An Old Path
Revisited

Mussar movement offers guide on how to be holy.

tion, Dr. Morinis found one of its
only remaining disciples, Rabbi
Special to the Jewish News'
Yechiel Yitzchok Perr, in Far
Rockaway, N.Y.
hile a "mid-life crisis"
Dr. Morinis' quest began at age 47
can lead to many desti-
when he was searching for a more
nations, for Dr. Alan
meaningful identity within his Jewish
Morinis it became a
heritage. Judaism had never played a
spiritual journey through the little-
known 1,000-year-old Jewish tradition big role in his life, he said. Instead, he
had spent many of his early years liv-
of Mussar.
ing in the Far East and
Dr. Morinis, a Rhodes
studying Hinduism and
Scholar who currently
Buddhism.
lives in Vancouver,
When asked by one of
B.C., was in the Detroit
the students why he
area recently to discuss
chose the Mussar tradi-
his new book Climbing
tion, Dr. Morinis
Jacob's Ladder: One
replied, "Because spiritu-
Man's Journey to
al development is per-
Rediscover a Jewish
sonal,
while traditional
Spiritual Tradition.
Judaism is more about
Recently published by
all of us doing the same
Broadway Books, a divi-
thing."
sion of Random House,
JAMD student Emily
it tells the story of the _
Sallen,
14, of
author's discovery of the
Birmingham,
said:
Mussar movement and
Dr. Alan Mor finis
"When
you're
trying to
the impact it had on his
improve
yourself,
you
life.
have to focus on what's going on
Speaking at the Jewish Academy of
Metropolitan Detroit (JAMD) in West around you. Just noticing the world
can be a way of improving yourself,
Bloomfield on April 11, Dr. Morinis
which is a lot harder than it seems."
explained the basics of the Mussar
The students agreed it was all right
teachings to the students in the class
to
tell their peers if they observe them
of Rabbi Baruch Lazewnik. He also
doing
something wrong, depending on
spoke to an audience at Temple Shir
how
the
criticism is given.
Shalom in West Bloomfield.
"How you say it is as important as
"The Talmud tells us all the things
what you say," said Jessica August, 14,
we're supposed to do," said Dr.
of Farmington Hills. "You can't give
Morinis, "but how do we help people
criticism if you're angry."
who just are not righteous or generous
Dr. Morinis named his book after
enough; how do we help ourselves?
the Biblical story of Jacob's ladder, in
The Mussar tradition is a body of
which Jacob dreamed of a ladder
guidance to help us change. Basically,
the Torah tells us that we shall be holy, whose base was planted in the Earth
while the top reached up to heaven,
and Mussar tells us how."
while angels ascended and descend-
According to Dr. Morinis, the
ed.
Mussar teachings originally existed
"This is a good image for spiritual
only in the Orthodox world. Much of
life," he said. "Our feet touch the
the original writings had been lost
Earth because we're undeniably
during the Holocaust, when many of
human, but it is our spirituality that
the movement's teachers and leaders
takes us higher."
were killed and written documents
For more information, visit
destroyed.
Dr.
Morinis' Web site at
Realizing he needed a teacher who
www.sMorinis.ca
was well versed in the Mussar tradi-

RONELLE GRIER

W

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2001 Michigan
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5/3
2002

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