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By Modya Silver, Co-President The Mussar Institute Board of Directors recently had the privilege of spending Shabbat with Rabbi and Mrs. Perr of Far Rockaway, Long Island. Rabbi Perr is the head of the Yeshiva in Far Rockaway and is Alan Morinis’ primary Mussar teacher. Mrs. Perr is the great-granddaughter of the Alter of Novordok, one of the greats of the early days of the Mussar movement. During our extended Shabbat lunch with them, we spent time talking about whether Mussar could be learned and practiced without a connection to Torah and to mitzvoth (the guideposts for how to conduct ourselves in this world). The general position accepted by most around the table, if not all, was that at some point in each person’s spiritual path, an exploration of Torah and mitzvoth must be undertaken. This exploration requires a willingness to grow, and as we know, growth comes from stretching beyond our comfort zone. This idea of a fully integrated spiritual path made me think about how at each stage of a path we can benefit from full integration. In Psalm 105, the first few verses teach us how to search for and make connection with G-d. All senses are to be employed, as are our inner states of being. Song is required. Our sight, our heart. Our mouth. To be successful in our endeavor, we need to come to the relationship with everything that we’ve got. A partial effort won’t get us as far as we can or need to go. We see this idea again later in the Psalm in verse 28 where the 10 plagues of Egypt are recounted. In all the plagues we are told that G-d brought the plague. However, with the plague of darkness, the Psalm says, “He sent darkness to make it dark.” The language structure seems strange. However, it is clear that the darkness was both the instrument and the outcome. Its role was critical and complete from beginning to end. The lesson we are to learn is that we can cover every inch of our spiritual territory if we are the catalyst and owner of our actions. If we bring all of our resources to the issue at hand, we will succeed to the greatest levels possible. While The Mussar Institute does not take a stand on how much Torah one should learn, or how to relate to the mitzvoth, the Institute does at least encourage everyone to explore what is right for them and then push a little further past the comfort zone. I believe that this degree of honesty and acceptance of people wherever they are in their path is one of the cornerstones of the Institute that has drawn me closer and had me participate over the years. I hope, as I’m sure the Board does, that each of you will continue to question, to push and prod with love and compassion to find your own path that speaks truth to you. We hope that our programs, courses and intentions help you in that regard. |
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