Climbing the Ladder of Mussar

by Moshe Glasser

Climbing Jacob’s Ladder:
One Man’s Journey to Rediscover a Jewish Spiritual Tradition
by Alan Morinis
Broadway Books; 256 pages
$23.95

For anyone who has ever been in involved in NCSY, Aish Hatorah, or any other Orthodox Jewish organization, the story of someone discovering or rediscovering religion during one of life’s soul-searching stints is household and more than a bit cliché. This is unfortunate, however, because each one of these narratives involves resurrecting a soul to its true purpose.

Alan Morinis’ Climbing Jacob’s Ladder though drawn from the same familiar concept, takes a slightly different tack. The author devotes each chapter to discussing a step in his spiritual journey, which spans from his college years to transnational business ventures. At some points of his acute early middle age depression, Morinis refuses to purchase a sports car, dye his hair, or find a conventional manner to battle his midlife crisis. Instead, guided by previously read books and a meager memory of Judaism, he locates a rabbi and begins to study Mussar.

Morinis seeks to fulfill two objectives in each chapter: to piece together his life and expound upon the mussar teachings he so relishes. This twofold objective is completed by spending the majority of each chapter retracing personal journeys but consistently ending the chapter with a few pages elucidating a correlating Mussar tenet. Although this composition held my attention through the first half of the book, I was quickly reminded why I prefer to hear Mussar spoken instead of read: Without a very good author (think R’ Moshe Chaim Luzzatto), it just gets boring. Obviously, select Mussar works are engrossing, but this just isn’t one of those works; The Mussar is repetitive and simplistically presented. To make matters worse, once the author finds his teacher, Rabbi Yechiel Perr, and his Far Rockaway yeshiva, the storyline takes a backseat to Rabbi Perr’s tutelage. While Morinis’ conflicts with his family and religion elicit interest, they are left unresolved.

However, the book does present sincere Mussar, which had a major impact on the author. It also presents how Mussar could help even those who have nothing to do with traditional or Orthodox Judaism, much like the better-forgotten foray into Kabbalah that many of Hollywood’s biggest stars engaged in a number of years ago. Perhaps this book would be more interesting for non-Jews or non-orthodox Jews, of which the author is still one, who will not be offended or confused by the global and expansive treatment of Mussar. Clearly, Rabbi Perr understood well the personality he was dealing with, tailoring the lessons to fit the author’s problems. Rarely dipping into more than a very non-Halachic understanding of Jewish thought, the rabbi instead concentrates on general themes of Judaism and its relationship with God and human self-control and esteem. God’s love, generosity, controlling one’s anger, seeing His influence in everyday life, and happiness are among the topics in which he deals.

Nevertheless, this book, for all its shortcomings in holding the attention of the reader through its lack of storyline, is a fair treatment of the subject of Mussar. While of course no substitute for any of the wonderful original works of Mussar available, it does place those concepts in a modern context. Additionally, for those who are interested in hearing these ideas without couching them in religious terms, this book has the non-denominationalism you’re looking for. But if you’re looking for a fun read on a lazy Sunday afternoon, keep looking.

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