Making a Jewish Benjamin Franklin
OK, so I'm Jewish, and there's a centuries-old tradition of religious self-improvement in my religion called Mussar. How does it compare and contrast with Franklin's virtues?
I am convinced there is a meaning to life and a correct way to live virtuously, and I enjoy seeking them.
Have I found them?
Oh, god no. The world is littered with people who are convinced they’ve got the answer key to the universe’s uncertainty and our very real understanding that morality is complicated and that our virtues conflict.
So, what in the ever-loving heck am I doing here?
Exploring and trying to learn about the meaning of life and the correct way to live virtuously, knowing full well that because of a personality defect, I refuse to settle on a single code, a single rule, or even a code of rules.
Isn’t it more fun to compare and contrast the world’s ever-growing lists of virtues of “should”s and “should not”s, and see which things seep into one’s own thoughts and behavior over time?
Having said that, by virtue of the work involved in becoming a Jew as an adult, Judaism is my jam. Because Judaism is simultaneously but separately a religion, a people, and a nation, and one can feel part of one, two or all three of those … I come here as a committed, Orthodox-nonconforming-and-deeply-respecting and open-minded Jew.
I’m still on my path to follow Franklin’s virtues here, but I admit some of the virtues seem to yield no big stumbling blocks. That got me thinking that there are likely other virtuous lists and practice suggestions from other traditions that I could, over time, substitute in or add to Franklin’s list. Franklin is very clear about developing a list of timeless values that work for him, i.e., values that he’s working on.
As I embark on a multi-month class on Mussar working out of a curriculum developed from Everyday Holiness by Alan Morinis (publisher and Thriftbooks listing). Morinis, like Franklin, breaks down his Jewish self-improvement curriculum along a list of virtues. Let’s compare, word for word, to Franklin, remembering that what Morinis means (each virtue is a balance between extreme examples of the virtue) and Franklin means (each virtue is a guiding light to be followed, with a simple explanation to say what it means) make the words possibly different in our understanding and theirs:
Franklin’s virtues compared to
Morinis’ Mussar
Note: Franklin’s virtues in order from the Autobiography; ideas that might match from Franklin marked by “*F” / (Morinis’ virtues in parentheses in order from Everyday Holiness)
Temperance
(2. Patience)Silence (10)
Order (5)
* F: “God ought to be worshipped by adoration, prayer and thanksgiving” (3. Gratitude)Resolution (15. Responsibility?)
(4. Compassion)Frugality (11. Generosity?)
Industry
Sincerity (12. Truth?)
(7. Honor)Justice
(8. Simplicity)Moderation (13)
(9. Enthusiasm)Cleanliness
Tranquillity (6. Equanimity?)
Chastity
Humility (1)
(14. Loving-Kindness)
* F: “God governs the world by his providence” (16. Trust)
* F: “God governs the world by his providence” (17. Faith)
(18. Yirah, “fear or awe of God”)
You can see many match up, word for word. Some Mussar virtues (or “middot,” soultraits) match up in what Franklin says about our proper duties to God and man (see “*F” notes above). But some don’t seem particularly emphasized in one or the other.
What Mussar leaves out from Franklin
Franklin’s call against gluttony is “Temperance,” neither eating nor drinking too much. That lack of balance may show up in one of Mussar’s soul-traits, but it’s not evident where just from the list.
Franklin’s “Industry,” spending time wisely and productively, does not, on a cursory glance, show up in the middot.
Franklin calls for “Justice,” neither harming others nor denying others our duty to help. “Justice” and moral duty is huge in Judaism, but tz’dakah doesn’t show up here explicitly. This may be captured in Responsibility, but I paired that with Resolution above, which is doing what you ought and what you’ve promised to do.
Franklin has “Cleanliness.” Mussar may not cover mundane uncleanness like this.
Franklin worries about “Chastity,” saying sex is for health and procreation, and, in any case, should not hurt “another’s peace or reputation.” (If you’re going to sleep around, don’t be a turd about it.) Mussar doesn’t include sexual morality explicitly as a virtue.
What Franklin leaves out from Mussar
Franklin may have not had a particular problem with “Patience,” as he leaves it out. Many of the rest of us do. “Tranquillity,” as he describes “not being disturbed at trifles,” might cover this. But I chose Mussar’s “Equanimity” to pair with that instead.
Franklin does not include “Compassion” or “Loving-Kindness,” focusing exclusively on outward behavior and not primarily on “feelings.” Do we feel compassion or show compassion? And are both necessary? Studying that Mussar soul-trait will likely tell us where the Jewish tradition falls there.
Franklin leaves out “Honor.”
Franklin doesn’t include “Simplicity.”
Continuing his lack of focus on feelings, Franklin ditches “Enthusiasm.”
You can see by my notes above that I think Franklin would have included in his religious view the need for “Trust” and “Faith” in God. However, he leaves out “Yirah,” a fear and awe of God. Franklin, influenced by Deism’s focus on reason and God’s rational design of Creation, likely wasn’t worried about a great feelings of the universe’s immensity pushing him to do something. Based on his own personal prayers written for his own prayer book, he sees, as a scientist, the world as a marvel, but God not a being or force to be feared. Heaven was in Franklin’s eye, but Hell and the fear of an over-sized universe and us people so small … that wasn’t his focus.
A careful parsing of these two lists gives me a new vantage point from which to approach both lists, one of which has been my daily focus for months, and the other to be retrod (after a years-past reading) in the new class.
My Franklin, God and the Mussar writers and rabbis guide me (and you) well!