What does the typical Mussar class journey look like?

1. Seeds of Mussar

Mussar is a centuries-old toolbox for working on one’s character, focusing on particular character traits and Jewish values. This class will introduce a method that focuses on refining our attributes so that they enable us to serve others with greater and greater joy. We work on our character attributes, not simply to take care of ourselves and enjoy more fulfilling lives, but to practice bearing responsibility for others. The Torah introduced the idea of loving our neighbor as ourselves thousands of years ago; this Mussar program provides each student with a personal operating manual toward meeting this overarching goal of Judaism.

No Prerequisite

2. Foundations/Kibbush

Kibbush, which literally means “capture,” is the Mussar practice of self-restraint. This is a foundational step in Mussar practice and evokes the question: What is it that keeps us asleep, even as we desire to be awake to the needs of the other?

In these foundational classes of Kibbush I – III (see detailed description below), we will study middot (character traits) such as seder/order and savlanut/patience, as a way to understand and recognize when our energy is in a state of Ra, or self-absorption. We will study Mesillat Yesharim (The Path of the Upright) by Rabbi Moses Hayyim Luzzatto as we explore the elements of daily practice which help us transform our energy so we can more fully serve the other.

Prerequisite: Seeds of Mussar (or prior mussar training–contact instructor)

Required text: Mesillat Yesharim, The Path of the Upright, by Moses Hayyim Luzzato, with Introduction and Commentary by Ira F. Stone, can be purchased through your local bookstore or preferred online platform for approximately $48.

3. Transformations/Tikkun

The practice of Tikkun, or transformation, focuses us inward so that we can better align ourselves with holiness and ground our actions in loving-kindness and compassion (see detailed description below).

Within kabbalistic literature, this work is sometimes called Tikkun haNefesh, the repair of the soul, and sometimes, Tikkun haMiddot, the transformation of our character traits. The central text that we study for learning this practice of spiritual transformation is Chapter One of Tomer D’vorah by Rabbi Moshe Cordovero. He introduces thirteen middot of Tikkun, which we study in detail in the book, In Search of the Holy Life: Rediscovering the Kabbalistic Roots of Mussar by Rabbi Ira Stone and Dr. Beulah Trey.

Prerequisite: Foundations of Mussar/Kibbush, Level I – III

Required texts: In Search of the Holy Life, by Rabbi Ira Stone and Dr. Beulah Trey, can be purchased at your local bookstore or preferred online platform for approximately $13.99.

In addition to the classes outlined above, CCM also offers:

  • Madrichim Training Course — available to those who have completed the 3-year CCM curriculum and who are accepted into the teacher training program.

  • Rabbis Mussar Cohort — a year-long course offered to Rabbis with Mussar experience who are looking for deeper training and community.

  • Local Mussar classes — our madrichim are spread out throughout the United States and Canada, and many teach Mussar classes at their local synagogues.