Internal obstacles to writing this entry I've been thinking of writing an ethical will entry on education for some time now, but it's been challenging for me to begin. For me, there are three obstacles: The strong personal association I draw between Judaism and placing a high value on education, which I worry may come… Continue reading Ethical will: Education
In composing my ethical will, I usually find myself resistant to including entries that should, according to my sensibilities, be self-evident. That's not to say that I personally exemplify any of these self-evidently positive traits; rather, it is to say that I wish I did. On the other hand, my ethical will is, by default,… Continue reading Ethical will: Loving-kindness
What do we remember of our departed loved ones? In speaking to other mourners, I have noticed that people's recollections of their deceased loved ones differ widely. Some people seem to remember only the most loving and tender of moments, whereas others recall a wider range of experiences. (I've also met widows who only spoke… Continue reading Ethical will: Patience
The test of faith is whether I can make space for difference. Can I recognize God's image in someone who is not in my image, whose language, faith, ideal, are different from mine? If I cannot, then I have made God in my image- Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt"l, 1948-2020
Following my previous 'ethical will' entry on 'listening' and the profoundly divisive aftermath of the 2020 U.S. Presidential elections, which once again reveals a country broken jaggedly in half, I've been thinking a lot about the pervasive lack of trust that has come to typify today's global politics. Yes, we must listen to one another… Continue reading Ethical will: Truth
We find ourselves on the eve of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, and voices across the world on both ends of the political spectrum are declaring that all we know as humankind will come to a devastating end if their preferred candidates don't win. What befuddles me is that I personally know well-intentioned and well-educated… Continue reading Ethical will: Listening
Judgmentalism has always come easily to me.-Me, 'The Skeptic's Kaddish 45', May 30, 2019 During my kaddish journey following Papa's death, I struggled with being judgmental of myself. In fact, this was one of the primary impetuses behind that yearlong writing project... Frankly, I had been feeling FAKE by going through the motions of communal… Continue reading Ethical will: Impartiality
In Pirkei Avot (Chapters of the Fathers) 2:6, the great Hillel is quoted as follows: ืืึผื ืึธืึธื ืืึนืึตืจ, ืึตืื ืึผืึผืจ ืึฐืจึตื ืึตืึฐื, ืึฐืึนื ืขึทื ืึธืึธืจึถืฅ ืึธืกึดืื, ืึฐืึนื ืึทืึผึทืึฐืฉืึธื ืึธืึตื, ืึฐืึนื ืึทืงึผึทืคึผึฐืึธื ืึฐืึทืึผึตื, ืึฐืึนื ืึธื ืึทืึผึทืจึฐืึผึถื ืึดืกึฐืืึนืจึธื ืึทืึฐืึผึดืื. ืึผืึฐืึธืงืึนื ืฉืึถืึตืื ืึฒื ึธืฉืึดืื, ืึดืฉืึฐืชึผึทืึผึตื ืึดืึฐืืึนืช ืึดืืฉื: He used to say: A brute is not sin-fearing, nor is an… Continue reading Ethical will: Curiosity and mistakes
The Skeptic's Kaddish ๐ฎ๐ฑ 
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