Teaneck—“Mussar has the power to bring the Redemption,” says Rabbi Tzvi Miller, founder and director of The Salant Foundation. “Mussar is not a rebuke, that’s a misconception. Mussar is a wisdom that helps us understand that the furthest distance in the universe between two points is the distance between the mind and the heart. Mussar helps us internalize that which we know intellectually directly into our hearts. That is the essence of Mussar,” Miller states.
Through the foundation, Miller has revived the spirit of these holy mystical teachings, making the message available through first-ever English translations and easily discernible books, international teleconferences, Mussar Vaads, e-Mussar, and the establishment of the Salant Kollel Kenesses Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael. This non-profit organization, created to disseminate the message and methods of Rav Yisrael R’ Salanter’s teachings, began taking shape in 2004 with the release of Ohr Yisrael, a first time translation of R’ Salanter’s classic published and unpublished Mussar texts.
A progressive thinker and child prodigy, Rav Salanter was young when he met and learned with Rav Yosef Zundel, a student of Rav Chaim Voloshin who himself was a student of the Vilna Gaon. Brilliant and ahead of his time, R’ Salanter learned fervently at great personal risk. He recognized the tremendous challenges facing Klal Yisrael in the 19th century and with incredible insight extracted relevant new teachings and developed practical applications that empowered and inspired a brand new generation.
Miller describes R’ Salanter’s devotion to Klal Yisrael and the miraculous divine forces that enabled him to develop this healing, daily guide to middos during a time of deadly pogroms, great opposition, and relentless persecution.
“The world greatly changed and it was to R’ Salanter’s merit,” says Miller, “because in his day he noticed in alarming proportions that the Talmud chocham did not have middos. If you do not have good middos, then what is the value of Torah?” He thus launched the Mussar movement, surrounded himself with dedicated students who became masters of Mussar, students who would then go on to establish some of the greatest yeshivas in the world. Yeshivas in Lakewood, Chevron, Baltimore, and Ponevez in Israel are all directly founded by his students.”
How is this effective today in modern times?
“There is a thirst in the world today for self-help. Bookstores are overflowing with self-help, self-love, self-esteem books, and books on happiness, yet no one can really figure it out. But the Torah can because it is from Sinai and from Hashem’s wisdom. We have the yetzer hara, which is a disorder, a real spiritual disorder, and we can only be healed by a proper remedy. Over-the-counter drugs treat only the symptoms. They are not as powerful, potent, or as specific as improving one’s character—the beginning of Avodas Hashem. Mussar is like a real prescription drug treating real spiritual diseases. Without it there is no chance a person can be healed of his or her spiritual disease,” says Miller.
“Life becomes easier with Mussar,” says Rita Rivka Levy, a member of one Teaneck Vaad. “Where do you go when you are challenged? This new awareness becomes a tool. When confronted by an uncomfortable situation, our first thought or response might be negative, ‘knowing’ we should say or do something else. But we are powerless to change. Through Mussar study we begin to access these tools, and are able to do it better. It’s incredibly transformative,” says Levy.
As if from a torn page out of our history book, the people of Israel are once again living with the threat of annihilation. Instead of Russian and Polish militias, things are different this time as we are challenged by an ideological enemy with no concern for life or death. How does one fight with an enemy that brutally murders three teenage boys? How can we make sense of such human loss, cope with a climbing IDF death toll, antisemitic violence erupting all over the globe, and the unbelievable alignment with the Three Weeks? How can we rein in all those emotions and control our yetzer hara for peace?
Rabbi Miller is quick to reply, “This is Jewish self-help and it is as relevant today as it was 200 years ago. It is a methodology that believes in its people, in transformation, and in a Jew’s ability to make permanent internal changes, to be successful, happier, and closer to Hashem.”
The First Temple was destroyed for our sins, and we were punished with a 70-year exile. But the Second Temple destruction occurred due to “baseless hatred.” Again we were exiled, but this time remained so for more than 2000 years. So which is worse? Miller states, “This sinas chinom was more intrinsically a part of ourselves (and thus warranted the greater punishment) and we can only be fixed if we are machmir with ahavas Yisrael.”
“The entire country of Israel is under fire. Maybe Hashem is imposing it (the war) upon us in order to provide an opportunity for our collective ‘spiritual return.’ Perhaps these recent events are Hashem’s way of sending us the message to ‘make teshuva’ to ‘create unity.’ We already know that tikkun is unity, love, and caring for people.”
“We are made B’etzelem Elokim, in Hashem’s image; we have a halachic obligation to learn to do it better, to behave with b’havet Yisrael, love of Jews,” Levy explains. “This teaching is not done in a critical way, it is with loving kindness and gentleness that we learn how much Hashem loves us and how much we must also love one another.”
Connect with Salant Foundation to learn how you or your shul can partner with Kenesses Yisrael to help support budget shortfalls left in the wake of government cutbacks. Sample a Mussar Vaad, offered in several cities and three countries and very active in Bergen County. A new Teaneck Vaad is launching next week, based on 30 Days to Teshuva, available in stores and on Amazon. “This 30-day program for the month of Elul is a step-by-step preparation for Rosh Hoshanah,” says Annette Prager, Mussar Vaad coordinator for Bergen County. Or simply sign up to receive e-Mussar, a daily a dose of practical wisdom delivered to your mailbox.
For more info: Vaad-Annette Prager: ho[email protected] Foundation/Kollell salan[email protected] or visit www.salantfoundation.org.
By Elyse Hansford
