Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar

by Alan Morinis

Book Overview

Mussar is an illuminating, approachable, and highly practical set of teachings for cultivating personal growth and spiritual realization in the midst of day-to-day life. Here is an accessible and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590306090
• ISBN13: 9781590306093
• Release Date: December 2008
• Publisher: Trumpeter
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.9" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Everyday Greatness

This book has the power to change your life. Every night I study the text, and every day I practice the lessons. I am a better person because of this book, and I am a much happier, well-adjusted man as well. If you are interested in becoming a mensch, this is a good place to start. The study of mussar is what I have been looking for my entire Jewish life, and I am so grateful that I found this modern presentation of the mussar ideals.

Great read!

This book has been powerful in my life. You have to take it slowly and highlight, go back over the information and digest it, which is great. I'll be reading it over and over again. You don't have to be Jewish to use it either, or to apply it!

Great book about an obscure subject

I had never heard of Mussar until recently. I am a Jew and have been practicing Buddhism for the last 25 years. Mussar ties Jewish thought, Talmudic and Biblical in origin, with concepts like generosity, loving-kindness and other principles that are common to Buddhism. This book is outlined in a way that offers daily readings and you could just keep starting over each time you finish. I read from it after i finish my morning meditation session. This book has provided me with a spiritual part of Judaism that had been difficult to connect with prior to reading it. I can't say that it has changed my life, but it has added to it something essential and beneficial for me and ultimately for all sentient beings. Thanks to Alan Morinis for writing it. peace

Excellent, clear introduction to modern Mussar

Mussar is a Jewish ethical practice that involves self-examination leading to self-improvement. The practice is positive in nature and outward focussed though it involves a certain amount of introspection as well. Everyday Holiness is well laid out in three sections. Part one explains what Mussar is and gives something of its history. Part two describes eighteen middot (character traits) including how they impact on our lives and steps we might take to improve the balance of that particular quality in our personalities. Part three describes Mussar practice, including daily, weekly and annual activities. I found the book wonderfully clear and relevant for today. It would be quite possible to launch into Mussar with just this book as a guide.

An excellent presentation of Mussar...

This book is an excellent presentation of Mussar, by one of today's premier Mussar teachers in the US/Canada. The author is not Orthodox, and doesn't pretend to be. His own Mussar teacher is Orthodox, and approved of this author's teaching of Mussar to the larger community of both Orthodox and other Jews as well as non-Jews. The material is easy to understand and easy to put into practice. The author teaches Mussar as it was meant to be practiced, with kindness as well as consciousness. If you are the least interested in Mussar, and not interested in a practice to beat yourself over the head with, this is the book you've been looking for. I bought copies for friends along with my own.