When is Mussar bad, foolish, ineffective, and a waste of time? ❦ Mussar Conversation #15

Mussar is only mentioned once in the Torah but it's a disturbing text - the generation of the Exodus saw God's miracles and his mussar but it wasn't enough and they still died in the desert. Why didn't their experience of Mussar work? The Bible also warns that Mussar can be bad, foolish, and a waste of time. How can that even be? What makes the difference? Let's look at these problematic texts and see if we can't figure it out. But be warned - the answer may be troubling.  (It's been another five conversations!  Thank you for donating.)