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16A October 2021 JEWISH INTEREST

K’zohar Ha-Ivrit

WE OFFER Mussar – Discipline

KOSHER

STYLE DINING! and Morality
By Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin
ussar is an important con- heed and accept mussar.” In this case,
cept in Jewish life. The mussar means rebuke. (Jer. 32:33)
Mword mussar is mentioned An infusion of morality and ethics
51 times in the Bible, and more than into the term mussar entered Judaism
half of the citations can be found in the in the post-biblical era. Actually, the
first book which highlighted mussar
Book of Prov-
The Retirement
The Retirement erbs. The writer as a spiritual and moral journey was
written in the 11 century by R. Bahya
of the Book of
th
You Deserve!
You Deserve! Proverbs taught Ibn Pakudah of Spain. The book is
called The Duties of the Heart. Pa-
time and again
that there is a kudah defined mussar as “the science
strong correlation of the inner life,” and influenced many
between mussar in looking at mussar as an ethical sys-
We’re accepting RESERVATIONS! and the attain- tem of inner change, a moral guide and
ment of knowl- a system which helps one to grow in
PRIVATE TOURS DAILY! faith. He exclaimed that “he who loves knowledge, to deepen one’s faith thus
Dr. Rachel Dulin
edge, wisdom and
enriching one’s spiritual experiences.
Tour Today by calling 941-302-5420 mussar loves knowledge” (12:1), that It is not surprising that through
“the fear of the Lord is mussar of wis- the years, the meaning of the concept
We have AVAILABILITY in Independent Living, dom” (15:33), and that one becomes “a was widened. Mussar retained the bib-
Assisted Living and Memory Care wise son through the mussar of his fa- lical view advocating discipline and
ther.” (13:1) The question arises: What
correction, but it also incorporates the
with a variety of services and amenities. did the word mussar mean in biblical post-biblical meaning of ethics and
Live your best life! times? morality. In modern Hebrew, there
are a few phrases in which mussar
The term mussar is derived from
941-302-5420 the verb le-ya-ser, which means to is at the center. For example, mussar
chastise, to admonish, to correct and
haskel (based on Prov. 1:37), literally
to discipline. In biblical Hebrew, mus- means an instructive lesson, referring
DiscoverSaraBella.com sar focused on the process of correc- to a lesson that can be learned from ei-
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faith. Interestingly, the biblical writers mussar is a person who is guided by
Sarabella Ad KOSHER.indd 1
Sarabella Ad KOSHER.indd 1 9/9/21 9:22 AM generally focused on the practical as- ethics, whereas po-re-a mussar is a
9/9/21 9:22 AM
pects of proper behavior and advocated lawbreaker, a moral offender.
a system of faith based on cause and The mussar haskel, the lesson we “Settings” by Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com
effect, not on the individual spiritu- learn from our short examination of
al experience. Thus, not surprisingly, mussar, is encapsulated in the advice
the term mussar for them meant dis- found in the Book of Ben Sirah (6:17)
cipline and correction. The prophet written in the 2 century BCE. Ben
nd
Jeremiah, for example, articulated it Sirah taught the young: “My son, in
best by lamenting that Israel did not your youth accept mussar, so in your
learn a lesson despite God’s chastise- older years you will reach wisdom.”
ments, as he said, “To no purpose did Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin is a professor
I smite your children; they would not of biblical literature at Spertus Col-
We’re excited accept mussar.” In this case, mussar lege in Chicago, and a retired adjunct
to report that means correction. (Jer. 2:30) Further, professor of Hebrew and Bible at New
84% of people he pointed out that “they do not give College in Sarasota.
who receive The
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