Climbing Jacob's Ladder: One Man's Rediscovery of a Jewish Spiritual Tradition

by Alan Morinis

Jewish by birth, though from a secular family, Alan Morinis took a deep journey into Hinduism and Buddhism as a young man. He received a doctorate for his study of Hindu pilgrimage, learned yoga in India with B. K. S. Iyengar, and attended his first Buddhist meditation course in the Himalayas in 1974. But in 1997, when his film career went off track and he reached for some spiritual oxygen, he felt inspired to explore his Jewish heritage. In his reading he happened upon a Jewish tradition of spiritual practice called Mussar. Gradually he realized he had stumbled on an insightful discipline for self-development, complete with meditative, contemplative, and other well-developed transformative practices designed to penetrate the deepest roots of the inner life.

Eventually reaching the limits of what he could learn on his own, he decided to seek out a Mussar teacher. That was not easily achieved, since almost the entire world of the Mussar tradition had been wiped out in the Holocaust. In time, he did find an accomplished master who stood in an unbroken line of transmission of the Mussar tradition, and who lived at the center of a community of Orthodox Jews on Long Island. This book tells the story of Morinis’s journey to meet his teacher and what he learned from him, and reveals the central teachings and practices that are the spiritual treasury and legacy of Mussar.

Alan Morinis has written this book because the wisdom and practices that helped him so much have not penetrated the world beyond the confines of Orthodox Judaism, and may not be fully appreciated even there at this time. His hope is that Jews and non-Jews alike will find in Mussar a time-tested path of spiritual practice that will help them discover the hidden radiance within.

Genres: Judaism, Nonfiction, Jewish, Religion, Spirituality, Memoir, Judaica

240 pages, Hardcover

First published April 16, 2002

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Climbing Jacob's Ladder combines memoir and how-to guide in an unusual way. This outstanding book details Morinis's pursuit of self-awareness and -improvement through the tools of Mussar, an ancient Jewish strategy for character refinement. Unique among Mussar books, this relatively slim volume assumes little prior knowledge of Judaism, and is usable for non-Jews, secular Jews, and even those Orthodox Jews who are not already thoroughly immersed in the world of Mussar. Among self-awareness literature, Climbing Jacob's Ladder stands out because it is practical, not touchy-feely or new-agey. I also very much appreciated that Jews and non-Jews of all stripes are portrayed with insight, a lack of judgement, and great sensitivity. For those new to Jewish thought and philosophy, this is a must-read.

[Jodie Pine · Rating 4 out of 5]

We will be discussing this book next month in our Daughters of Abraham interfaith book club, and I found it to be a fascinating read. I highlighted these quotes about the Jewish spiritual tradition called Mussar, which is what the author discovered was missing and then transformed his life:

"If the goal of Mussar is to teach us how to develop inner wholeness--or holiness--then a scattered soul is the exact opposite of what we seek."

"The central point is really to reveal to consciousness the contents of the unconscious mind. These are, by definition, hidden from us, and so no matter how hard we peer into our inner selves, we won't uncover anything of what lurks below the surface. But because the contents of our unconscious are perfectly reflected in the patterns of our deeds, certain images return night after night, and the patterns become unmistakable. We need this truth about ourselves to guide our steps on the path to deep, lasting, fulfilling transformation. And, in fact, as soon as we have brought to light those soul-traits that might otherwise have continued to live in darkness, we have already begun to change."

"Trust in God isn't going to give you any kind of special edge--it won't help your team win the next game and it won't cure your cancer. When you strengthen the soul-trait that is bitahon, you gain equanimity, because you set yourself up to accept whatever ultimately comes to pass. Your will is aligned with the larger Will, and so you are not going to be disturbed by the way things go, whether or not it is the way you had hoped."

"I've come to understand that the climb's the thing. Living a life of ascent, not necessarily reaching the peak, is what I've found as an answer to my life's question."

[Reyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and thought provoking. It was inspirational.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, accesible way to enter the process of studying Mussar.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating memoir of both a teaching/mentoring relationship and the exploration of a once obscure Jewish traditional study which is grounded in both belief in an all-powerful deity and personal responsibility for your daily life and inner character development. I found it difficult to square those concepts, but very much identified with a spiritual tradition of self-growth. The book is fairly short, but very dense, offering a lot to think about.

[Eli Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent memoir on Alan Morinis journey to integrate Mussar into his life and some great insights on how we can do the same

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting story, just very long-winded and not very engaging.

[Judith]

Found it interesting and further research what Mussar traditions where.

[Betsy]

"As long as one lives a life of calmness and tranquility in the service of God, it is clear that he is remote from true service . . ."

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

One man's spiritual journey. I love the ideas that fixing oneself leads to healing of the world, and that it's a never-ending process, and no one is perfect.

[Mitchell Stern · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fascinating look at a lesser known Jewish tradition.

[Rona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Morinis is a current-day religious seeker who found a practice that changed his life. He shares it in this somewhat memoir-ish book about his early practice of Mussar and the Orthodox yeshivah director who guided him on the path. Its practitioners nearly died out in the Holocaust; a few found their way to Queens, NY. Mr. Morinis sought them out, learned from them, and shares what he learned.
The book gives some examples of practices that he learned. These give some insight on how Mussar is studied and used. I suspect that serious students of Mussar would still benefit from working with a teacher or in a facilitated group to stay focused.
Mussar, is a Jewish practice of learning to balance the qualities of your conscious self so that your full spirit can shine in the world.It starts from the premise that human souls are perfect and that we possess everything we need, in regard to character, to live a positive life. (what could be bad about that??)

Easy to read. Put together with integrity and an open heart. Accessible to any seeker of soul -- Jewish or not. (you do not have to be an Orthodox Jew to understand these principles! They are not based on life-long deep Torah study!)

[Dan Stern · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book wrtten with courage, sensitivity and clarity.
The theme is a story of getting lost on life's journey and on finding a way back- no easy task in our North American culture of "materialism and self-centeredness".
Alan Morinis generously shares his "journey" which took him to the little known ancient Jewish spiritual practice called Musar.
At first through his reading and studying of obscure texts and eventually with the guidance of a wise and compassionate teacher, the author rediscovers his "true nature".
The book overflows with wisdom and ancient truths and the practices and techniques of Musar are clearly laid out at the end of each chapter.
Morinis wrestles with the question of whether one has to be a practicing Orthodox Jew to follow the path of Musar and concludes that one doesn't. In fact, I think that the path of Musar is open to all who genuinely thirst after truth and wisdom.
The author generously shares his "journey" and his discoveries in a way that enables the reader to begin an ancient practice that can be life transforming.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So wish I had read this book sooner! Even before Every day Holiness!

[Jim George · Rating 3 out of 5]

I preferred his 2nd book on the same subject. This 1st book does give you the byline of his personal history, and how he was drawn to Mussar. There is a great depiction of his earliest teachers and teachings. Mussar is a centuries old religious system (Judaism) for straightening out one's personal life to sort of coincide with the enrichment and enlightenment of their soul's eternal life, by shoring up weaknesses in your real life, you naturally strengthen traits in your soul's life. (Accomplished through meditation, self realization, contemplation, chanting, journaling, and daily practice.)

[Susan Rothenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I probably wouldn't have heard of had it not been suggested to me and one I am very glad to have read. A memoir of a man who after his business imploded, searches to both understand himself and what he did and learn ways to live a better, more thoughtful life. Though non-religious Jew, in his search he learns of Mussar, a thousand year old Jewish belief that seeks tries to help "change those qualities within us that obstruct the light of our holiness from shining through." Thus begins his journey of study and work. His explanation of the core of Mussar gave me much to think about.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Morinis' first book on Mussar, in which he shares his story of discovering this little-known Jewish spiritual tradition and begins sharing its lessons. It's a moving story that inspired me to learn more about Mussar and how it can help me be a better person.

[Daughters Of Abraham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spiritual path and practices from within a Jewish tradition but applicable to all. Led to a good discussion about spiritual practices among all three faiths.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to learn about spiritual traditions in Judaism besides Zohar.

[Erica Shufani · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book of Jewish spirituality in which the author goes back to his
Faith and finds a meaningful spiritual path in the faith he had put on the back burner

[Jean Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is always interesting to me to see what brings people back to a re-evaluation of the religion they grew up with or where exposed to in youth. Interesting story.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a first introduction to mussar, Climbing Jacob's Ladder is great. It's just a taste, but enough to give you an understanding of what mussar is, and why you might want to study more. It's a delicious taste that made me want more.