Sandee Brawarsky reviews Joseph Telushkin’s monumental new book: “A Code of Jewish Ethics: Volume 1: You Shall Be Holy” – the first volume of a projected three-volume series. She writes that:
“The book is a landmark work, the beginning of a planned three-volume series — it’s the first major code of Jewish ethics to be written in English, compiling 3,000 years of Jewish wisdom. While this first volume focuses on issues of personal integrity and character, the next book will be on interpersonal issues and the third on family, friendship and community.
. . . [Rabbi Telushkin] says he thinks of this series — which he has concentrated on for the last four years — as his life work.”
The structure of the book is the format of Jewish legal codes, with chapters on specific themes (Gratitude, Civility, Lying, Repentance etc.), and numbered paragraphs making short and distinct points, with examples tying them to everyday life with an abundance of references to both classical and modern sources.
“Rabbi Telushkin’s tone is engaging and accessible; his range of sources is broad, drawing on the Torah, the Prophets, Talmud, Midrash, medieval codes of Jewish law, teachings of the mussar and chasidic movements and contemporary Jewish scholars. The most frequently quoted source is Maimonides, but Rabbi Telushkin also cites the biblical Ruth, King David, Rabbi Akiva, Rashi, the Chafetz Chaim, Sholom Aleichem, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel,
psychiatrist Issac Herschkopf, Yale professor Stephen Carter and many others.” Manhattan
Here is an example of Telushkin’s methodology. He begins his chapter on Reducing Envy by urging us to accept that “a certain level of envy is natural, and cannot be entirely eliminated” — that by trying to eliminate it completely violates the Talmudic dictum that “if you try to grasp everything, you will grasp nothing” — trying for perfection can simply lead to failure. Instead he illustrates his point about the universality of envy with a story from Sholom Aleichem:
“A man must always be considerate of the feelings of his neighbors . . . So, for instance, if I went out to the fair . . . and did well, sold everything at a good profit, and returned with pockets full of money . . . I never failed to tell my neighbors that I had lost every cent and was a ruined man. Thus, I was happy and my neighbors were happy. But if, on the contrary, I had really been cleaned out at the fair . . . I made sure to tell my neighbors that never since God made fairs had there been a better one. You get my point? For thus I was miserable and my neighbors were miserable.”
Then Telushkin imparts an observation from his mother and a bit of practical advice:
“The only people I know who are happy are people I don’t know well.” If you are going to envy the success of others, consider whether you would be willing to assume their suffering and problems as well.
This is a wonderful book of readings, stories, rules and advice — the work of a lifetime that in turn justifies a lifetime of study, and a major contribution to Jewish thought and culture.