Mussar
Here are some basic resources about Mussar, Baalei Mussar, and the Mussar Movement. Three of the articles about Mussar are by Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer. The original articles by Rabbi Bechhofer can be found on his web page. They are reprinted here with his permission.
The article about Mussar entitled "Redemption And The Power of Small Things: Rav Yosef Lipovitz's ethical refraction of Megilat Rut" is by Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein and also appears on the web at YULA.org. The article appears here with Rabbi Adlerstein's permission, and also with the kind permission of Jewish Action, the magazine of the Orthodox Union, where the article originally appeared in the Summer '98 issue.
- Many of the biographical articles about Mussar figures are reprinted here with the kind permission of Yated Neeman, Monsey NY. They offer a free e-mail subscription of selected articles which are e-mailed weekly. To subscribe, send E-Mail to the Yated Editor. These articles are designated as (YN).
- Links to biographies and other articles from Dei'ah VeDibur are designated as (DD)
- Links to online articles from the Jewish Observer are designated by (JO).
- Links to material on the Shema Yisrael Torah Network are designated by (SY).
- Links to material on the JewishGen site are designated by (JG).
- Links to material on the Jewish Media Resources site are designated by (JMR).
- Links to material on Innernet are designated by (I).
On the topic of putting the values of Musar into practical application, see Judaism in the Workplace: Professional Ethics and Halakha on the Darche Noam Web site. There are articles as well as links to articles there which address Mussar related issues in Business, Law, Medicine, Music, Textiles, and Biotechnology.
Also see Torah Personalities and the Times in Which They Lived
This set of 16 shiurim given by Rabbi Ron Yitzchak Eisenman, Rav of Congregation Ahavas Israel in Passaic, New Jersey. The shiurim range from Hillel to Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch. The first shiur is on the topic of "Why Study Jewish History?" Includes a shiur on the founder of the Mussar Movement, Rabbi Israel Salanter (Part I and Part II)
If you know of any other articles or essays about Mussar, Baalei Mussar, or the Mussar Movement on the Internet, please email me at webmaster@tzemachdovid.org
Please Note: More biographies of Gedolei Torah can be found in the gedolim section of our site
Mussar Haskafa
- Kelm - The Silent Furnace I(DD)
- Kelm - The Silent Furnace II(DD)
- Kelm - The Silent Furnace III(DD)
- Rav Yisroel Salanter's Teachings In Yerushalayim (DD)
The Beis Hamussar and Yeshivas Or Chodosh, Founded By Talmidim Of The Alter Of Kelm
- Self Esteem by HaRav Yaakov Weinberg zt"l (DD)
- Basic Principles of Parenting by Rav Shlomo Wolbe tz"l (adapted by Rabbi Leib Kelemen) (JO)
- Must We be Idealists?
by Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
- Making Rosh Hashana Work
by Jonathan Rosenblum
- To Rededicate Koenigsburg -- He Established Elul (The Alter of Kelm about Rav Yisroel Salanter) (DD)
- Back To Kobrin, Baranovitch And Mir: An Interview With HaRav Aharon Kreiser, zt'l Part I
by Rabbi Dov Eliach (DD)
- Back To Kobrin, Baranovitch And Mir: An Interview With HaRav Aharon Kreiser, zt'l Part I
by Rabbi Dov Eliach (DD)
- A Lesson from Kelm (YN)
- Elul in Slabodka by Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Yated Ne'eman, Jerusalem, Israel - New York, NY.
- Telshe: 120 Years Since the Founding of the Yeshiva by Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Yated Ne'eman, Jerusalem, Israel - New York, NY.
- In the Footsteps of Rabbi Avraham Eliyahu Kaplan zt"l by Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
- Signs From Heaven
By HaRav Avrohom Yitzchok Bloch Zt'l, Hy'd (DD)
(The article was published in Yiddishe Togblatt in Warsaw in 1938 by the son of HaRav Yosef Leib Bloch, the Telzer Rosh Yeshiva.)
- A Torah Sense of Smell -- A Hesped on the Brisker Rov
By HaRav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt'l (DD)
(The hesped has become in itself a classic work that is often referred to, because of the fundamental ideas that R' Chaim elaborates.)
Works of Mussar
Online Classes Relating to Mussar
- The Maharal's Derech HaShem on Pirkei Avos
(A class taught by Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky, Dean of Darche Noam Institutions, Yeshivat Darche Noam/Shapell's and Midreshet Rachel for Women. You can subscribe to this online shiur, with postings sent out once a week.)
Biographies and Hespedim of Baalei Mussar
- The Second World War and Education in America: Telz
Rabbi Yitschak Rudomin, from his thesis.
A
- An Appreciation of the Alter of Slobodke by his talmid HaRav Meir Chodosh (DD)
B
- Rabbi Aaron Yoseif Baksht (JO)
- Rabbi Eliahu Meir Bloch (JO)
- HaRav Simcha Ziskind Broide zt"l (DD)
C
- A Mashgiach Par Excellence Rav Meir Halevi Chodosh, ZT"L (YN)
- HaRav Meir Chodosh Part I (DD)
- HaRav Meir Chodosh Part II (DD)
D
- Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler (JMR)
(Rav Dessler: The life and impact of Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler by Jonathan Rosenblum. Reviewed by Rabbi Joseph Elias)
- Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, zt"l: Builder of Torah by Jonathan Rosenblum
- Rav Dessler: Quality Leads to Quantity by Jonathan Rosenblum
- Rav Eliyohu Eliezer Dessler, zt'l, His Fiftieth Yahrtzeit - - 24 Teves (DD)
- Rav Dessler: The life and impact of Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler the Michtav MeEliyahu.
Chapter 19 (The Power of His Example). By Yonason Rosenblum
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- Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein (YN)
F
- Shraga and Golda Frank (JO)
G
- Reflections Upon the Petirah of HaRav Gifter ZT"L - A Personal Memoir, by Rabbi Yaakov Feitman (YN)
- Rav Mordechai Gifter ZT"L Rosh Yeshivas Telz by Rav Avrohom Fishman (YN)
- HaRav Mordechai Gifter zt"l
by S. Bruchi, B. Kahn and Yated Ne'eman Staff (DD)
- Rav Mordechai Gifter zt"l By his grandson Rav Chaim Charlap (YN)
- Rav Mordechai Gifter zt"l A Talmid Reminisces About His Rebbe by Reuvain Stein (YN)
H
- Rav Yosef Yoizel Horowitz ZT"L The Alter of Novardok (YN)
- Hesped on the Alter of Novardok (YN).
- Rav Yitzchak Hutner (Jewish Action)
This is a PDF document. You will need an Adobe Acrobat Reader
- HaRav Yitzchok Hutner Zt'l (DD)
- Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner (JO)
K
- Reb Yaakov Kamenetsky (DD)
- Kelme - An Uprooted Tree
A translation of Kelm: 'Ets Karut, from JewishGen; the Table of Contents at the bottom of the page links to pages on the history, Torah personalities, and people of Kelm
- Reb Dovid Kronglas (JO)
L
- Rav Alexander Moshe Lapidus ZT"L (YN)
- HaRav Yechezkel Levenstein Zt'l, (DD)
- Rav Yerucham Levovitz, zt"l (YN)
- Reb Elyah: The life and accomplishments of Rabbi Elyah Lopian.
Chapter 7 (Eretz Yisrael) By Rabbi David J. Schlossberg
- Reb Yisrael Yaakov Lubchansky (JO)
M
- Rav Avigdor Miller ZT"L (YN).
- Rabbi Avigdor Miller: The Rov Who Turned Baalebatim Into Bnei Yeshiva Part I (DD)
- Rabbi Avigdor Miller Part II (DD)
- Rabbi Avigdor Miller Part III (DD)
- HaRav Avigdor Miller zt"l
by C. Zilberman and B. Kahn (DD)
- Rabbi Avigdor Miller (JO)
- In the Words of Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZT"L
(a sampling from a weekly mail list you can join)
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- The World of Novaradok (JO)
- HaRav Yehuda Leib Nekritz (DD)
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- Rabbi Yehoshua Zelig Ruch (JG), the Lomza Rosh Hayeshiva
by his son, Meyer Ruch (From the JewishGen Web Site, with permission)
S
- Rabbi Yisroel Salanter (JO)
- Israel Salanter: Religious-Ethical Thinker
Chapter Three (New Currents and Crises) By Menahem G. Glenn
- HaRav Yechezkel Sarna Part I (DD)
- HaRav Yechezkel Sarna Part II (DD)
- Rav Yechezkel of Sarna (YN)
- Reb Moshe Schwab (JO)
- HaRav Shmuel Hillel Shenker zt'l (DD)
- Rav Yitzchok Eizek Sher (YN)
- The Shloh Hakodosh (DD)
- Rabbi Chaim Leib Shmulevitz (JO)
- Rabbi Michel Dovid Slapobersky (JG)
(Rosh-Yeshiva "Tiferet Tzvi" in Jerusalem, Israel)
W
- Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe tz"l
- HaRav Shlomo Wolbe tz"l (DD)
- The Legacy of Rav Shlomo Wolbe (YN)
- A Mashgiach for Eternity: A Talmid Reflects (Rav Shlomo Wolbe tz"l) (YN)
- Two Audio Shiurim by Rav Wolbe tz"l (613.org)
- Two Funerals (Rav Shlomo Wolbe tz"l) (JMR)
- Contemplating our loss: Rav Shlomo Wolbe zt"l (JMR)
- Rav Shlomo Wolbe zt"l (JMR)
- HaRav Shlomo Wolbe, zt"l, at the end of the Sheloshim, 17 Iyar (DD)