Question: Must a person incorporate musar into his daily learning schedule?
Short Answer: While some write that a person should not make musar the focus of his learning, a person should learn musar every day.
Explanation:
I. Too Much Musar?
Rav Chaim Volozhiner zt”l writes in Nefesh HaChaim (shaar 4) that in “our times” (late 1700s), there is an unfortunate and incorrect switch. Instead of learning Torah, the common folk only learn musar. Most batei midrash don’t even have a full set of Shas but instead are filled with sifrei musar. The people think that the point of this world is to learn musar, and the rest of Torah is relegated to the “corner.” This is incorrect.
The Chazon Ish (Emunah U’Bitachon 3:1) expresses similar sentiments. He starts by explaining how musar may only be learned through the prism of halachah, as they are sometimes in conflict. For example, he cites the Gemara (Bava Basra 21b), which discusses a neighborhood that has a group of rebbeim who teach the young children Torah. Eventually, new rebbeim move into the neighborhood and begin replacing the old rebbeim. The old rebbeim begin badmouthing the new rebbeim, spreading lashon ha’ra and causing tremendous fighting in the neighborhood. Musar would dictate that the old rebbeim are actually correct, as their business was attacked by the new rebbeim. However, the Gemara explains that the new rebbeim are actually correct, as more rebbeim only increase the level of learning and is actually beneficial to the students. In other words, halachah dictates a different response than the typical “musar sefer” in this case.
The Chazon Ish continues (ibid 3:2) to explain that it would be horrible if the “victim became the attacker” or vice versa, because musar dictates a different response than halachah would. Later, the Chazon Ish (ibid 3:11) writes that those who just learn musar (but not halachah) are worse than those who don’t learn anything. The musar learners erroneously think they are doing the right thing and are very exalted. They think that anyone who criticizes them is attacking a talmid chacham. Further, the Chazon Ish writes (ibid 3:17) that those who spend their time only learning musar forsake the Gemara (Kiddushin 30a), which requires the learning of halachah, which is found in our current versions of Gemara.
The Chazon Ish (ibid 3:18) also writes that this supreme focus on musar is so ingrained in the general masses, that they think that the Tana’im and Amora’im also only focused on musar. It is incumbent upon us to reveal the falsehood of such thought.
Indeed, the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Dei’ah 246:4), as well, does not mention learning musar when detailing the obligations of Talmud Torah.
II. The Importance of Musar
The Chayei Adam (klal 143) stresses that one is required to learn musar every day. In fact, the Chayei Adam writes that you should learn musar even at the expense of learning Mishnayos. In other words, a person may give up some of his Mishnayos time in order to learn musar.
The Mishnah B’rurah (Orach Chayim 1:12) and Shaar HaTziyon (ibid 26) codifies this Chayei Adam and notes that the Vilna Gaon agreed. He reiterates this ruling later, as well. See the Mishnah B’rurah (Orach Chayim 603:2). Interestingly, many understand that this obligation applies to women, as well. See P’ninim MiBei Midrasha (B’reishis).
Many other poskim agree, as cited in P’sakim U’T’shuvos (Yoreh Dei’ah 246:19), including the Yaaros Devash, the Chida, and Mesilas Yesharim. Indeed, the mal’ach who spoke with the Beis Yosef told him to learn Chovos HaL’vavos daily.
III. How to Reconcile the Chazon Ish
How do we understand the vitriol of the Chazon Ish against the musar movement?
First, Rav Eliya Lopian zt”l (Lev Eliyahu, Hakdamah to B’reishis) writes that bachurim should not learn Emunah U’Bitachon for this reason. The Chazon Ish’s view on musar is misunderstood.
Second, Otzros HaMusar (Vol. 2, p. 795) cites Rav Binyamin Zilber who held that the Chazon Ish wrote Emunah U’Bitachon in his youth but later changed his view on musar.
Third, Otzros HaMusar himself explains that the Chazon Ish was only writing in his time, against the “new” movement of musar-style yeshivos that only studied musar. The Chazon Ish certainly would not have had a problem though with learning a regular musar sefer daily.
Fourth, this author suggests that perhaps the Chazon Ish would “permit” musar learning for “sick” people. Rav Y.D. Herfenes (Yisrael V’Oraisa, p. 354) cites Rav Aharon Kotler who explained that nowadays musar is “pikuach nefesh,” which obviously trumps regular limud haTorah. In fact, the Brisker Rav once spent a half-day learning Mesilas Yesharim. When asked why, as this was “against” the Brisker derech to not learn musar, the Brisker Rav responded that chas v’shalom, Briskers also learn musar but only when “sick” (presumably feeling religiously “sick,” i.e. weak in midos, etc.) and today he felt “sick.”
IV. How Much?
Rav Y.D. Herfenes (Yisrael V’Oraisa, p.357) cites a few opinions on how much musar should be learned per day. The Yaaros Devash writes that one should learn one hour. The Unsdorfer Rebbe wrote that ten minutes a day sufficed. The sefer Tochachas Chayim writes that one should learn 15 minutes of musar before each davening: Shacharis, Minchah, and Maariv.
V. Rabbi Yisrael Salanter’s Advice
Rabbi Yisrael Salanter zt”l (cited in Otzros HaMusar, ibid) used to recount the story of a person who could only allot one hour a day to learning Torah. He wanted to know what topic he should learn. Great halachists told him to learn halachah, kabbalists told him to learn kabbalah, and talmidei chachamim fluent in Gemara told him to learn Gemara. Rabbi Salanter responded that he should learn musar, so that he would understand the importance of devoting more time to learning all the above topics!
Rabbi Ephraim Glatt, Esq. is the Associate Rabbi at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, and he is a Partner at McGrail & Bensinger LLP, specializing in commercial litigation. Questions? Comments? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
