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Showing posts with label What Western Civilization lacks is Fear of God.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label What Western Civilization lacks is Fear of God.. Show all posts

29.9.16

What Western Civilization lacks is Fear of God.

What Western Civilization lacks is Fear of God. It was on Rosh Hashanah at the Mir Yeshiva in NY that I read the אור ישראל [Light of Israel] by the disciple of Reb Israel Salanter [during Musaf] that made this point in such a powerful way that it has stuck with me even years later.  What that means for Jewish-Christian society is simple. To get the books on Fear of God and to read them every day. There is a known set of primary works of Musar and then a secondary level. And after that  a few more levels. The primary level is חובות לבבות, אורחות צדיקים, מסילת ישרים, שערי תשובה, מעלות המידות ספר הישר המיוחס לרבינו תם and a few other mediaeval books.

[I have no idea what Christians could read. I do not even know if they have an equivalent but I assume they must have.The closest thing I can think of is Aquinas.]

[Physics I should mention is also part of the mitzvah of Fear of God according to the Rambam.]

So at least on Rosh Hashanah I recommend learning as much Musar as possible.

I should mention that one reason I really liked the Mir was the small Musar session they had and after I was married and discovered Isaac Blazer's אור ישראל (Light of Israel)I spent my pare time learning Musar which I think was vey god for me.