Mussar Lives! Modern Revival Gathers Strength!

Defying a bevy of "frum" naysayers, who say things like "mussar is dead", not suitable for our time, doesn't fit our generation, is too negative, has been superseded by "Chasidus", and other nonsense, the veritable old discipline of לימוד המוסר continues on, and is even gaining new, enthusiastic, young devotees. 

As שלמה המלך, the wisest of men, exhorted us, החזק במוסר אל תרף, נצרה כי היא חייך - Grab onto mussar and don't let go, guard it, as it is your life - the imperative of mussar and introspection is fundamental, as recently expounded upon masterfully at length in Toras Avigdor.

That doesn't mean that everyone must study mussar in the exact same manner as was done under Rav Yisroel Salanter zt"l in Kovno some 150 years ago, or in Slabodka or Novhardok fifty years later. There are multiple schools and paths in mussar, which is a very broad discipline. And one can absorb mussar without being an official "mussar'nik" as well, e.g. by learning sefer Mishlei, other sections of Torah which may not be labeled as such, or a more recent work (such as the great ארחות יושר of Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt"l), rather than more typical mussar seforim more commonly associated with the modern movement.

Hachzek - Daily Mussar Impact - A New High-Tech Mussar Center

In the category of old wine in new vessels, I saw an advertisement for a new mussar endeavor, an organization called החזק, recently, but just checked out their website in earnest this week, and was favorably impressed with the professionalism and sophistication on display. I counted shiurim from twenty (!) maggidei shiur for the latest (brief) mussar yomi installment there (a section from the classic חובות הלבבות, שער הבטחון). And the shiurim are not long, busy people can easily be a part of it, on the go, or at rest, in just circa 5-10 minutes a day.

Hachzek. Reach higher

Take a look, have a listen, check out a video, a sefer, or text there. It may not be exactly how your grandfather got his dose of mussar, but the aura of introspection, striving for self-improvement, and closeness to Hashem that characterizes mussar is still there for sure.

In the zechus of such serious spiritual enterprise, whether older מוסר varieties or newer, or other less common, but still legitimate variations, may we be zoche to גאולה בקרוב.

א גוטען חודש

The Niggun for Binyan Hamikdash That Lubavitch Took & Made Into a Chabad Anthem

 A while ago, we posted about a foundational Chabad-Lubavitch myth and song of their seventh generation, of their late last Rebbe, who passed away close to thirty years ago.

At the time, I wrote that "the tune that Lubavitch uses to אימתי קאתי מר was taken from an old Yerushalmi song, מתי יבנה המקדש (When will the Beis Hamikdash be rebuilt?)".

Although I recalled part of the song, or one version of it, I was not aware of a recording available to share easily with readers.

B"H, I have just found it (or a version of it) online, sung by the great Rosh Yeshiva of  Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, Rav Yisroel Belsky zt"l, at a fine website memorializing him.

You can hear it here.

The mostly Yiddish song, suffused with the feeling of a Jew of old, intimately familiar with the ordeals and tribulations of our long גלות, pleading to הקב"ה for the גאולה and בנין המקדש, goes as follows (followed by my loose translation)

פון דארטען ווארפט מען ארויס

דא לאזט מען נישט אריין

זאג'שע טאטע טאטע'ניו ביז וואנען וועט דאס זיין

זאג'שע טאטע טאטע פאטער מתי יבנה, יבנה המקדש 

From there they throw us out

Here they don't let us in

Say dear Father, Father dear, until when will it be?

Say dear Father, Father dear, when it will be rebuilt, the (Beis Ha)Mikdash will be rebuilt

אכי"ר, בב"א

Chabad-Lubavitch Chasidim Struggle With Life-Threatening Alcoholism Epidemic

It has long been known that alcoholism is a significant problem in Chabad-Lubavitch, but even I was surprised at some of the hair-raising details I saw in a just-published article on the problem, and in the many comments on it.

 'Near Death': Activists Warn About Rise in Alcohol Consumption (collive.com)

Some more at Community Leaders Launch "Urgent" Campaign Against Underage Drinking - Anash.org 

More details about the depth of the problem at Rabbi Braun Explains What Triggered Letter on Drinking (collive.com)

While the Chabad-Lubavitch PR machine tries to convince people (esp. those far from Crown Heights and those that know little about them) that they are about to bring Moshiach, with their airbrushed propaganda about far-away shluchim, the reality of much of the group is far different.

Why aren't these "Chasidim" getting high on avodas Hashem instead of alcohol, drugs, and other mishugasen? 

May Hashem help us see the truth about things, and be spared from all types of deception and corruption.

Missing the Boat on Purim Due to Misplaced Emphasis on Hyped-up Segulos and Fads

 Rav Gershon Ribner שליט"א is a leading expositor of Torah השקפה and הדרכה (outlook and guidance). In addition to his regular work of הרבצת התורה as a ראש ישיבה, he responds to questions on a wide range of subjects from a broader ציבור, giving crucial guidance to בני תורה dealing with various challenges of modern life.

While looking at a site where his wisdom is shared the other day, one piece related to Purim caught my attention. Upon contemplation, I came to the conclusion that it was quite fitting for featuring here, in line with some of our past posts, in which we highlighted the classic old Torah מסורה of Purim, as opposed to some new-fangled fads that have recently arisen and spread.

Rav Gershon Ribner: The great opportunity Purim presents is often mismanaged (rebgershonribner.com)

While the entire piece is worth listening to, I want to focus on two things the Rosh Yeshiva שליט"א says.

1) The Rambam says we are to learn from Purim, להודיע כי אמת הוא מה שאמר משה בתורה כי מי גוי גדול אשר לו אלקים קרובים אליו בכל קראנו אליו. Purim tells us that HKB"H is close to us whenever we call out to Him. If a person walks out of Purim with the focus that Purim (דווקא - specifically) is a געוואלדיגע עת רצון, and "כל הפושט יד נותנין לו", he missed the boat, because the idea we are to learn is that that special closeness between Hashem and Klal Yisrael is anytime, not just on Purim. The limud of Purim is that he does not need a/any bazundere segulah.

2) If a person is (overly) busy on ליל פורים (Purim evening) with מסיבות (Purim celebratory gatherings) (when the proper/main time for them is not at night, rather during the following day), and he therefore misses proper קריאת שמע the following (Purim) morning, and is like a zombie at the daytime megillah reading, he is a שטיא (fool).

B"H we still have גדולים who speak out clearly on these very important fundamentals, especially when way too much confusion exists out there, especially among the less educated of our people.

א כשר'ן און פרייליכען פורים

P.S. Also remaining very relevant are our numerous Purim related posts from previous years, in which we dispelled certain widespread popular myths (e.g. Purim will not be the only Yom tov when Moshiach comes), and shared proper old-fashioned Litvishe השקפה with regard to Purim from gedolim like Rav Aharon Leib Steinman, Rav Avigdor Miller, and the Brisker Rav, זכר צדיקים לברכה, delineating how they differ from various Chasidic teachings and practices. Read and enjoy those and other pieces here.