[Avodah] Alei Shur: "Mussar is not hashkafa"

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 09:01:26PM -0500, Michael Kopinsky wrote:
: In Alei Shur, Chelek Beis, Maareches Hamussar Perek Aleph, Rav Wolbe goes
: through several things of what mussar is not. Mussar is not philosophy,
: mussar is not "Jewish thought", mussar is not

Sidenote: In RSW's language "hashkafah" is a bad thing. 

In AS II ch 13 <http://www.aishdas.org/as/translations/as_lm13.pdf>
(my translation with some explanation of buzzwords at
<http://www.aishdas.org/as/translations/as.shtml#lm13a>), the first
pitfall to learning mussar that RYS tells you to avoid is "hashkafas
olam" and "ra'ayonos".

Hashkafah is defined in ch. 1 as looking over (as per the literal word)
the world, life and oneself, and deciding one's place in it. As opposed
to deriving these truths from the Torah -- even if he reaches the same
conclusions.

Ra'ayonos are similarly ends-directed, bringing your desired results
with you to the study of the text, but this is about creativity in
Torah study. One has conclusions in mind of how the Torah ought to be,
and works what he learns to fit those preconceived notions.

RSW has no problem with machashavah when drawn *from* one's learning, but
it's still not mussar.

Mussar (with a lower case "m" if it were mid-sentence, as opposed to
Tenu'as haMussar's full weltanschaunng) is the quest to become the person 
the Torah calls upon you to be. In
<http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2008/01/what-is-mussar.shtml> I address the
question at length. But beqitzur, mussar is anything that addresses at
least one of these goals:

1- Fulfilling hilkhos Dei'os
2- Being able to make the right decisions so as to be able to better
   follow halakhah
3- The pursuit of sheimus ha'adam as it underlies halakhah

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             The Maharal of Prague created a golem, and
micha at aishdas.org        this was a great wonder. But it is much more
http://www.aishdas.org   wonderful to transform a corporeal person into a
Fax: (270) 514-1507      "mensch"!     -Rabbi Israel Salanter