With Heart in Mind: Mussar Teachings to Transform Your Life

by Alan Morinis

Overview

Introducing a weekly spiritual practice for developing a strong and open heart—drawn from Judaism's Mussar tradition
 
Mussar is a practice that draws from the vast storehouse of Jewish wisdom, law, revelation, and text, bringing it right home in a way that is completely practical. Judaism teaches that Torah (the collective wisdom of the tradition) provides the blueprint for human experience—and so the more of it we acquire, the more we gain a clearer, truer perspective on life and learn how to navigate its pathways. The phrase “acquiring Torah” is code for the process of internalizing this wisdom to bring about a genuine transformation of the inner self.
 
In short, accessible chapters, this book describes forty-eight methods through which we can acquire Torah—and turns them into a straightforward practice. These methods include cultivating humility, joy, awe, good-heartedness, closeness with friends, not taking credit for oneself, judging others favorably, and so on. The fruit of working through each quality or method is a refined soul and a strong and open heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611801521
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	08/26/2014
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

ALAN MORINIS is the founder and director of the Mussar Institute (www.mussarinstitute.org), an organization that promotes the study of Mussar through study groups, courses, and public talks. He has been a student of the Mussar tradition since 1997, training under Rabbi Yechiel Yitzchok Perr. He is also the author of Everyday Holiness, Climbing Jacob’s Ladder, and Every Day, Holy Day.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction 1

1 Study 17

2 Attentive Listening 22

3 Orderly Speech 27

4 Understanding of the Heart 32

5 Fear 37

6 Awe 44

7 Humility 49

8 Joy 55

9 Serving the Sages 60

10 Closeness to Friends 64

11 Debating with Students 69

12 Settledness 75

13 Studying the Written and Oral Torah 80

14 Purity 85

15 Limiting Sleep 90

16 Limiting Conversation 95

17 Limiting Work or Business 100

18 Limiting Levity 105

19 Limiting Pleasure 110

20 Limiting Mundane Activities 115

21 Slow to Anger 120

21 Goodheartedness 125

23 Faith in the Sages 130

24 Accepting Suffering 135

25 Knowing One's Place 140

26 Happiness with Your Portion 145

27 Making a Fence around Your Activities 150

28 Not Claiming Credit for Oneself 155

29 Being Beloved 160

30 Loving God 165

31 Loving God's Creatures 170

32 Loving Rebukes 175

33 Love of Uprightness 180

34 Distancing from Honor 185

35 Not Being Overly Satisfied in One's Learning 190

36 Not Taking Joy in Handing Down Rulings 195

37 Bearing the Burden with the Other 200

38 Judging Others Favorably 205

39 Leading Others to Truth 210

40 Leading Others to Peace 215

41 Being Settled in One's Studies 220

42 Asking Pertinent Questions 225

43 Listening and Contributing 230

44 Learning in Order to Teach 235

45 Learning in Order to Do 240

46 Making One's Teacher Wise 245

47 Clarifying What One Has Heard 249

48 Saying Something in the Name of Its Speaker 254

Conclusion: With Heart in Mind 259

Notes 263