Teaching Jewish History: The History of the Mussar Movement

Background for Unit:

This unit would be part of a year long course of Modern Jewish History. The
course would cover major events in Jewish history spanning the years 1600
to 1960. This unit would focus on the mussar movement as it developed and
evolved between the years 1840-1960.
Goals for this unit:
TLW . . . be able to identify the major founders and leaders of the mussar
movement
TLW . . . be able to identify and explain the primary teachings of the mussar
yeshivos and the mussar leaders
TLW . . . be able to identify the oppositional leaders to the mussar movement
and their reasons for opposition
Assessment:
There will be both formative assessments throughout the course and one
summative assessment at the end of the course. The formative assessments
will include:
1) Class debates- the students will be broken up into groups and
assigned a particular yeshiva (Navordok, Kelm, Slabodka-Knesset
Yisroel, or Slabodka-Beis Yitzchok.) The students will prepare an
argument that explains why the approach of their yeshiva is the
best one. The students will also prepare a response to the claims of
other groups.
2) Exit cards-These will be short answer questions posted at the end of
class and based on that days lesson material. The students will

answer the questions on note cards and hand them in to the

teacher as the leave class.
3) Journal entries- These will consist of reflections on the mussar
teachings that we will learn as well as on the distinct mussar related
behavior of the three primary mussar yeshivos.
The summative assessment will be a final exam that tests the students on
their acquisition of all the unit goals stated above.
Source material for the Unit:

The Teachings of the Fathers of the Musar Movement by Lester Eckman

The History of the Musar Movement by Lester Eckman
Ohr Yisrael by Rabbi Yitzchak Blazer
Reb Boruch Ber by Chaim Shlomo Rosenthal
Emunah UBitachon by the Chazon Ish
Yizkor Books
Interviews with Mussar personalities and students

Unit Syllabus:

Less
on
1 and
2

Topic

Socio-economic challenges of Jews in Eastern Europe during the mid19th century

Anti-semitism/Czarist decrees
Cantonist Decree
May Laws
Haskalah
The life of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter
Early education
Establishment of first Mussar houses in Vilna
Invitation to teach at government sponsored Rabbinical seminary
in Vilna and subsequent move to Kovno
Move to Germany
Jewish communal activism
The teachings and philosophy of Rabbi Salanter
Iggeret Ha-Mussar (1857) and other writings
Primary disciples
Primary works of Mussar and what a brief summary of their Big Ideas:
Mesilas Yesharim
Chovos Halevavos
Orchos Tzaddikim
Shaarei Teshuva
Kelm- Its history and teachings
Founded by Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv Broida (18241898), a
primary disciple of Rav Salanter
First Mussar yeshiva, founded in 1874
Synthesis of Torah, mussar, and secular studies
Viewed as a reformist school by opponents
Belief that improvement of man can come through education

8
9

10
and
11

12

Navardok- Its history and teachings

Founded by Rabbi Yosef Yoizel Horowitz, the Alter of Novordok
The Alters visits with Rabbi Salanter
Seclusion and asceticism- nine years of isolation in the forest
Fight with the maskilim
Tried to establish as many yeshivos as possible in many different
communities- more than 14 yeshivos.
The network of yeshivos later became known as Yeshiva Beis
Yosef
Sefer Madregath HaAdam
Emphasis on extreme positions in the yeshiva curriculum
Philosophy on Bitachon
Slabodka- Its history and teachings
Founded by Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel (1849-1947)
Stressed the greatness of man-people who believe in their
greatness will aspire to greatness
Moved to Palestine in 1924
Students of this yeshiva went on to found many of the largest
modern day yeshivos- Lakewood, Mir, Chevron, etc.
Activity- Class debate
Opposition to the mussar movement
1857- Slabodka splits into two yeshivos after a disagreement
about mussar studies in the curriculum
Rav Finkel and those in favor of mussar found Yeshiva Knesset
Yisrael, named after Rav Salanter
Those opposed to mussar study in the curriculum form Yeshiva
Beis Yitzchok, named after Rav Yitzchak Elchanan Spector
Responses of Rav Chaim Soloveitchik and the Chazon Ish

Modern day mussar personalities:

Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan- author of the Chofetz Chaim
Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe- author of Alei Shur
Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler- author of Michtav MiEliyahu
Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian- author of Lev Eliyahu

The study of Mussar in Jewish schools today

13

Summative Assessment

Lesson Plan 1
Learning Goal:
TLW be able to write a one-page essay detailing the central
problems that the Jews of Eastern Europe faced during the mid-19th
century and the corresponding activist activities of Rabbi Yisrael
Salanter.
Learning Activities:

Students will break up into pre-assigned groups. Each group will be

given a different article or testimony discussing the problems that the
Jews faced from anti-semitism, Czarist decrees (including the May Laws

and Cantonist decrees), epidemics, and the Haskalah.

After each group finishes their first article they will be given five
minutes to present the issue that they read about to the class. The
teacher will elaborate on the subject after each group finishes
presenting. Each of the addressed problems will also be written on the

board and kept there until the distribution of the exit card.
The groups will reconvene and will be given an excerpt from The
History of the Musar Movement by Lester Eckman describing the
efforts that Rabbi Salanter made to address the particular issue that
group read about. The groups will then create and illustrate a chart
detailing the problem that they learned about and the solution that

Rabbi Salanter advocated. All of the charts will be presented and then
hung up on a classroom bulletin board.
Assessment:

Five minutes before the end of class the teacher will write on the board
please list three problems that faced the Jews during the mid-19th
century and describe the response of Rabbi Salanter to each problem.
The students will all be given a sheet of paper to record their answers
and as they leave the classroom they will hand in the paper to the
teacher.

Lesson Plan 2
Lesson Goal:
TLW be able to explain the philosophy of the mussar movement as
taught by Rabbi Yisrael Salanter
Learning Activities:

At the start of class there will be a writing promptIs it possible for someone to be well versed in a discipline
and not follow what they study/preach?
Examples: A lawyer who breaks the law or a
nutritionist who doesnt eat healthy foods
If no, why not? If yes, is there a solution (i.e. a way to put

learning into action)?

The class will be broken up into groups and will read several excerpts
from the English translation of Ohr Yisrael. The excerpts that will be
distributed will discuss the issue of people who learn Torah but are

lacking in their interpersonal relationships, Rabbi Salanters response,

and his solutions.

Each group will be given a sheet of paper on which to write down the
central beliefs of the mussar movement as understood from the
reading. The papers will then be taped to the board (without the
authors names) and the teacher will read each one out loud. After
each submission is read the class will have a few minutes to respond to
the observations expressed and to add any comments or thoughts.

Assessment:

At the end of class the same writing prompt from the beginning of
class will be written on the board. The students will be asked to answer
the question according to the views of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter as we
learned in class.

Lesson Plan 5
Lesson Goal:
TLW . . . be able to list four points that describe the history and
philosophy of the Navordok yeshiva

Learning Activities:
15 minute PowerPoint on the history of Navordok
o Includes points about the Alter of Navordok, his philosophy, and
the various branches of the yeshiva that he founded
o Students will be given a note taking guide with questions to
complete as they watch the PowerPoint
The students will be divided up into groups. Each group will be given
an article with the testimony of a student from a branch of the
Navordok yeshiva. Based on these testimonies each group will write

two journal entries describing daily life for a student in the Navordok
yeshiva.
Students will listen as the teacher reads a three page excerpt from an
essay by Rabbi Shishon Pincus about the philosophy of Navordok. As
the students follow along they will be asked to highlight the passage
that they think is most important in the essay. Afterwards the teacher
will lead a class discussion about which paragraphs the students
highlighted.

Assessment:
On a sheet marked with the numbers 1-4 the students will be asked to
create a hierarchy of details about the history and philosophy of
Navordok, with 1 being the most important detail and 4 being a less
important detail.