LEV288 The starting point for understanding Mussar is the verse in the Torah that tells us: "You shall be holy" [this verse]. The Torah here reveals in no uncertain terms what a human being's job description is. In essence, we are here on earth for no other purpose than to grow and blossom spiritually--to become holy. Our potential and therefore our goal should be to become as spiritually refined as possible. It is interesting that when the rabbis combed through the Torah to seek out the commandments that are the backbone for living a Jewish life, none of the major commentators seized on "You shall be holy" as a commandment they told us we must follow. This omission is classically explained by saying that our spiritual pursuits are the overarching and all-encompassing goal of our lives, and so this injunction can't be brought down to the level of an ordinance on par with the other 613 commandments the rabbis identified in the Torah. (See, for example, Rambam's Sefer ha'Mitzvot [The Book of Mitzvot] (Shoresh 4), trans. Rabbi Shagra Silverstein (New York: Moznaim, 1993).