Communicate Your Values in Ethical Letters

Your Ethical Will introduces you to the time-tested and variety-rich world of ethical will writing and serves as your ethical will step by step writing guide. One way to harness the knowledge gained from this book is to create ethical letters.

Ethical letters are a type of ethical will that you can write as often as you wish in your life. You can write a series of ethical letters, addressing each to a different person.

If you would like to say something different to each family member or friend and would hesitate to share your words to that person with anyone else, then the ethical letter is an excellent format to consider when creating a spiritual ethical will. Your ethical will can be as private as you want when you write an ethical letter; only the person for whom it is intended will read it and benefit from it.

Indeed, because your relationship with each person is different from every other relationship, ethical letters give you the opportunity to customize your presentation of important ethical issues and moral values to the particular personality, circumstances, preferences, and learning style of a friend or family member.

A choice of language, narrative style, and persuasive technique that works with one person might not necessarily work with another; ethical letters enable you to communicate as effectively as possible in each particular case when you prepare an ethical will.

Ethical letters can also be used to communicate with the general public. An open letter format has been used in many Jewish ethical wills, including the personal legacy statements of famous authors like Sholom Aleichem and Theodor Herzl. They addressed their ethical wills to their readers or to the public at large.

While the public ethical letter is intended for a general audience, its format and writing style tries to identify with each particular reader, enabling each reader to feel as if the author is reaching out to him or her.

Compared to other kinds of ethical will writing, such as writing memoirs or creating a longer ethical essay, ethical letters are fairly short and concise, ranging from several paragraphs to several pages. Nothing restricts you to only writing one, or to writing only private letters or public letters.

Consider using a combination of approaches to more effectively convey your moral values and target your presentation toward the audience you want to reach.

Enjoy the experience of writing ethical letters! You have an important spiritual legacy to share with your loved ones and with the world, and in the process, you will achieve improved self-understanding as well.