Morinis - Climbing Jacobs ladder: one mans journey to rediscover a Jewish spiritual tradition

Climbing Jacobs Ladder contains a plethora of practices for those on a spiritual path: meditations to develop concentration and a clear mind, reciting holy phrases, examining the choices we make, practicing right speech, and removing the obstacles that obstruct the flow of love.

Spirituality & Practice

Climbing Jacobs Ladder is a compelling portrait of the relationship between a student and a teacher, and Moriniss journeyas an assimilated Jew entering the Orthodox world of yeshivaraises important questions about the meaning of Judaism and the search for spirituality in this world.

Los Angeles Times

Clearly written and thought provoking, this book is both an engaging memoir and an introduction to the little-known heritage of Mussar, which teaches that by changing ones self, one can change the world.

The Canadian Jewish News

A moving account.... The achievement of personal growth through spirituality is richly demonstrated by this touching account of the authors journey to Judaism.

Publishers Weekly

Alan Morinis, in his spiritual journey, has struck a rich vein of Judaism. This offering feels like a heart-gift to us.

Ram Dass, author of Still Here

Offers insightful treats for anyone who follows a spiritual path.Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence Alan Morinis has provided us with a fascinating, deeply personal account of his journey back to Jewish spirituality through an encounter with the little-known heritage of Mussar, the Jewish discipline of self-perfection. This is a beautifully written and engaging book, a timely reminder that by changing ourselves we can begin to change the world.

Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of Britain and the Commonwealth

This book is essential for every thinking person. Like Jethro of the Bible, Alan Morinis found the secret of dignified human life in the teachings of Mussar after all other searches were fruitless.We owe him a debt of gratitude for introducing some light in one of the darkest moments in mankinds history.

Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski, MD, author of Angels Dont Leave Footprints

Moriniss shimmering portrait of one of the masters of Mussar is religious portraiture rarely paralleled. A delight for novice and expert alike.

Rabbi Hillel Goldberg, author of The Fire Within: The Living Heritage of the Mussar Movement

Climbing Jacobs Ladder is a gutsy, glowing account of one mans encounter with a potent spiritual practice and how it transformed his life.This is a precious bookthat rare combination of solid wisdom and good literature.

Larry Dossey, MD, author of Healing Beyond the Body

A compelling story of spiritual discovery and initiation. This tale of personal liberation focuses on no-nonsense lessons in rising out of meaninglessness and spiritual fog.

Thomas Moore, author of Care of Soul

ABOUT THE BOOK

Jewish by birth, though from a secular family, Alan Morinis explored Hinduism and Buddhism as a young man. But in 1997, in the face of personal crisis, he turned to his Jewish heritage for guidance. In his reading he happened upon a Jewish spiritual tradition called Mussar. Gradually he realized that he had stumbled upon 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. This was not an easy task, since almost the entire world of the Mussar tradition had been wiped out in the Holocaust. In time, he found an accomplished master who stood in an unbroken line of transmission of the Mussar tradition, and who lived in the center of a community of Orthodox Jews on Long Island. This book tells the story of Moriniss journey to meet his teacher and what he learned from him, revealing the central teachings and practices that are the spiritual treasury and legacy of Mussar.

To learn more about the author, Alan Morinis, go to www.mussarinstitute.org.

ALAN MORINIS completed his doctorate at Oxford University, which he attended on a Rhodes Scholarship. A producer of award-winning television and film, he has been a student of the Mussar tradition since 1997, studying under Rabbi Yechiel Yitzchok Perr. Alan is the founder and director of the Mussar Institute, an organization that promotes the study of Mussar through study groups, courses, and public talks. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with his wife and two daughters.

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CLIMBING JACOBS LADDER

One Mans Journey to Rediscover a Jewish Spiritual Tradition

Alan Morinis

Trumpeter

Boston & London

2013

Trumpeter Books

An imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc.

Horticultural Hall

300 Massachusetts Avenue

Boston, Massachusetts 02115

www.shambhala.com

2002 by Alan Morinis

Cover photograph by Bruce Osborn/amana images/Getty Images

Original cover design by Kathleen DiGrado

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Morinis, E. Alan.

Climbing Jacobs ladder: one mans journey to rediscover a Jewish spiritual tradition / Alan Morinis.1st Shambhala ed.

p. cm.

eISBN 978-0-8348-2605-2

ISBN 978-1-59030-366-5 (alk. paper)

1. Spiritual lifeJudaism. 2. Self-actualization

(Psychology)Religious aspectsJudaism. 3. Jewish ethics.

4. Musar movement. 5. Morinis, E. AlanReligion. I. Title.

BM723.M67 2007

296.832dc22

2006102635

To the women in my life,

who have taught me love:

mother,

sisters,

wife,

daughters.

Your deeds will bring

you near and

your deeds will put

you at a distance.

MISHNAH,
EDUYOT 5:7

CONTENTS

T his book has been aided by a divine spirit that was determined to see me be its agent, and for that relentless help, guidance, and sustenance, I am deeply grateful. It has been a gift, and I bow to the Giver.

So many people gave so generously to help me become a vessel to bring forward my learning in this ancient tradition. Above all, Rabbi Yechiel Yitzchok Perr, his wife Mrs. Shoshana Perr, their extended family, the community around the Yeshiva of Far Rockaway, Rabbi Hillel Goldberg, and Rabbi Daniel Nekritz opened their hearts and their homes to me, took me in, fed me, and saw me for who I am, and even then they didnt turn me away. Leonard Angel introduced me to Mussar, though he didnt mean to. The late Lama Geshey Dargey taught me a key lesson of spiritual practicedo it now, when you dont need it, so youll have it when you do. Ruth Denison opened dharma doors that have never closed. Judy Kern helped immeasurably to turn my sprawling vision into a book.

Friends and kin served unfailingly to add pieces just when they were needed, and were stewards to this book as well as teachers to me: Hal Brown, Ellen Buchman, Peter Busby, Rabbi Rachel Cowan, Rabbi Nancy Flam, Cheri Forrester, Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, Rabbi Hillel Goelman, Daniel Goleman, Rahel Halabe, Steve Jones, David Kaetz, Shams Kairys, Michael Katz, Bonnie Klein, David Levine, Lorne Mallin, Sunanda Markus, Gabor Mate, Rabbi David Mivasair, Marilyn Morinis, Judy Moscowitz, Mr. and the late Mrs. Victor Pollack, Rochelle Rabinowicz, and William Irwin Thompson all made essential contributions. The members of the board of the Seva Foundation in my days with that conspiracy of love were the best fellow-travelers a pilgrim could ever hope for.