It’s sad, isn’t it, that so many people deny the obvious in
so many spheres of life. Just as the beginning of knowledge
is the acknowledgment that there is much to learn, so the
beginning of personal fulfillment is the knowledge that one
must improve, can improve, and that there are
ways to do what only seems to be impossible, but
isn’t.
Even sadder is that many people assume that self-mastery
and character development are natural by-products of
scholarship and observance, that self-improvement will
emerge without effort.
The Sages of the Talmud knew better. They said, “Who is
strong? He who subdues his personal inclination,” for to
master one’s passion is better than to conquer a city. And
it is harder, as well. They recognized and preached that one
must never rest, lest he lose the battle, just as the
conqueror of a city must remain ever vigilant. The battle to
elevate and ennoble oneself must be ongoing.
And the Sages also taught how to win the victory. How?
For that one must understand the mystery of the soul, plumb
the teachings of the Sages, and heed the counsel of the
masters of Chassidus and Mussar, the great artists of
personal refinement. A person who incorporates all that plus
a thorough knowledge of modern psychiatry and psychology is
a rare and priceless human treasure.
Such a person is Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D.,
Torah scholar, psychiatrist and ranking expert in the
treatment of substance abuse. In this wise and valuable
book, he demolishes the fears and shibboleths that bar the
way to mental health for countless good and sincere people.
He shows that the principles for today’s most successful
techniques
for self-improvement are found in the Torah, as expounded by
its greatest teachers.
Warmly, compassionately, engagingly, he draws us into his
world of health, happiness and fulfillment.
This is a book for everyone. It is enriching and
uplifting. Most of all, it will put its readers on the road
to personal success.
Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D., is a descendant of
the founders of the Chassidic movement, whose philosophy he
embraces and applies in his psychiatric practice. An
ordained Rabbi, Dr. Twerski is Assistant Professor of
Psychiatry at the University of Pitttsburgh School of
Medicine and founder and Medical Director of Gateway
Rehabilitation Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Dr. Twerski’s earlier works, Living Each Day, Living
Each Week, Growing Each Day, Smiling Each Day,
and I Am I have established his position as a Torah
scholar who possesses psychological insights that enhance
application of Torah principles to everyday life.
