The main thing with Reb Israel Salanter is his disciples. He did not write much but the Igeret HaMusar and letters he sent to his disciples. The main thing is the books of his direct disciples.
The basic idea of Reb Israel is divided into two parts, one was midot (to work on having good character traits) and the other was fear of God. But in each one of his disciples some other basic aspect of Musar becomes apparent.
To me it seem that the whole set should be taken as one whole set. That would be the two book by Isaac Blazzer the Light of Israel and the other one just printed recently. The Madragat HaAdam, Or Zfun by the Altar of Slobodka, the letters of Simcha Zisel from Kelm. [I myself did not get through it all. The letters of Reb Simcha Zisel I found incomprehensible. The later books of the Musar movement seemed to get off track however. They became "frum" and crazy eyed fanatic.] So to get to the idea of Reb Israel of fulfilling the ideal of the Torah it is not possible except on an individual basis or being part of one of the few authentic Litvak Yeshivas like Ponovitch or Brisk.
The basic idea of Reb Israel is divided into two parts, one was midot (to work on having good character traits) and the other was fear of God. But in each one of his disciples some other basic aspect of Musar becomes apparent.
To me it seem that the whole set should be taken as one whole set. That would be the two book by Isaac Blazzer the Light of Israel and the other one just printed recently. The Madragat HaAdam, Or Zfun by the Altar of Slobodka, the letters of Simcha Zisel from Kelm. [I myself did not get through it all. The letters of Reb Simcha Zisel I found incomprehensible. The later books of the Musar movement seemed to get off track however. They became "frum" and crazy eyed fanatic.] So to get to the idea of Reb Israel of fulfilling the ideal of the Torah it is not possible except on an individual basis or being part of one of the few authentic Litvak Yeshivas like Ponovitch or Brisk.
