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In This IssueWelcome This past month The Mussar Institute Board of Director’s had a major change in it’s leadership. Dr. Alan Morinis who has been president of the board for the last several years has stepped down. Alan will continue to play a vital role in the fundraising and strategic planning of the organization and, of course, continue his passion for writing and teaching. We thank Alan for his vision and dedication and tireless efforts steering the board to where it is today. Now we are so fortunate to have two long-time board members take the reigns from Alan as co-presidents; Jeff Agron from Miami Beach, Florida and Carol Robinson who resides in Alameda, California. By Alan Morinis The calendar is on everyone’s mind at in this season more than at any other time of year. From Rosh Hashanah to Simchat Torah, every day has a special designation. The two holy days of Rosh Hashanah are followed by the 10 days of teshuvah, culminating in the holy day of Yom Kippur. Immediately after come the few days to build the sukkah, then Sukkot with its holy days and intermediate days, with Shimini Atzeret and Simchat Torah rounding out the season. The following article is based on a recent teleclass given by Eytan Kobre, a member of The Mussar Institute board of directors. Eytan is an attorney who specializes in elder law and is a serious student and teacher of Mussar. This is the first of a two part article. What Price Free Will? Aficionados of Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone may recall the episode in which an inveterate gambler named Bob comes up to the pearly gates and is shown to his place of eternal repose. Opening the doors to a large hall, he beholds a scene that is clearly his idea of heaven. It’s a casino packed with patrons enjoying every manner of games of chance, and Bob, too, quickly joins in the fun. By Shoshana Litman Mussar Leaders in Our Midst Months go by when I convince myself that it is fine to learn and practice Mussar on my own. I keep a daily Cheshbon HaNefesh (accounting of the soul) diary, choose a new middah (soul trait) every two weeks, practice kabbalos (exercises I take on) to bring the middot home, and compose simple tunes for affirmative verses gleaned from related texts to bring everything together. By Leonard Felson Len Felson is a magazine writer who also volunteers his time to edit the monthly Yashar newsletter. Since I first discovered Mussar, after reading Alan Morinis’ first book, “Climbing Jacob’s Ladder,” and enrolling in Mussar courses through the Mussar Institute, my wife will often ask me: “So, how has it changed your life?” The Mussar Institute depends on the generosity of supporters, and gratefully acknowledges the following donations this month:
Donations gratefully accepted here.
ALAN’S BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE FOR OCTOBER Alan is packing his bags again and will be on the road for the next leg of his book tour. Please check the calendar to ensure you don’t miss his speaking engagements in your community in October.
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