WHAT IS MUSSAR?
WHAT IS MUSSAR?
Mussar is a Jewish spiritual practice that draws on traditional Jewish spiritual wisdom. Mussar encourages reflection and dialogue with others to live wholeheartedly and meaningfully. Mussar offers opportunities for spiritual transformation through a Jewish lens.
Mussar became popular in traditional Jewish centres of learning in Lithuania in the nineteenth century and spread across Eastern Europe into the twentieth century. With the Holocaust, the practice of Mussar almost disappeared and it is only relatively recently that it has begun to be uncovered again, learned, taught and practiced widely by Jews and non-Jews alike.
We aim to widen the reach of Mussar practice and learning by using current communication tools and creating an online space to learn, teach, reflect and practice.
DO I NEED TO BE RELIGIOUS TO ENGAGE WITH MUSSAR?
Mussar is a universal wisdom. It was originaly taught in Jewish institutions and draws on Jewish practices and teachings, but these practices and teachings can transform the lives of everyone. Wherever you are, whatever your practice, whatever your background and beliefs, you can benefit from the profound transformational power of mussar.
WHAT WILL I GAIN FROM MUSSAR?
Mussar practice offers a safe space to process life. It invites each of us to ask deep questions of ourselves, to reflect on our current behaviours, and to think about how we want to show up in the world.
You will gain these personal insights and feel more confident in your response to life's challenges. For each of us, our journey and 'soul work' is different. Mussar offers us a chance to work on our selves, with no judgement or 'right' or 'wrong' way to do anything.
WHAT ARE SOUL TRAITS AND MIDDOT?
The essence of spiritual transformation through Mussar practice lies in examining the soul. Each of us has a soul with different characteristics, ("soul traits" or "middot" in Hebrew) and not all our characteristics are helpful if they are unbalanced. For example, an exceptionally angry or impatient soul will benefit from developing a calmer trait and more patience. We are all unique, and the work we each need to do to balance our souls becomes a unique spiritual journey using the tools of Mussar. For a fuller introduction to the concept of soul traits, please click here.