mussarcenter

START HERE: https://mussar.center If you could have coffee with the King or Queen of an Empire, what advice would they give you? That's what the book of Proverbs is - David, the great warrior-poet, telling his little son all the things. We usually think of Proverbs as wisdom literature, but did you know that Mussar is emphasized even more than wisdom in its opening lines? And that over half the references to Mussar in the Bible are in this one book? Maybe it's time to go back and read Proverbs again and let yourself be fathered in the ways you never were. This is your invitation to do a Mussar chapter a day and let it strike royalty in your soul.

START HERE: https://mussar.center How do you feel about how "toxic masculinity" is talked about? Have you observed it to be a thoughtful and necessary conversation about hurtful extremes or more of a hatefest that demonizes masculinity and makes men feel bad? Why isn't anybody talking about "toxic femininity"? The reality is that we all have a masculine and a feminine side. Destructive aggression is real, but could there also be constructive aggression? The great news is that there is a place to take out your aggression and it is the arena of Mussar work. Man or woman - if your high testosterone has left you feeling misunderstood and marginalized, there's room for you on the path of Mussar. Not to mention the world needs you. So let's do this! ❦ #Mussar #Aggression #Toxicmasculinity #Testosterone

START HERE: https://mussar.center Mussar is only mentioned once in the Torah but it's a disturbing text - the generation of the Exodus saw God's miracles and his mussar but it wasn't enough and they still died in the desert. Why didn't their experience of Mussar work? The Bible also warns that Mussar can be bad, foolish, and a waste of time. How can that even be? What makes the difference? Let's look at these problematic texts and see if we can't figure it out. But be warned - the answer may be troubling. P.S. It's been five lessons! If everyone donates a dollar a lesson we'll be able to keep teaching for free. Please do what you think everyone else should do and send in a little something right now: https://mussar.center Thank you! ❦

START HERE: https://mussar.center We finally made it to "Mussar"! What does this Hebrew word actually mean? Where is Mussar in the Bible? Does it mean the same thing in biblical and modern Hebrew? Why do you hear it pronounced two different ways? And should you spell it "Mussar" or "Musar"? We'll answer all these questions and then look at three verses using this word which are all related to our first convo about listening and loving, but with a new twist - Mussar is all about engaging. With that understanding, any surprise the Hebrew word "mussar" is related to the word for "saw"?

START HERE: https://mussar.center What is Mussar? We'll talk about that in the next lesson. In this one I'll just tell you what these conversations are going to be about. Mussar is a Hebrew word and a Jewish discipline, but really Mussar teachings are for everyone. They're the things you should have been taught as a child but probably weren't. So while these talks are for adults, I'll talk on a simple level so kids can understand too. What do I want? I'd like to see you spending 10 or 20 minutes a day doing a little reading/listening and then a little Mussar work. I hope you can find a Mussar partner to share this experience with too. Walking the path of learning, thinking, talking, and doing Mussar really is that simple. That's where these conversations come in. In each one I'll show you a Mussar book, tell you what it's about, and use that to teach you all the major Mussar texts, ideas, words, and practices. We're going to cover Mussar literature from five eras. The Biblical, Rabbinic, and Classical eras each lasted about a thousand years. The Mussar Movement lasted about a hundred. And the Modern era is still happening. Mussar is really old but it's also very new! At the end of this talk I'm going to give you a symbol for Mussar that we'll use as our secret sign and then do two things that we'll end each conversation with - I'll say something I'm celebrating and then make up a little blessing, special for you. Please sign up for emails here so I can tell you when new lessons are out: https://mussar.center/ Thank you for joining me on this journey! ❦ ;) #Mussar #Discipline #Bible

START HERE: https://mussar.center Have you ever pushed back when someone pushed you first? Or did you go through a rebellious phase in your teens or forties? Our natural response to pressure is to resist, and in extreme cases to outright rebel. We need room to breathe and freedom to be ourselves. So would you be surprised to hear that MUSSAR is related to the Hebrew word for REBELLION? The goal of Mussar work is freedom! That means resisting the internal and external forces that want to control you while at the same time applying the inner pressure you need to become more awesome. Mussar practitioners are the ultimate freedom fighters, walking their own individual paths while they engage in the greatest struggle known to man. You need something to live for. So wake up to the forces seeking to oppress you and join the rebellion!

START HERE: https://mussar.center Imagine losing all your inhibitions and being totally free. What do you look like? How do you talk to people? How different would that be from how you are now? People drink to lose their inhibitions and be their real selves, but what if there was another way? If the truth sets you free, what do lies do? How are you lying to yourself and the world? And what if the biggest lie was that you aren't? These are some of the tough questions we'll face in this conversation. We'll also talk about how you have both a masculine and a feminine side and explore how Mussar practice can help you become a more whole person. ❦ #Mussar #Freedom #Alcohol

START HERE: https://mussar.center Minimalists value quality over quantity. They choose things they really like instead of just piling up stuff. They clear the clutter to make space for the relationships and experiences that really matter. Are you surprised that Mussar and downsizing are connected in Hebrew? Let's look at how this word for Mussar also teaches you to watch for what's being birthed when you're feeling broken, conditions you to allow pressure to make you like a rock, and gives you hope when your social circles are changing for the better but it hurts. ❦ #Mussar #Minimalist #Minimalism #Downsizing #Hope

START HERE: https://mussar.center Who are you stuck with? Marriage and family relationships are the best place for deep Mussar work. You might feel tied down, inhibited, or outright opposed sometimes, but these are also the bonds that hold you together, meet your basic needs, and enrich your life. Family is your mirror, showing how helpful you really are. That's what Mussar does too. In the process of revealing where you want to go it also reflects where you're really at - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Facing your dark side may be the hardest thing you've ever done, but it will also make you a deep and authentic person. Let's look at the family of words that "helpmate" belongs to, see how marriage works like a belt, and discover why family feels like a backyard. P.S. It's been five lessons! If everyone donates a dollar a lesson we'll be able to keep teaching for free. Please do what you think everyone else should do and send in a little something here, now: https://mussar.center Thank you! ❦ #Mussar #Marriage #Darkside

START HERE: https://mussar.center This is where it gets fun! Every word in Hebrew comes from a verb, and every verb belongs to a family of related words. Not only that, but these families either mean a thing or its opposite! For the next five conversations we're going look at the family of Hebrew words that "yasar" belongs to and, just like we've been doing all along, let that take us to some deep places. Let's start by talking about how limiting yourself in one area can enable you to expand in others. Most of us didn't feel so good about "restriction" when we were kids, but self-imposed restrictions can be the best thing that ever happened to your values and goals! We'll finish with a surprise Mussar assignment and, as always, a blessing. ❦ #Mussar #Hebrew #Language

START HERE: https://mussar.center Now that we've seen what "yasar" means in Biblical Hebrew, let's look at how it was used after the Bible was written down and also look at another noun that comes from that verb - "yissur". We all experience "yissurin", but what do we do with them? Do we frame them positively and allow our trials and sufferings to correct us, even seeing them as visitations of divine love to be held dear and precious? If you practice Mussar now, then you'll be ready for the yissurin that will inevitably come. ❦ #יסורין #Suffering #Mussar

START HERE: https://mussar.center How do you feel when I say..."warning"? You probably don't get the warm fuzzies. But it's actually a really positive word! If you never told yourself "if...then…" you'd probably be dead by now. Why? Because sometimes what's bad for future you feels good now, and vice versa. Telling yourself the truth about the future is a Mussar practice you've already been doing for years. What would it look like if you kept at it, but a little more intentionally? This is our last conversation about how the action word behind Mussar is used in the Bible. I'll finish by showing you a list of all the places you can find it. ❦ #Mussar #Hebrew #Bible #Tanach

START HERE: https://mussar.center What would it look like if you were perfectly happy? Have you ever been, or could you ever be? You may need to brace yourself, because...true happiness doesn't come from sitting on the beach sipping a cold one. Not lasting happiness, anyways. The Hebrew word for happy is "ashrei" and it literally means to be moving towards a destination. What's nifty is that this is exactly what happens when you see yourself making progress towards a goal - your brain gives you a dopamine hit and you feel really good! That's why, if you really want to be happy, you need to know what you want and be working towards it. Deep joy comes from becoming a disciple and practicing a discipline. And that's where Mussar comes in. ❦ #Happiness #Mussar #Torah

START HERE: https://mussar.center There are some places in the Bible where the verb behind the Hebrew word "mussar" is translated as punishment, and in once place it's even translated as flogging! So what is Mussar, anyway - is it discipline or punishment? Is there even a difference between the two? If yes, what's the difference? What was your experience growing up, were you disciplined or punished? And how about now, which do you tend towards in how you relate to yourself? Are you too hard or too easy on yourself? These are some of the questions we'll explore in today's conversation, along with the most important question - how are you like a puppy, and how should that inform your personal Mussar practice? P.S. It's been five lessons! If everyone donates a dollar a lesson we'll be able to keep teaching for free. Please do what you think everyone else should do and send in a little something here, now: https://mussar.center Thank you! ❦ #Mussar #Discipline #Sustainability

START HERE: https://mussar.center I'm going to warn you that this may be a hard conversation. Good and worth going there, but hard. The uncomfortable fact is that Mussar means discipline. Our first experiences of Mussar were as children being disciplined by adults and it was not fun. In fact, it may have been downright painful, even traumatizing. That can make it hard to talk about Mussar, and even harder to practice. The reality is that humans are imperfect and sometimes fail, and this was certainly true of our parents and the adults in our lives. The good news is not only can you go back and parent yourself in the ways you needed as a child, but you can also experience a loving relationship with the perfect Parent that you need now. In this conversation we're going to explore just that - how to step into a loving parent-child relationship with Hashem through Mussar practice, and how you can begin parenting yourself in the ways that you needed as a child. You'll also discover why, anytime you're teaching yourself things you need to know now or things you should have been taught as a child but never were, you're actually practicing Mussar without even knowing it! ❦ #Mussar #Parenting #Selfcare

START HERE: https://mussar.center Where does your mind go when you just let it wander? And have you ever noticed how bad things can either make you better or worse? Mussar is the discipline of directing your attention to the things and people you want in your life. It's also a habit you should develop now so those negative experiences will push you in a positive direction instead of just spiralling. There is evil in the world and if you haven't already encountered it firsthand, you will. When we come face-to-face with the reality of evil we're tempted to become cold in one of two ways - either the grumpy emoji takes over and we get hard, reactive, and closed, or the yawning emoji kicks in and we stop caring and become bored and cynical. But that doesn't have to happen. Mussar is a way to become warm again. It's a way to stay open and keep caring when your heart just wants to tap out and die. The temptation to grow cold isn't just a danger to individuals - it's one of the greatest threats to the world today. The attitude behind the yawning emoji has become the dominant philosophy in our postmodern age. Nihilism suggests that nothing really matters, that your life is meaningless, and that you should probably just give up. The problem is that cold nihilistic hearts don't just live in a cold world - they create a cold world. That's why it will take a movement of Mussar practitioners with warm, open, caring hearts to save the world. ❦ #Mussar #Philosophy #Nihilism

START HERE: https://mussar.center What does the word Mussar mean? Every word in Hebrew comes from a verb, so what's the action word behind Mussar? The verb behind the noun Mussar (מוסר) is Yasar (יסר). It's used 43 times in the Bible and means to discipline, correct, instruct, train, and warn. So basically, Mussar is the practice of doing this for yourself. The first time Yasar is used is in the third book of the Torah, Leviticus. God tells Israel that if they listen to him things will go well and if they don't, discipline will kick in and really bad things will start to happen. We learn from this that Mussar is the practice of disciplining yourself to listen. It's also the habit of pausing when things start going wrong to ask if you're really listening. So essentially, Mussar is about living out the Shema. This ancient prayer has two action words in it: first to listen (שמע), and then to love (אהב). What does this tell us? You can't truly love someone until you truly listen to them. That's the goal of Mussar, to enter into this beautiful circle of coming to know and love the other through deep listening. Building on that, Hashem (השם) means the Name, the "I am", the source of being, the highest reality. Hashem isn't the universe, but he's creating it. So Mussar isn't only a path of listening to God - it also involves listening to your body, to your true self, to the people in your life, and to the cosmos. We'll finish this conversation with four things: a celebration of what we just learned, your first Mussar exercise, a little blessing, and with the discovery that our symbol for Mussar isn't just called a fleuron, it's also called...the floral heart! ❦ #Mussar #Hebrew #Shema #Ahavah #Listening #Loving #Discipline