Simcha Zissel Ziv - Musar Approach

Musar Approach

Rabbi Ziv taught that the whole world is a classroom where one can learn to improve one’s character and increase one’s belief in God. Rabbi Ziv would frequently quote Socrates, who said that "true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."

Rabbi Ziv offered his students the following advice: "Take time. Be exact. Unclutter the mind." The school (Talmud Torah) that he operated in Grobin was an epitome of this approach. The students conducted themselves with calmness and order but were still motivated and enthusiastic. There are numerous anecdotes that illustrated the extent that this reached, among them are;

• A man once left a cane hanging on a hook in the school by mistake, he came back many years later and the cane had not been moved.
• Rabbi Ziv once came into the school and saw that in the row of galoshes that had been lined up outside the study hall, one of the pair of galoshes was not in line with the others. Rb Ziv dedicated an entire ethical sermon to the need for order in light of this event.
• The windows that faced the street in the study hall were never opened in order to prevent distractions. A noise was once heard outside the study hall. One of the students opened the window and looked out to see what was happening. Rb Ziv commented that he did not see that there was any possibility that that student would become an accomplished person.

Rabbi Ziv explained that a person can only progress in life and perceive God by clearing his mind of confusion and haphazard thinking. Once a person has done this, they will be able to achieve a level of equanimity and clarity of mind that will allow them to plan a path through life that is independent of the fallacies that are the subconscious product of personal weakness and temptations. They will also be able to recognise the subtleties (subtleness) of God's manifestation in the world.

Rabbi Ziv would study for twelve solid, successive hours each day no matter the time of year. He explained that only through clarity and clear mindedness can a person overcome their will to act impulsively and achieve focus.

Rabbi Dov Katz described Rabbi Ziv’s approach to learning as consisting of three guiding principles:

1. One should become emotionally involved in his studies, whether joyful or sad.
2. One should ask oneself after everything one learns, "What did I think before, and what do I know differently now?"
3. One's study should always delve beyond the external facets and arrive at the essence of the topic.

He encouraged practices that would encourage visualization and introspection.