From the Archives | An Inheritance of Words
This article was originally published in the August 2006 issue of Moment.
Lately, I've been thinking about words—my words—those that may be a piece of me worth leaving behind for my family. It's a reflection that leads me backward and forward—backward to the challenge of gathering and sorting; forward to the decision about what to do with what I find. It connects me to a piece I wrote about my plans for the future on the day after my 70th birthday, just one year ago. Included in the list was writing an ethical will.
From medieval times, Jews wrote such documents to "transmit values, ideas and personal reflections to family and loved ones," according to 'Ethical Wills: A Modern Jewish Treasury' by Nathaniel Stampfer and Jack Riemer. The impulse to offer unsolicited advice to those younger may...