Guest Rambler, Eliana Wolf
Mini Mussar Moments
Hi! My name is Eliana Wolf and I love attending mini mussar! Mini mussar is a program run by Morah Kim Farkas that teaches kids like me about Torah wisdom in living your best life.
The first day I attended a mini mussar class, I didn’t know what to expect. I was in 5th grade and thought that I would go in and know everything about Judaism because I went to a Jewish day school. I never expected to, not only learn so much more about Jewish culture and holidays, but also about “polishing your inner diamond” -- that is, improving yourself in order to become the best Jew and person you can be.
Every mini mussar class from 5th to 9th grade connected to my life and answered questions I’ve always wondered about. For example, when I feel stressed about how to manage my time, I remember the class in 6th grade where we listed things we do in our free time and then listed the most important things in our lives. Next we compared the two lists and saw how different they were. We learned that we should always strive to fill our time with what is most important to us, not just what is easy, like playing video games and watching TV.
We also learned how every act of kindness can have a result bigger than one can imagine. Together we read a book about how one person’s smile spread through the ripple effect and bettered hundreds of lives. After the class about how a smile is contagious, I walked around with a smile on my face hoping it would spread joy, and it did! I always leave Morah Kim’s house and the JFX building at the end of a mini mussar class feeling inspired and ready to go back into my life and make a new start.
Before quarantine, the second I got in my parents’ car after mini mussar class, I would talk nonstop about what I learned and how amazing all the stories and lessons were. Still now, after I finish a Zoom class, I call my friends and tell them what I learned. Even my non-Jewish friends listen to the stories and morals I retell from mini mussar and extract something from them. Everyone can benefit from a little “diamond cleaning,” and that is just what mussar gives to us.
One of my favorite lessons, one I would like to share with you, is from the first Zoom call of the quarantine. I was sitting on my bed, confused and upset that I couldn’t go back to school and see my friends. Then I got a text from Morah Kim saying, “Hope to see you!” with a link to the new Zoom mussar class.
I was excited to see people (even if it was only through a screen) but nervous about how we could have a class online. I was scared that it wouldn’t have the same impact the in-person classes had.
When Shlomo began teaching, one of the first things he had us do is go around and say how we were feeling with everything that was going on. Many people were feeling confused and helpless like me, and suddenly I didn’t feel so alone anymore. Then Shlomo proceeded to teach us that although we can’t go into the hospitals and save lives, there are still so many things we can do to help others during this time. We are NOT helpless.
After we hung up on the Zoom call, I sent a text to my grandparents and a few of my friends to check in on them. Even though we aren’t all first responders directly saving lives, each of us can help others feel less alone and spread a (virtual) smile whose effect will ripple across countless other lives.
Shabbat Shalom,
Eliana Wolf
