Longing for Hashem
Many of the character traits (especially humility) are presented in the sources in quite an extreme form. Often it is difficult to connect with such an intense level of self-negation, giving, self-control, and the like. It is easy to be overcome by the gap between where we are and where the ideal is. There is […]
Changing Character
Sefirat Haomer and Building Character How can we become better people? The period of Sefirat Haomer (and the beginning of Elul until Yom Kippur) has traditionally been a time for focusing on improving character. Much of the ethical literature speaks of what kind of people we should become, or what we should do, but focuses […]
Diagnosing the Problem
Methods for Changing Character Despite all the effort we put into self-improvement, we sometimes find ourselves stuck with the same character problems. Rav Kalonymous Kalman of Piasetzna zt”l in his Bnei Machshava Tova (“Direction and Principles” #8, p. 51) suggests that the reason for our failure to change might be not properly diagnosing our problem. […]
Daily Learning and Introspection
Methods for Changing Character From one of the most popular mussar works: “The foundation of ethical education (hachinukh hamussari) is not listening to mussar talks (shmuessen) and reading articles, but in fixed daily learning. The things people usually say, write, preach, and think about in the name of “mussar” are really “desert”, while the central […]
Social Environment
Methods for Changing Character Jewish ethical literature emphasizes the powerful influence our social environment has on our character, behavior, and spiritual lives. Who we associate with is a big factor in determining what kind of people we will become. It follows that one way to change character is to choose a social environment that will […]
Directed Imaging
Methods for Changing Character The following collection of imaging methods, found in Jewish ethical literature, complements our discussion of the place of imagination in character building (based on Rav Dessler’s discussion in Mikhtav M’Eliahu 4). Hearing a shofar A person should constantly imagine hearing a shofar in his ears. (Yaarot Dvash — Drush 1) Humility […]
The Power of Imagination
Methods for Changing Character How to Change? This is the first of a series on methods for changing character. Much moral and ethical literature focuses on what or why to change. How to change gets much less attention. We collect some of the material in this series. We open with a discussion largely based on […]
Step by Step
Methods for Changing Character The task of character development is often overwhelming. We see where we presently are, what we want to change into, and the gap between the two, and realize how difficult a task is in front of us. Because of this, many of our teachers encourage us to progress slowly, step by […]
Character Development
Middot – character traits – are at the core of our moral and religious lives. As the Vilna Gaon writes, “For it is your life: For a person is alive only in order to break a [negative] character trait that he has not broken until now. Therefore one should always strengthen one’s self; for if […]
Practical Agricultural Halakha in Modern Israel
Practical Agricultural Halakha in Modern Israel: Feeding the Animals in the Zoo prepared by R. Eliezer Kwass Implementing agricultural halakha in modern day Israel has presented some knotty problems, and the poskim have worked out some creative solutions. Dealing with Teruma today is a good example. According to Torah law, an Israelite gives about 2% […]
