whatever happened to ethics?

Whatever Happened to Musar?
Whatever Happened to Musar?

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Rabbi Reuven Hammer

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A quick glance at newspaper headlines is enough to cause one to question =
the premise that Jews are a special people. Indeed it appears that we =
are like everyone else, only more so. Religious and non-religious, in =
Israel and abroad, we seem to have lost our moral compass. Rabbis are =
laundering money and trafficking in body parts. Ultra-Orthodox Jews =
indulge in violent protests injuring people and property. A gunman =
shoots and kills young people at a center for gays. A rabbinical student =
runs down a parking lot attendant in a dispute about a parking fee. =
Gangs kill each other and kill innocent people as well. Government =
officials - religious and non-religious - are accused, indicted and =
often convicted of misuse of office, of bribery, of sexual offences. =
Murder, child abuse, abuse of the elderly, all of these have become =
commonplace. The litany is endless. What does all this prove? I think it =
only indicates that we are indeed human, that we are a people like every =
other people. Jews indeed are like everyone else.=20

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Maybe that is what the prophet Amos had in mind when he said, "To Me, O =
Israelites, you are just like the Ethiopians - declares the Lord. Behold =
the Lord God has His eye upon the sinful kingdom.." (9:7-8). There is =
nothing inherently special about us unless we adopt a code of ethical =
living.

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As a matter of fact ethical behavior is at the very heart of what =
Judaism teaches and of our identity as Jews. Everyone knows that the =
prophets, Amos, Jeremiah and so many others, constantly emphasized =
morality and made the point that ritual observance without morality was =
not only hypocritical but renders the ritual hateful to God. "Seek good =
and not evil, that you may live.Hate evil and love good, and establish =
justice in the gate." (Amos 5:14-15). But one does not have to go to the =
prophets to learn this lesson. The Psalms as well are bursting with =
ethical teaching. For example Psalm 24 which we recite on Sundays =
describes what one has to do to be worthy of entering the gates of the =
Temple, "One who is clean of hands and pure of heart.."=20

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The Torah itself stresses ethics and morality from the very beginning. =
Note God's reasoning concerning the choosing of Abraham: "For I have =
singled him out, that he may instruct his children and his posterity to =
keep the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right."(Genesis =
18:19). The definition of 'the way of the Lord' is simple - 'doing what =
is just and right.' The laws of the Torah are filled with ethical =
demands: proper treatment of the stranger, kindness toward the widow and =
orphan, charity toward the poor, helping one's enemy and so much else, =
demands that the Sages taught were the very essence of the Torah. Thus =
Akiba said that the verse "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus =
19:18) was the basis of the entire Torah (Sifra Kedoshim 4) and Hillel =
taught that the Aramaic rendering of that verse, "Do not unto others =
what you would not want done unto you" was the basic teaching of the =
Torah, "the rest is commentary" (Shabbat 31b). My teacher, Louis =
Finkelstein, used to say that all of Judaism, all study, all observance =
of the mitzvot, was intended to produce a person that would live =
according to that one verse. Musar, living an ethical life, is the very =
essence of being a Jew.

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In the 19th century, when he feared that Jewish ethical living was no =
longer being taken seriously, Rabbi Israel Salanter developed the Musar =
Movement , devoted to the promotion of the study and practice of ethics =
as a fundamental part of Jewish life. A part of this system was the use =
of a 'musar room' where people could quietly deliberate ethical =
problems. This was intended to make business people aware of the need to =
decide what was right and what was wrong in their dealings.=20

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Perhaps we need something of that sort today to provide moral guidance =
to people in all walks of life, business people, doctors, lawyers, =
scientists, politicians, teachers, clerks, builders, plumbers and =
electricians. Whether one is a religious Jew or a cultural Jew, Judaism =
without ethical concern is an oxymoron. Judaism is not simply a matter =
of kashrut and holiday customs but is built around a strong core of =
ethical values which have an impact on everything that one does in life. =
The reduction of religion in Israel to a part of political gamesmanship =
has served to emphasize all the wrong aspects of Judaism and to cast =
religious leaders into the role of self-serving organization men. The =
ethical demands of the Torah are seldom heard from their lips or from =
the lips of any public figures.=20

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A renewed emphasis on morals should begin at an early age and should be =
integrated into our educational systems, religious and general. The =
religious systems should see to it that Jewish ethical literature is =
studied and made as important as Talmud. As a matter of fact the Talmud =
itself is rife with ethical and moral material and dilemmas, as is the =
Midrash. By proper picking and choosing, study of Talmud could be =
devoted to matters of moral import rather than to those that are merely =
legalistic. General schools should also make Jewish ethics - musar - a =
part of their curriculum.=20

The development of such a curriculum for various ages is an urgent need =
if we want our society to turn away from it current trend toward =
unbridled materialism, self-centeredness, disdain of the other and =
violence, both verbal and physical. Of course it is too much to expect =
that the educational system will be able to do the work by itself. It =
begins with each of us.=20

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As we enter this season of self-searching, we should realize that the =
"new Jew" that Zionism wanted to create must incorporate the values that =
were important to Jews through the ages: concern for justice, mercy, =
honesty, willingness to give to and for others, modesty, restraint and =
the ability to judge between right and wrong. It is time to give musar =
its due.