation. How can that be done without learning mussar?
This is so much more relevant in our generation, and every subsequent generation, as things that were simple for the older generation become less so for us. Perhaps 50 years ago people felt Hashem’s presence much more intensely than we do. But the world around us increases the volume of interference – the signal is being interrupted! The concepts that didn’t need a lot of elaboration for our grandparents, now need to be broken down and understood, item by item. In this way, this particular sefer, Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh, is so ideal for this purpose. He really goes through the basic fundamentals, step by step, delving deeper and deeper, making it more real and relevant. My brother would call it ‘Yiras Shamayim for Dummies,’ like the famous series!
The next questions is: Why should we prioritize mussar? The Mesilas Yesharim, the Ramchal addresses this question at length.
The Ramchal writes, does it make sense that we would devote time, energy and brain-power, to learn a sugya which is not nogeah to halachah, answer questions that we aren’t required to answer, ponder issues we aren’t obligated to decipher, and not think twice about prioritizing that, but the mitzvos which we are obligated to Hashem – ‘chovah rabbah’, emunah, bitachon, ahavas Hashem and so on, we will leave to our habitual grasp, and it will remain, ‘mitzvas anashim melumadah?’
Take Chumash Beraishis. We learned as children the concepts and stories in these parshiyos, or we are watching our children learn it now. Does it make sense that at the age of 25, 35, 45, or 55, we have the same juvenile picture in our mind of Adam HaRishon? Adam HaRishon was super curious about the fruit of the Eitz Ha’daas so he ate it? It looked like it tasted good? What does the pasuk mean that ‘it was good to eat?’ Do we seriously believe that Adam Harishon who was the handiwork of Hashem, a navi and perfect, would be tempted physically? Esav and Yitzchak, do we think that Yitzchak could really be fooled by Esav? All these personas have depth, layer upon layer, and there are hundreds of lessons to be learned, besides much more which is beyond our ability to comprehend. If we don’t make any effort, we will most certainly remain with the default pshat. This is ‘mitzvas anashim melumadah.’
Hashem created the world. He created us. He wants something from us. If we leave this to the stock answers that we received as children – then we will go through life as children! The same way we mature physically and emotionally, we learn to appreciate life in a deeper and wiser way, we need to mature spiritually. Without mussar – this can’t happen.
You know how there are some gifted children, brilliant and talented, and they skip up grades, where they can be doing high school math, but at the same time be on the social and emotional level of a 10-year-old. We can’t allow that to happen to us!
We have addressed the first two questions about learning mussar, that it seems like we know all the material already, and it seems simple. The Ramchal explained to us, how distant the little knowledge we have is from true understanding of the concepts that are so important to Avodas Hashem. That knowledge seems to affect us very, very little – why? Because we don’t really have the depth and clarity and feeling of that knowledge.
In addition, the Ramchal explains, that it’s not enough even to understand the concepts. We have to develop methods of acquiring these values! We have to come up with a plan of turning into a ‘ohaiv Hashem,’ someone who loves Hashem! The Ramchal asks, are the different fundamentals of serving Hashem things that come to us naturally? Do we love Hashem or fear Him the way we naturally sleep and eat? No, unfortunately we don’t! Clearly, besides just learning the concepts, also need to devise methods and habits that will bring us to achieve the level of ‘chassidus’, piety, that we understand is our obligation. How can that be done without learning mussar?
This is so much more relevant in our generation, and every subsequent generation, as things that were simple for the older generation become less so for us. Perhaps 50 years ago people felt Hashem’s presence much more intensely than we do. But the world around us increases the volume of interference – the signal is being interrupted! The concepts that didn’t need a lot of elaboration for our grandparents, now need to be broken down and understood, item by item. In this way, this particular sefer, Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh, is so ideal for this purpose. He really goes through the basic fundamentals, step by step, delving deeper and deeper, making it more real and relevant. My brother would call it ‘Yiras Shamayim for Dummies,’ like the famous series!
The next questions is: Why should we prioritize mussar? The Mesilas Yesharim, the Ramchal addresses this question at length.
The Ramchal writes, does it make sense that we would devote time, energy and brain-power, to learn a sugya which is not nogeah to halachah, answer questions that we aren’t required to answer, ponder issues we aren’t obligated to decipher, and not think twice about prioritizing that, but the mitzvos which we are obligated to Hashem – ‘chovah rabbah’, emunah, bitachon, ahavas Hashem and so on, we will leave to our habitual grasp, and it will remain, ‘mitzvas anashim melumadah?’
Take Chumash Beraishis. We learned as children the concepts and stories in these parshiyos, or we are watching our children learn it now. Does it make sense that at the age of 25, 35, 45, or 55, we have the same juvenile picture in our mind of Adam HaRishon? Adam HaRishon was super curious about the fruit of the Eitz Ha’daas so he ate it? It looked like it tasted good? What does the pasuk mean that ‘it was good to eat?’ Do we seriously believe that Adam Harishon who was the handiwork of Hashem, a navi and perfect, would be tempted physically? Esav and Yitzchak, do we think that Yitzchak could really be fooled by Esav? All these personas have depth, layer upon layer, and there are hundreds of lessons to be learned, besides much more which is beyond our ability to comprehend. If we don’t make any effort, we will most certainly remain with the default pshat. This is ‘mitzvas anashim melumadah.’
Hashem created the world. He created us. He wants something from us. If we leave this to the stock answers that we received as children – then we will go through life as children! The same way we mature physically and emotionally, we learn to appreciate life in a deeper and wiser way, we need to mature spiritually. Without mussar – this can’t happen.
You know how there are some gifted children, brilliant and talented, and they skip up grades, where they can be doing high school math, but at the same time be on the social and emotional level of a 10-year-old. We can’t allow that to happen to us!