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By Jeff Agron, Co-President We live by two calendars, the Hebrew calendar and, of course, our secular calendar. In the Jewish calendar, we are in the midst of the period between Pesach and Shavuot, known as the Omer; a time where we count each day, until we reach the time of the giving of our Torah on Shavuot. In the secular calendar, we are approaching the summer, the end of the school year and a time for summer vacations and camps. In the world of The Mussar Institute, we are also approaching a special time, as we prepare for our annual meeting of the Board of Directors. This is a time where we take stock of what the past year has meant, evaluate and plan for the upcoming year and appoint new directors and officers. I will be leaving my role as Co-President, and moving on to other roles in TMI. Modya Silver and Gary Shaffer will be the Co-Presidents. We also say goodbye to Micha Berger and Rob Beller as they leave the board. I want to personally thank them for their service to TMI over a period of many years. Micha will be moving into the newly created role of Mashgiach, or spiritual supervisor, for TMI. Rob will continue to be an active member of TMI and a student of Mussar. In the secular calendar, I am also aware of two upcoming events, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. I am also reminded at this time of the quote from Proverbs: “Heed, my son, the discipline of your father and do not forsake the guidance of your mother.” The Ramban, Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, uses this teaching to begin his “Ethical Letter.” This is a short letter or teaching that the Ramban gave to his son, but which has become a major piece of Mussar text, expounded upon by commentators for centuries. In the commentary by Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Feuer, we learn that parents must be ever cognizant of the fact that middos are, in a sense, hereditary. I urge all of us to take the opportunity to use Mother’s Day and Father’s Day as a way to invest in further Mussar study. I wish you a great summer.
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