Here is an accessible and inspiring introduction to the Jewish spiritual tradition known as Mussar. Well known in the Orthodox Jewish world, Mussar is an illuminating, approachable, and highly practical set of teachings for cultivating personal growth and spiritual realization in the midst of day-to-day life. The ultimate goal of Mussar is to become a more whole and holy person. The path is simple: learn to be a mensch, a deeply good and decent human being, or what has been called an "extraordinary ordinary person." The core teaching of Mussar is that our deepest essence is inherently pure and holy, but this inner radiance is obscured by extremes of emotion, desire, and bad habits. Our work in life is to uncover the brilliant light of the soul. The Mussar masters developed transformative teachings and practices—some of which are contemplative, some of which focus on how we relate to others in daily life—to help us to heal and refine ourselves. Alan Morinis, founder of the Mussar Institute, presents these teachings in terms that anyone can understand and put to use. Everyday Holiness features short chapters on eighteen key character traits that the Mussar masters emphasize, including humility, generosity, gratitude, trust, patience, and enthusiasm. Morinis also explains how to make Mussar practice part of our daily lives. Here is a welcome resource for all those who are interested in reinvigorating their religious lives, exploring contemplative spirituality, and making spirituality part of everyday life. For more information on Mussar and the author, Alan Morinis, visit www.mussarinstitute.org.

Here is a Spiritual Practice for developing a strong and open heart-drawn from Judaisms Mussar tradition. Mussar draws from the vast storehouse of Jewish wisdom, law, revelation, and text and brings it right home in a way that is completely practical. Judaism teaches that Torah (the collective wisdom of the tradition) provides the blueprint for human experience-and so the more of it we acquire, the more we gain a clearer, truer perspective on life and learn how to navigate its pathways. The phrase "acquiring Torah" is code for the process of internalizing this wisdom to bring about a genuine transformation of the inner self. In short, accessible chapters, this book describes forty-eight methods through which we can acquire Torah-and turns them into a straightforward practice. These methods include cultivating humility, joy, awe, goodheartedness, closeness with friends, not taking credit for oneself, judging others favorably, and so on. The fruits of working through each quality or method are a refined soul and a strong and open heart. Book jacket.

"You shall be holy," teaches the Bible. The masters of the Jewish Mussar tradition have crafted a roadmap to help people approach that lofty goal. Mussar is a system of introspective practices that can help you identify and break through the obstacles to your inherent holiness, using methods that are easy to integrate into daily life. Every Day, Holy Day is an essential companion for anyone who wants to experience the life-changing gifts of Mussar. The program laid out in this book focuses on 26 traits ( middot )—such as loving-kindness, strength, generosity, compassion, honor, and equanimity—each of which takes center stage for a week of contemplation and exercises, in order to develop and refine that quality in yourself. Alan Morinis invites you to follow the Mussar path with him for a year. It is remarkably simple, and also remarkably effective in helping you overcome negative tendencies and strengthen positive ones—and to reveal your innate holiness in the process.

Though we are usually unaware of it, the lines of spiritual battle are drawn early in life and persist til our last day. In this intriguing book, the renowned Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. delineates how the tactics of the yetzer hara are carefully tailored to each individual and how tenaciously it attempts to hold us in its grip. "And yet, Dr. Twerski assures us, we each have the ability to triumph over temptation and live productive, holy, Jewish lives. This special book was written to teach us to galvanize our spiritual and emotional resources to battle the specific challenges inherent in today's lifestyle. While the yetzer hara is as old as Creation itself, the inducements at his disposal in our generation are new and varied. Dr. Twerski shows us how to guard ourselves against them. "Utilizing Torah wisdom and his deep insight into human psychology, he pinpoints the many factors that challenge us and recommends techniques to bring them under our control. Addressing pressing problems such as family conflict, at-risk teens and depression, he offers realistic advice blended with Jewish compassion. "Dr. Twerski's counsel is enhanced by the guidance of numerous contemporary Torah sages - including Rabbis Avrohom Pam, Shlomo Wolbe, and Eliezer Menachem Man Shach, among other notables - whose profound comments parallel his own forthright analysis of the roots of our personal and societal problems. "From common anxiety to substance abuse, from the rush of daily obligations to the unique tensions of the "sandwich generation," Dr. Twerski discusses a broad range of modern ills and helps us feel confident that we can, in fact, strengthen our will and overcome them. "Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski, a Torah scholar and scion of the founders of the Chassidic movement, is founder and medical director of the Gateway Rehabilitation Center and the author of 40 books. In The Enemy Within, he helps us all gain new insights into our crucial daily battles.