Rabbi Joseph Telushkin illuminates moral imagination

Sydney’s Emanuel Synagogue has hosted the esteemed Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, a celebrated Jewish scholar and New York Times bestselling author, for an insightful lecture on the vital concept of moral imagination.

The sold-out event drew a diverse audience eager to hear Telushkin’s wisdom on navigating ethical complexities in an ever-changing world.

In his warm introduction, Emanuel’s senior rabbi, Jeffrey Kamins, lauded Rabbi Telushkin as “a man whose books have helped us understand not just how to be Jews, but how to be human.” He highlighted the enduring significance of Telushkin’s Jewish Literacy, a cornerstone of Jewish learning worldwide. Rabbi Kamins also touched upon the breadth of Telushkin’s literary contributions, spanning Jewish ethics, humour, interfaith relations, and the power of language. He emphasised Telushkin’s unique ability to inspire a genuine desire for goodness, transcending mere adherence to rules.

Rabbi Telushkin’s address centred on his forthcoming book, Moral Imagination, a project he described as the fruit of decades dedicated to ethical contemplation. He articulated moral imagination as the crucial ability to conceive novel and resourceful approaches to ethical action, particularly when conventional solutions appear inadequate. Rabbi Telushkin stated, “People often have the desire to do good. But what stops them is they don’t know how. That’s where moral imagination comes in.”

Rabbi Telushkin elucidated his concept of moral imagination through a powerful anecdote from pre-war Europe involving Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik. A man approached the Rabbi before Passover inquiring about the permissibility of using milk instead of wine at the Seder. Rabbi Soloveitchik’s response transcended the literal question; instead of a simple halakhic ruling, he handed the man 25 rubles, a sum far exceeding the cost of wine.

When questioned about his seemingly unrelated generosity, Rabbi Soloveitchik insightfully replied, “If he’s asking about milk, it’s not just about wine. It means he can’t afford meat. He lacks everything.” Rabbi Telushkin emphasised the depth of this response, stating, “This…is what moral imagination looks like. Seeing beneath the surface of a request. Not only answering the question but anticipating the need.” This story served as a foundational example of looking beyond the immediate inquiry to address the underlying human need.

A more contemporary example highlighted the remarkable solidarity displayed by the residents of Billings, Montana in the 1990s. After vandals targeted a Jewish home displaying a menorah, a local church took the initiative to print paper menorahs for its congregants to display. This act of empathy and proactive support resonated deeply, leading the local newspaper to print a full-page menorah for even wider participation. As Rabbi Telushkin explained, “By the end of the week…over 6,000 homes had menorahs in their windows. In a city with fewer than 100 Jews. That’s moral imagination. That’s when one group says: ‘Your fear is our fear.’”

Throughout his engaging presentation, Rabbi Telushkin consistently returned to the theme of human decency under duress, illustrating moral imagination in the face of extreme danger. He shared the poignant story of Susi Deutsch, a young Jewish woman in fascist Italy during the Nazi occupation, highlighting a moment of extraordinary courage and ingenuity.

While travelling on a train, Deutsch found herself in a terrifying situation when SS officers boarded and began checking passengers’ papers. She confessed to the Italian man seated beside her that she lacked valid documentation, and this would lead to her deportation and likely death. In a remarkable act of moral imagination, the man, a complete stranger, erupted in feigned anger, loudly berating her and telling the Nazis that she was his wife who had “forgotten her papers at home again.” This fabricated domestic dispute, though risky, successfully diverted the SS officers, who dismissed the situation and left the train. “He risked everything for someone he didn’t know,” Telushkin explained. “And she never learned his name.”

Addressing contemporary challenges with sensitivity, Rabbi Telushkin acknowledged the pain of the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre but chose to illuminate stories of profound human resilience. He spoke movingly of Rami Davidian, an ordinary citizen who bravely ventured into perilous areas to rescue over 750 people. “He didn’t know who they were,” Telushkin explained. “He just knew they were people who needed help.”

Rabbi Telushkin offered a sharp yet humorous critique of overly rigid moral philosophies, particularly referencing Immanuel Kant’s absolute stance against lying. “That’s the most overrated philosopher in the world,” he quipped, eliciting laughter from the audience. He then underscored a crucial point: “This is what happens when morality becomes disconnected from empathy.”

His carefully chosen anecdotes consistently served to impart valuable lessons. He recounted the story of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress, who visited the hospitalised segregationist Governor George Wallace. Her powerful rationale, “What does it say about me if I refuse to see someone when they’re down?” illustrated the transformative potential of compassion. Years later, Wallace himself acknowledged her kindness as a catalyst for change in his views. “You never know what one act of compassion can do,” Telushkin reiterated, leaving the audience to contemplate the weight of those words.

Rabbi Telushkin also shared more subtle examples of moral imagination in everyday life, from a teacher’s unconventional approach to fostering empathy to a CEO’s ethical restructuring of workplace incentives. “Sometimes,” he observed, “doing the right thing doesn’t look like heroism. It looks like awkwardness. Like being uncomfortable. Like standing in the cold.”

The image of standing in the cold led to another impactful rabbinic tale; the story of Rabbi Eliyahu Meisel, who ignored a wealthy man’s invitation to enter his home, deliberately standing shivering outside his home to evoke empathy before making his charitable appeal. “That wasn’t manipulation,” Telushkin insisted. “It was education.”

Following his captivating lecture, Rabbi Telushkin engaged with the audience during a question-and-answer session. In response to a query about nurturing moral imagination in children, he advised: “Tell them stories of goodness, not just rules. And live out those stories in front of them.”

Rabbi Telushkin concluded his inspiring address with a profound teaching from Rebbe Nachman of Breslov: “If you are not going to be a better person tomorrow than you were today, then what need do you have for tomorrow?”

He then offered a warm closing wish: “So I’m wishing all of you a good today, and an even better tomorrow.” The audience responded with enthusiastic applause, clearly moved and inspired by Rabbi Telushkin’s masterclass in moral imagination.