Mussar Movement History


The nineteenth-century Mussar movement inspired by Rabbi Israel Salanter didn't just revitalize the Eastern European Jewish world - it saved traditional Judaism. This is the story of the Mussar movement  (היסטוריית תנועת המוסר) as told through the following biographies of Rabbi Israel, his closest followers, and the generations of disciples that came after them. This whole collection of 100+ Mussar books is also available as a PDF here.

Moralist Movement in Russia - Louis Ginsberg, 1904. Early Mussar Musar movement history. Rabbi Israel Salant.

Moralist Movement in Russia

The Moralist Movement in Russia by Professor Louis Ginsberg first appeared in the January 1904 edition of The Menorah and can be read in PDF here

An expanded version of this article appeared in his 1928 book 'Students, Scholars, and Saints' and can be seen here.


Rabbi Israel Salanter and the Musar Movement. Author Kopul Rosen. Publisher Narod Press 1945. רבי ישראל ליפקין מסַלַנְט

Rabbi Israel Salanter and the Musar Movement

Rabbi Israel Salanter and the Musar Movement, written by Rabbi Kopul Rosen in 1945, is one of the first biographies of Rabbi Yisrael ben Ze'ev Wolf Lipkin of Salant (רבי ישראל ליפקין מסַלַנְט) (1809-1883, Wikipedia). 116 pages. Get it on Amazon or try this search or finding a library copy through Worldcat.


Rabbi Israel Salanter: Religious-Ethical Thinker. Author Menahem G. Glenn. Publishers Dropsie College Bloch Publishing Company 1953 and Yashar Books 2005. ISBN 1933143029.

Israel Salanter: Religious-Ethical Thinker

Israel Salanter: The Story of a Religious-Ethical Current in Nineteenth Century Judaism was written by Menahem Glenn, originally published in 1953 by Bloch Publishing for Dropsie College, and republished in 2005 by Yashar Books. 219 pages.


Kedushat Avraham, Selected Essays. The Musar Movement: A Quest for Excellence in Character Education. Bridging the Gap between Ethical Theory and Conduct. The Legacy of Rav Yisrael Salanter. Author Zalman F. Ury. Publisher Yeshiva University Press 1970, Torah Umesorah 1968.

The Musar Movement: Quest for Excellence in Character Education

The Musar Movement: A Quest for Excellence in Character Education by Rabbi Zalman Ury was originally published by Yeshiva University Press in 1970. It was republished in 2001 as Kedushat Avraham, Selected Essays and included two earlier 1968 articles by Ury: 'Bridging the Gap between Ethical Theory and Conduct' and 'The Legacy of Rav Yisrael Salanter'. Get it on Amazon or download a pdf with these three articles.


The Story of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter. Author Rabbi Zalman Ury. Publisher Mosaica Press 1971, 2017. ISBN 1946351083.

The Story of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter

The Story of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter was written by Rabbi Zalman Ury in 1971 and republished with illustrations in 2017 by Mosaica Press. 96 pages. Get it here.


The Musar Movement: its History, Leading Personalities and Doctrines. Author Rabbi Dov Katz. Translator Leonard Oschry. Publisher Orly Press 1975. ספר תנועת המוסר. מחבר הרב דב כ"ץ.

The Musar Movement: History, Leading Personalities, Doctrines

The Musar Movement: its History, Leading Personalities and Doctrines is a 1975 translation by Leonard Oschry of the first two volumes of the often-cited five-volume history of the Mussar movement, Tenuat HaMusar (תנועת המוסר) by Rabbi Dov Katz (הרב דב כ"ץ). If there are no copies on Amazon we recommend finding a library copy through WorldCat


History of the Musar Movement 1840-1945. Author Lester Samuel Eckman. Publisher Shengold Publishing 1975. ISBN 0884000419.

History of the Musar Movement, 1840-1945

The History of the Musar Movement 1840-1945 was written by Lester Samuel Eckman and published by Shengold in 1975. 174 pages. Get it here.


Teachings of the Fathers of the Musar Movement. Author Lester Samuel Eckman. Publisher Shengold 1975. ISBN 0884001393.

Teachings of the Fathers of the Musar Movement

Teachings of the Fathers of the Musar Movement was written by Lester Samuel Eckman and published by Shengold in 1975. 134 pages. Get it on Amazon or find a library copy through WorldCat.


A Tzaddik in Our Time: The Life of Rabbi Aryeh Levin. Author Simcha Raz. Publisher Feldheim 1976, 1978, 2008. ISBN 0873069862, 1598262491.  אריה לוין

Tzaddik in Our Time: The Life of Rabbi Aryeh Levin

A Tzaddik in Our Time: The Life of Rabbi Aryeh Levin was written by Simcha Raz about the saintly Mashgiach of the Etz Chaim Yeshiva in Jerusalem (אריה לוין) (1885-1969, Wikipedia) and published by Feldheim in 1976, 1978 (both 468 pages), and 2008 (512 pages).


Israel Salanter, Text, Structure, Idea: The Ethics and Theology of an Early Psychologist of the Unconscious. Author Hillel Goldberg. Publisher Ktav Publishing House 1982. ISBN 0870687093.

Israel Salanter: Text, Structure, Idea

Israel Salanter, Text, Structure, Idea: The Ethics and Theology of an Early Psychologist of the Unconscious was written by Hillel Goldberg and published by Ktav in 1982. 358 pages. Get it on Amazon or find a library copy through Worldcat

Four years earlier Goldberg wrote his Dissertation 'Rabbi Israel Salanter: A Study Of His Works' which can also be found through Worldcat.


The Story of The Chofetz Chaim (Artscroll Youth Series). Editor Nosson Scherman. Author Eliezer Gevirtz. Illustrator Yosef Dershowitz. Publisher Artscroll Mesorah 1983. ISBN 0899067662.

The Story of The Chofetz Chaim

The Story of The Chofetz Chaim came out in 1983 as part of Artscroll's Youth Series, written by Eliezer Gevirtz and illustrated by Yosef Dershowitz. 158 pages. Get it here.


The Chafetz Chaim: The Life and Works of Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin. Author Moses M. Yoshor. Artscroll History Series. Publisher Mesorah Publications Limited 1984, 1986, 2010. ISBN 0899064671, 0899064620, 0899062679.

The Chafetz Chaim: Life & Works

The Chafetz Chaim: The Life and Works of Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin was written by Moses Yoshor and published by Artscroll as part of their History Series in 1984 and again in 1986 and 2010. 603 pages.


Sparks of Mussar: Treasury of Words and Deeds of the Mussar Greats. Author Chaim Ephraim Zaitchek. Publisher Feldheim 1985, 1994, 2014. ISBN 1583301283, 1680253093.

Sparks of Mussar: Treasury of Words and Deeds of the Mussar Greats

Sparks of Mussar: a Treasury of Words and Deeds of the Mussar Greats was written by Chaim Ephraim Zaitchek and published by Feldheim in 1985, 1994, and again in 2014. 260 pages.


The Story of Reb Yisrael Salanter: The Legendary Founder of the Mussar Movement (Artscroll Youth Series). Author Shimon Finkelman. Illustrator Yosef Dershowitz. Publisher Artscroll Mesorah Publications 1986. ISBN 0899067972.

The Story of Reb Yisrael Salanter

The Story of Reb Yisrael Salanter: The Legendary Founder of the Mussar Movement was written by Shimon Finkelman and illustrated by Yosef Dershowitz as part of the Artscroll Youth Series in 1986. 96 pages. Get it here.


The Fire Within: The Living Heritage of the Musar Movement. Author Hillel Goldberg. Artscroll History series. Publisher Mesorah 1987. ISBN 089906552X, 0899065538.

Fire Within: Living Heritage of the Musar Movement

The Fire Within: The Living Heritage of the Musar Movement was written by Hillel Goldberg and published by Artscroll in 1987. 194 pages. Get it in hardcover or paperback.


Rabbi Israel Salanter and the Mussar Movement: Seeking the Torah of Truth. Author Immanuel Etkes. Publisher Jewish Publication Society 1993. ISBN 0827604386.

Rabbi Israel Salanter and the Mussar Movement: Seeking the Torah of Truth 

Rabbi Israel Salanter and the Mussar Movement: Seeking the Torah of Truth was written by Immanuel Etkes and published by the Jewish Publication Society in 1993. 404 pages. Get it here


Reb Yisrael Salanter: The Story of Rabbi Yisrael Lipkin. Author Yaacov Dovid Shulman. Written and audio. Publisher CIS Publishing, 1995. ISBN 1560622997.

The Story of Rabbi Yisrael Lipkin

Reb Yisrael Salanter: The Story of Rabbi Yisrael Lipkin was written by Yaacov Dovid Shulman and published by CIS Publishing in 1995 as part of their Biography Series. Get it here (191 pages) or listen to the audiobook version (7:16 hours).


Novarodok: A Movement That Lived in Struggle and Its Unique Approach to the Problem of Man. Author Meir Levin. Publisher Jason Aronson 1996. ISBN 1568216033.

Novarodok: A Movement That Lived in Struggle

Novarodok: A Movement That Lived in Struggle and Its Unique Approach to the Problem of Man was written by Meir Levin and published by Jason Aronson in 1996. 214 pages. Get it here.


Reb Elyah: The Life and Accomplishments of Rabbi Elyah Lopian. Author Rabbi David J. Schlossberg. Artscroll History Series. Mesorah Publications Ltd. 1999. ISBN 1578192692.

Reb Elyah: Life & Accomplishments

Reb Elyah: The Life and Accomplishments of Rabbi Elyah Lopian (1876-1970, Wikipedia) was written by Rabbi David J. Schlossberg and published by Artscroll as part of their History Series in 1999. 296 pages. Get it here.


Rav Dessler: The Life and Impact of Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler the Michtav m'Eliyahu. Author Yonosan Rosenblum. Artscroll History Series. Publisher Mesorah Publications 2000. ISBN 1578195063. אליהו אליעזר דסלר

Rav Dessler: Life & Impact 

Rav Dessler: The Life and Impact of Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, the Michtav m'Eliyahu was written by Yonosan Rosenblum and published by Artscroll in 2000 as part of their History Series. 371 pages. Get it here

See also the writings of Rav Dessler in the Top Tep under Strive for Truth.


The Mashgiach: The Life and Times of Meir Chodosh. Author Rebbetzin Shulamit Ezrachi. Translator Libby Lazewnik. Publisher Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2006. ISBN 1422601048.

The Mashgiach: Life & Times of Meir Chodosh

The Mashgiach: The Life and Times of Meir Chodosh was written by Rebbetzin Shulamit Ezrachi about her father Meir Chadash, the great Mashgiach Ruchani or Spiritual Guide of the Hevron Yeshiva (1898-1989, Wikipedia). Published by Artscroll in 2006. 689 pages. Get it here.


Reb Chatzkel: Yechezkel Levenstein, Guardian of Torah and Mussar. Author Rabbi Yitzchak Kasnett. Artscroll History Series. Publisher Mesorah Publications, 2007. ISBN 1422605388.

Reb Chatzkel, Guardian of Torah and Mussar

Reb Chatzkel, Guardian of Torah and Mussar was written by Rabbi Yitzchak Kasnett about Yechezkel Levenstein (1885-1974, Wikipedia), the Mashgiach of the great Mir Yeshiva, and published by Artscroll as part of their History Series in 2007. 394 pages. Get it here.


Sharing the Burden: Rabbi Simhah Zissel Ziv and the Path of Musar. Simcha Zissel Ziv, Alter of Kelm, author of Hokhmah U-Musar (Chochmah u'Mussar). Author Geoffrey Claussen. Publisher State University of New York Press 2016. ISBN 1438458347. חכמה ומוסר :שמחה זיסל זיו

Sharing the Burden: Rabbi Simhah Zissel Ziv and the Path of Musar

Sharing the Burden: Rabbi Simhah Zissel Ziv and the Path of Musar was written by Geoffrey Claussen about the great Alter of Kelm Simcha Zissel Ziv (שמחה זיסל זיו) (1824-1898, Wikipedia), author of one of the greatest Mussar books yet to be translated - Chochmah u'Mussar (חכמה ומוסר). Published by the State University of New York Press in 2016. 260 pages. Get it here.


Rav Yaakov Galinsky: The Legendary Maggid with the Fiery Spirit of Novardok. Author Rebbetzin G. Lehrer. Publisher Feldheim 2016. ISBN 1680252321.

Rav Yaakov Galinsky: Legendary Maggid with the Fiery Spirit of Novardok

Rav Yaakov Galinsky: The Legendary Maggid with the Fiery Spirit of Novardok was written by Rebbetzin G. Lehrer about her father Yaakov Galinksy (1920-2014, Wikipedia) one of the last from the old world of the Novardok Yeshiva. Published by Feldheim in 2016, 384 pages. Get it here.


The Alter of Novardok: The Life of Rav Yosef Yoizel Horowitz and his Worldwide Impact. Author Rabbi Shlomo Weintraub. Publisher Feldheim 2020. ISBN 1422625591. יוסף יוזל הורוביץ

Alter of Novardok: Life of Rav Yosef Yoizel Horowitz

The Alter of Novardok: The Life of Rav Yosef Yoizel Horowitz and his Worldwide Impact was written by Rabbi Shlomo Weintraub about the famous Alter of Novardok, Yosef Yozel Hurwitz (יוסף יוזל הורוביץ) (1847-1919, Wikipedia), and published by Feldheim in 2020. 422 pages. Get it here.


The Mussar Movement and Lithuanian Jewry. Authors Rabbi Jehiel Jakob (Yechiel Yakov) Weinburg and Rabbi Eitam Henkin. Editors Elijah J. Schochet and Menachem Butler. Publisher Shokey Press, 2022. Mussar movement history. ISBN 1958542210.

The Mussar Movement & Lithuanian Jewry

The 'Mussar' Movement and Lithuanian Jewry  is a reprint from Rabbi Jehiel Jakob (Yechiel Yakov) Weinburg (1884-1966, Wikipedia) with an afterword on the "Mussar Controversy" by Rabbi Eitam Henkin. Edited by Elijah J. Schochet and Menachem Butler and published by Shokey Press in 2022. 110 pages. Get it here.


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