Q:
The original opposition to mussar, was that based on the same original opposition to chassidus?
A:
Was the opposition to mussar based on the same reason that there was opposition to chassidus?
First of all, I can say yes, then I can say no. Yes, first of all, because people have a tendency to be suspicious of something they didn’t see before. And therefore, when a good thing begins that was not seen before, you have to understand there’s going to be some opposition, always.
Chassidus and mussar had two different forms of opposition, however. At first some thought that the Chassidim would neglect learning. It turned out that the Chassidim learned even more than the misnagdishe boys. Chassidishe boys all learned Torah. Among the misnagdim, many stopped learning. So it turned out just the opposite.
Now in mussar they were afraid that if you learn mussar, it’s going to take boys out of the yeshiva. The yeshivas were learning Gemara. The truth is, mussar attracted more boys to the yeshiva just because of mussar. Mussar gives boys a reason. You have to have some kind of purpose in life. The Gemara has to be explained in such a way that makes it attractive and purposeful, and mussar gives the Gemara a content that makes it to the bochur who learns in yeshiva, something that has an intellect, intelligence and morality. And therefore, mussar helps to fill the yeshivas. It doesn’t empty out the yeshivas.
(April 1996)
