[Avodah] Challenge: Finding Spirituality w/o Qabbalah

[David Riceman]

RMB:

<<: How about Hovoth HaLevavoth or Sefer haMaspik L'Ovdei HaShem?

CHL gives you inspiration for being spiritual, it doesn't spell out a
/derekh/. You can't learn from CHL pragmatics of what to do about it.
It's like the chapters in MY that introduce each middah without the
chapters on how to develop it or detract from it.

R' Avraham ben haRambam's mussar (HMLOH) does spell out a derekh.>>


It's been a while since I studied Hovot HaLevavot, but that's not how I 
recall it.  I recall long tedious lists of techniques (much like 
Mesillat Yesharim, which is also not high on my favorites list).  OTOH 
HhL my wife's favorite mussar sefer, and she's a much better person than 
I am.

The Kuzari is another option, though it actually is less practical.

In general, though, the ba'alei mussar claim that each person has to 
develop his own techniques (see for example Even Shleimah 1:11 
"v'tzarich l'zeh armumit gedolah ..."), so it may be that the more 
practical a mussar sefer is the less useful it is.

David Riceman