Ethical will

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An ethical will (

BusinessWeek magazine and in an American Bar Association
electronic newsletter it is described as an aid to estate planning; (Murphy; Friedman) in health care and hospice (Baines; Freed) and as a spiritual healing tool. (Weil; Freed).

Origins

The ethical will is an ancient document from the

Machpelah
with his ancestors.

Other biblical examples of ethical wills include Deuteronomy 32:46–47 where Moses instructs the Israelites to be a holy people and teach their children, and Matthew 5, where Jesus blesses his disciples. The early rabbis urged men to "transmit the tradition’s ethical teachings" and they communicated orally to their sons. Later they were written as letters. Eleazar ben Samuel HaLevi of Mainz, Germany, who died 1357, wrote to and instructed his sons to "Put me in the ground at the right hand of my father ...".[1]

Medieval to early modern periods

Ethical wills became increasingly common in Spain, Germany, and France between the 11th and 13th centuries.[2] Medieval ethical wills contain the directions of fathers to their children or of aged teachers to their disciples. They were often written calmly in old age. Some of them were carefully composed, and read as formal ethical treatises. But most were written in a personal writing style, and were intended for the private use of children and relatives, or of some beloved pupil who held a special place in his teacher's regard. Because they were not designed for publication, they often revealed the writer's innermost feelings and ideals. Israel Abrahams, while editor of the Jewish Quarterly Review, judged that many of these ethical wills are intellectually poor, but of a high moral level.

The earliest extant ethical will was written by Eleazar, the son of Isaac of Worms (about 1050). "Think not of evil," says Eleazar, "for evil thinking leads to evil doing ... Purify thy body, the dwelling-place of thy soul ... Give of all thy food a portion to God. Let God's portion be the best, and give it to the poor." The will of

Nahmanides
is an unaffected eulogy of humility. Asher, the son of Yechiel (fourteenth century), called his will "Ways of Life", and it includes 132 maxims, which are often printed in the prayer-book. An example is, "Do not obey the Law for reward, nor avoid sin from fear of punishment, but serve God from love."

The elaborate "Letter of Advice" by

Iberian peninsula
in 1391, and this gives context to his counsel: "Flee without hesitation when exile is the only means of securing religious freedom; have no regard to your worldly career or your property, but go at once."

The ethical wills of the 16th through 18th centuries are similar to earlier, but they tend to be more learned and less simple.

Modern perspectives

Celebrity physician Andrew Weil promoted the ethical will as a "gift of spiritual health" to leave to family, asserting that the ethical will's "main importance is what it gives the writer in the midst of life." The goal of writing an ethical will is to link a person to both their family and cultural history, clarify their ethical and spiritual values, and communicate a legacy to future generations; it addresses people's "universal needs". Writing an ethical will clarifies identity and focuses life purpose. Writing an ethical will addresses a person's needs to belong, be known, be remembered, have one's life make a difference, bless and be blessed.

Ethical wills are written by both men and women of every age, ethnicity, faith tradition, economic circumstance, and educational level. Published examples include The Measure of Our Success: A Letter to My Children and Yours by Marion Wright Edelman, Everything I Know: Basic Life Rules from a Jewish Mother, and President

last will and testament.[4]
The ethical will is nevertheless not a legal document.

The concept of the ancient traditional ethical will was to "transmit ethical instructions to future generations". Modern heirs may resist being "controlled from the grave" and more readily accept explicitly spiritual blessings from elders.[attribution needed]

Content

The content of an ethical will may be similar to that of a memoir or autobiography, but is differentiated by its "intention to transmit love and learning to future generations"[

advance health directives
; and requests for ways to be remembered after death.

References

  1. ^ German and Spanish examples of these letters can be found in the Fordham Library Archives.
  2. ISBN 978-0-02-865934-3
    .
  3. ^ Hargrave.
  4. ^ Arnold.

External links

  • Ethical Wills, Barry Baines, MD (links to other resources)
  • Life Legacy Letter, Linda S. Parker – How to write a meaningful, personal legacy letter for generations to come
  • Life-Legacies, Rachael Freed, MSW (links to other resources)
  • Something to Remember Me By. Science & Spirit. – "Deeply rooted in western religions, the practice of writing ethical wills has re-emerged as a way of leaving behind something more meaningful than material goods."
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