16 Responses to “Learn Mesillas Yesharim With Us”

1. Etana
   February 7th, 2007 @ 6:37 am

   I would love to learn Mesilat Yesharim here. I haven’t commented on this site, but I have been reading all the articles daily for awhile now. My claim to fame here would be that I’m Menachem Lipkin’s daughter :). Thanks for doing this!

2. Chaya H.
   February 7th, 2007 @ 8:17 am

   Great idea! I learn MY by myself and it will be fun to learn with the other BeyondBTers. Thanks for all the links.

3. Bob Miller
   February 7th, 2007 @ 9:17 am

   Thanks for starting this project!

   For our info, whose translation is being used (1) in the text above, and
   (2) in the “entire text” link above?

4. Administrator
   February 7th, 2007 @ 9:49 am

   The translation is from this link listed above. There is also a great intro there written by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan. Here are the first 3 paragraphs of the intro:

   Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, also known as the רמחל RaMCHaL after his initials, is best known for his classical work on piety, Mesilas Yesharim (Path of the Just). This book is studied in all Yeshivos and is considered the finest such work ever written. Indeed, Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, founder of the Musar movement which stressed the study of such books on piety, said, “All the classical works of Mussar demonstrate that man must fear God. The Mesilas Yesharim tells us how.”

   More and more, however, people are also realizing that Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto was one of the most brilliant thinkers of the past several centuries. Both his depth of thought and systematic mind are evident in all his works, which are literally filled with important basic insights. Over two hundred years ago, Rabbi Eliahu, the famed Vilna Gaon, declared that Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto had the most profound understanding of Judaism that any mortal human could attain. He furthermore stated that if Luzzatto were alive in his generation, he would go by foot from Vilna to Italy to sit at his feet and learn from him.

   If one were to choose one outstanding aspect of the רמחל RaM-CHaL’s works, it is his systematic approach. He does not look at various teachings as isolated facts, but as parts of an all-encompassing system. Seeing them as part of such a system, he is able to point out insights and relationships that would otherwise not be at all obvious.

5. Bob Miller
   February 7th, 2007 @ 9:52 am

   But whose translation is used in the link?

6. Bob Miller
   February 7th, 2007 @ 9:55 am

   To amplify the above, Feldheim issued two translations, the older one by R. Shraga Silverstein, and the newer one by another translator. Other publishers have put out translations, too. Rabbi Kaplan once translated Derech Hashem by Ramchal, but not Messilas Yesharim, to my knowledge.

7. Administrator
   February 7th, 2007 @ 10:51 am

   It looks like the first Feldheim translation. I have a call into Feldheim for permission to use their translation on Beyond BT.

8. Chana
   February 7th, 2007 @ 4:18 pm

   Mark & David
   Thanks for all of your efforts on behalf of Beyond BT, including the latest. I will iy”H begin learning with you.

9. matys
   February 7th, 2007 @ 7:55 pm

   RAMCHAL!
   I would lick dust from under his feet, that’s how I love him and every word that he wrote and which I have privilege to learn up till now. But I guess it would be…”incompatible with intellect and which reason cannot accept.”:)
   So… there are quiet popular and admired by others acts of religious devotion which can not be accepted because of reason and intellect?
   Why Ramchal puts in the same line mathematics and halachic discussions? Are the equal or perhaps they just having some common qualities?

10. Mark Zelunka
    February 8th, 2007 @ 12:06 am

    An important note: my Mesillas Yesharim classes on Torahmedia.com were given to university students, in varying degrees of observance (about half of the students were NOT FRUM). Some of the comments on the tape, both from myself and certainly some of the students(!) might not be appropriate for all listeners. Just a word to the wise.

    Thank you for including me in this discussion.
    mark

11. Amanda Rush
    February 8th, 2007 @ 4:55 pm

    I’m looking forward to this. I’ve wanted to study this sefer for a long time, but have never been sure how to break it up into a daily format. I’ll be coming back here for the daily posts.

12. Baruch Horowitz
    February 8th, 2007 @ 11:27 pm

    This sounds like a good and refreshing idea, which fits in well with the defined, goal-oriented concept of your blog(whether or not you actually complete the sefer, which I hope you, indeed, do).

    Other bloggers can do this as well,perhaps with another appopriate sefer, as there is no copyright on the concept(my former co-blogger “Bari” actually started doing the Sharei Teshuvah, and I think “The Alter” does this as well,and many others, of course, post on Torah topics).

    Because as it is, some of the blogosphere, has no end goal in sight, and sometimes(but not always) self-perpetuates the same underlying issues. Hopefully with these shiurim, then, me’at min haor docheh harbeh min hachoshech… [But all of the above] are only things which most people know, and their truths revealed to all, so is forgetfulness in relation to them extremely prevalent– k’phi rov pirsumam–kach h’haleim bahen matzui :)

13. Jaded Topaz
    February 8th, 2007 @ 11:33 pm

    Thoroughly thought provoking and perfectly profound stuff.Thanks for providing a structured, systemized format for mesmerizing mussar musings.Mark and David the global thriving fruit tree orchards of your laborious efforts are of the really really impressive persuasion. Just so you know ;-)

14. tffb
    February 9th, 2007 @ 9:36 am

    thanks for doing this. Looking forward to future installments.

15. azriela
    February 15th, 2007 @ 12:50 am

    I would like to participate.

16. joshua sachs
    February 15th, 2007 @ 1:18 am

    I am interested in this too.

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