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One of the many beautiful traditions in our faith, not widely
practiced today, is that of writing an ethical will. In an
ethical will parents pass on to their heirs their wisdom,
a code of ethics and morality, which are as much a part of
legacy as are material possessions.
In prescribing an ethical will one spells out the essential
truths learned in a lifetime, evaluating what is important.
An ethical will may be presented in many ways. It may be a
written codicil, an oral instruction, or a lasting exemplary
act. Ethical wills were first found in the Bible. On his deathbed
Jacob gathered his children around him and told them how they
should live after he was gone. The Ten Commandments are Moses’
ethical will left to the people of Israel.
An ethical will is not only consummated between parents and
children, but is an enduring tie that binds generations together.
It is also communal by intent. Establishing a philanthropic
fund within the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto, in a
sense, is our ethical will. While it is our hope that our
children and their children will be true to this commitment,
it is at the same time a testament to our parents, impoverished
immigrants, who nevertheless taught us the Jewish value of
tzedakah.
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