In the previous posts I described the three-part model of growth that mussar study provides – the ideal, the real and the bridge connecting them. In truth, however, life is not so neat. Growth is less like a ladder and more like a zig-zag or a maze (Ramchal, Messilas Yesharim, Chapter 3). It is a “running back and forth.”
Sometimes we must redefine our ideals, rest from intense self-scrutiny and inner work, or abandon one set of spiritual tools for another set. Sometimes we take a wrong turn or life makes us turn. What, then, is the value of the neat three-part model that mussar study provides if it does not play out in real life? This model gives us a road map, or more precisely, a GPS system. Yes, we take pit-stops and reroute, and maybe even change cars, but the GPS is there all along guiding us to our destination.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment