Mussar in Recovery: A Jewish Spiritual Path to Serenity and Joy

Hannah L., a recovered addict, and Rabbi Winokur combine Alcoholics Anonymous’s 12-step program with Mussar, a “Jewish spiritual practice” that focuses on cultivating middot, or “soul traits,” in their thought-provoking debut guide to tackling addiction. Framing the two systems as complementary—the 12-step program guides addicts “one day at a time,” while Mussar is a path to “uncover[ing] our divine beauty, implemented iteratively over time”—the authors link each of the 12 steps with a middah that facilitates it. For example, step three, which entails turning over one’s life “to a recipient identified as the God of our understanding,” is used to explore how such trust requires a deeper, longer-term faith similar to the middah emunah, which involves “knowing, in our hearts and minds, that there is a power of the universe... that leans toward doing good for all of creation.” Broadly defining addiction as the pursuit of a substance, person, or experience at the expense of well-being, the authors construct a flexible framework that links spiritual, emotional, and psychological health using a blend of ancient and contemporary wisdom. Addicts and those who love them have plenty to gain. (Sept.)