Israel Salanter Quotes
Rabbi Israel Salanter, born Israel Lipkin in Lithuania, was the founder of the Mussar movement, a nineteenth-century Lithuanian Jewish ethical-philosophical movement that sought to renew the spiritual life of Eastern European Judaism through the disciplined cultivation of moral character. His many letters and short ethical treatises, gathered after his death by his pupils, set out a sustained program of ethical self-examination, mussar literature reading, and group practice for the cultivation of virtues such as humility, patience, truthfulness, and reverence. The quotes below are attributed to Israel Salanter, organized by topic.
Israel Salanter on God
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Attributed to Israel Salanter:
“Reverence is the precondition of Torah study; without it, study is mere ornament.”
Israel Salanter on Mind
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Attributed to Israel Salanter:
“Each soul is its own world; one must enter it as a stranger and learn its laws.”
Israel Salanter on Virtue
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Attributed to Israel Salanter:
“It is easier to learn the whole of the Talmud than to change a single character trait; learn the latter, and you have begun.”
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Attributed to Israel Salanter:
“Self-examination is the work of every day, not the project of any day.”
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Attributed to Israel Salanter:
“The character of the believer is the only commentary on his belief that the world will read.”