Ethical will

An Ethical will is a document that passes ethical values from one generation to the next. The ethical will is an ancient document from the Jewish tradition. The original template for its use came from Genesis 49:1-33. A dying Jacob gathered his sons to offer them his blessing and to request that they bury him not in Egypt, but instead in Canaan with his ancestors.

Rabbis and Jewish laypeople have continued to write ethical wills. In more recent years, the practice has become more widely used by the general public.

* * *