Practicing Order

The Mussar teaching, which exhorts us to look for the middle path, is distinctly and concretely embodied in the soul-trait of "order," or seder in Hebrew. An excessive lack of order leads to anarchy. On the other end of the spectrum, rigidity and obsessiveness result from excessive order. Between these two extremes is the best in sequence. The command to count a specific portion of the Jewish population opens the Book of Numbers. The Jews are instructed to set up their camp in the desert right after the count. It is explicitly stated in the Torah that people did not camp wherever they felt like it. The camp needed to be kept in order. With its depictions of the orderly camp, this portion of the Torah has greatly inspired the teachers of Mussar. They have learned from this example that order is not only a practical necessity but also a spiritual virtue that comes from God's word.

Examining the Mussar teachings on order reveals that they are frequently highly applicable. Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler, a graduate of Kelm's renowned Mussar Yeshiva, cites three arguments in favor of organizing: (1) Order is beneficial because it gives one the assurance that everything is under control when things are ordered properly. (2) Organization helps you save time by preventing you from having to search for items when you need them. (3) Certain objects can only function if they are put in the right order. For example, a machine needs all of its parts to be in good working condition, frequently in a certain order, in order to operate.

Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe states that seder is like a pearl necklace's clasp. The necklace's pearls are its main component, yet without the clasp, they will disperse and leave the string empty. In a similar vein, a person with a wealth of intelligence, character characteristics, and strengths will scatter and leave you with nothing if you lack seder.

According to the Alter of Kelm, the entire foundation of the Torah is order. After all, Shabbat and the workweek are only separated by a single second. A kosher slaughter differs from an unsuitable slaughter by a hair's breadth. A mikveh can become unsuitable due to a small amount of water. And so forth. Since the development of inner attitudes was the main goal of Mussar practice in Kelm, it was believed that exterior disorder was a reflection of internal chaos. A person with disorganized belongings is probably also going to have disorganized ideas. He is prone to be careless with his spiritual purity if he does not take care to keep his home tidy.

How to Practice Order

1. Determine the areas where the order in your workplace could be improved. When identifying the particular places, be specific. Make a list of the actions you can take to improve and increase workplace order. Sort your list according to the days of the week you plan to perform this exercise. Make a list of your plans for Sunday, Monday, and so forth.

2. Decide which habit you want to break. Being punctual will serve as an example. Pick only one instance of this behavior and concentrate on altering it. You would choose one forthcoming meeting in our example to arrive on time for. Try to be on time for one meeting at a time, rather than trying to be on time for everything. Schedule that meeting and make a list of all the things you must do to arrive on time. Add those items to the calendar as well. Until you consistently arrive on time for this meeting, keep your attention solely on future occurrences of it and follow the same procedure. Choose a second situation where you want to arrive on time and follow the same procedure.

3. Start doing things as a habit. For example, Mark 1:35 says that Yeshua got up and went to a deserted place and prayed. He rose before the sun had even come up. Like sin, disorder lurks at your door (Gen 4:7). You must get ahead of it and stay ahead of it—not in a crazy, compulsive manner, but through constant discipline—if you want to overcome it. He visited an empty location. Look for a break from the constant barrage of responsibilities, demands, and distractions—which frequently necessitates physical separation. He prayed there. In order to meet with Hashem, we exercise order, which strengthens our soul.