Q:
How much mussar is a person required to learn every day? And what kind of mussar is best to learn?
A:
How much mussar depends on who you are. If you are a talmid in a yeshiva, then you have to keep the sedorim of the yeshiva. You cannot go off someplace by yourself and be a failure in what the yeshiva requires of you. However, there is time. There is enough time to learn mussar. There’s time bein hasdorim. There’s time Friday afternoon. When the yeshiva disperses you can still sit and learn mussar; there is time.
Now, how much time should you allot in your spare time also depends on who you are. But this I can tell you. That if you invest time in mussar, you’re investing in your future. You’re not giving away time, you’re gaining greatness! Mussar means to develop your mind in the model of the great truths of the Torah in an abstract form – in the form that’s most useful for people who like to think.
Now what kind of mussar? I would say that at the beginning you should spend more time on Mesillas Yesharim, and on the Rambam – his Hilchos Yesodei Hatorah, Hilchos Teshuva and Hilchos Dei’os. Also, Rabbeinu Yonah’s Shaarei Teshuva and Chovos Halevovos. Other seforim could come later. But these that I just mentioned, I think should be the fundamental seforim to study.
TAPE # 403
