Do you have to do repentance on character flaws? I claim you do. In other words you need to correct more that just bad deeds but to get the core of bad deeds in one's very attitudes and character. This was the whole-point of Reb Israel Salanter's Musar (Ethics) movement and the Boy Scouts both.
The Boy Scouts was in order to teach good character by means of outdoor skills. The actual intention of the movement was as far as I know to actually teach good character. But that is something that needs to be learned through practice and working together with others. It can't be learned in a vacuum.
That movement has fallen into the Dark Side but the original intention is admirable and ought to be resurrected.
The Musar (Ethics) movement was intending to teach both good character and also Fear of God in a more direct fashion--learning the actual texts many hours every day until the ideas become ingrained. This idea also fell completely and no one does this anymore.
But here just like with the Boy Scouts the original idea was sound and good and ought to be resurrected.
In fact I suggest both together. Learning Musar (Ethics) while camping in the wilderness.
Further I claim all external problems people have are a reflection of internal problems. personality flaws. Not that the external problems are not real. They are real but they are an epi-phenomenon of an internal problem.
So when learning good character by outdoor activity one is also correcting internal flaws.
The Boy Scouts was in order to teach good character by means of outdoor skills. The actual intention of the movement was as far as I know to actually teach good character. But that is something that needs to be learned through practice and working together with others. It can't be learned in a vacuum.
That movement has fallen into the Dark Side but the original intention is admirable and ought to be resurrected.
The Musar (Ethics) movement was intending to teach both good character and also Fear of God in a more direct fashion--learning the actual texts many hours every day until the ideas become ingrained. This idea also fell completely and no one does this anymore.
But here just like with the Boy Scouts the original idea was sound and good and ought to be resurrected.
In fact I suggest both together. Learning Musar (Ethics) while camping in the wilderness.
Further I claim all external problems people have are a reflection of internal problems. personality flaws. Not that the external problems are not real. They are real but they are an epi-phenomenon of an internal problem.
So when learning good character by outdoor activity one is also correcting internal flaws.
