Being Good

Our son turned 18 yesterday. Despite this, as he prepared to hang with friends in the evening, I told him as he left the house, "Have fun, drive carefully and be good".

We've told our kids to "be good" since they were very little. Being good has kind of been an obsession of mine for many years (I should probably say- becoming a good being). For Linda this comes more naturally than it does for me. In philosophical terms (spiritual terms) when we talk about being good we are discussing the topic of virtue... Becoming a person of virtue (substance, character) is a life long endeavor and the end of all meaningful religious pursuit. In Judaism becoming good is not a matter of overcoming an inherent sinful nature/disposition. Rather, it is making choices in keeping with the pure soul G-d provides at birth- our true nature (as opposed to the inclination to "do wrong" that often arises due to our existence in a finite world in a body).

The penultimate virtue is goodness... it is at the core of the nature of G-d. When we are good (in word, in thought, in deed) we are most like G-d... that is, behaving/acting like the ultimate ground of our being- our ultimate mother/father.

Taste and see that the LORD is good Ps 34:8

Pirkei Avos 2:10. [Rabbi Yochanan] said to them: Go and see which is the best trait for a person to acquire. Said Rabbi Eliezer: A good eye. Said Rabbi Joshua: A good friend. Said Rabbi Yossei: A good neighbor. Said Rabbi Shimon: To see what is born [out of ones actions]. Said Rabbi Elazar: A good heart. Said He to them: I prefer the words of Elazar the son of Arach to yours, for his words include all of yours.

He said to them: Go and see which is the worst trait, the one that a person should most distance himself from. Said Rabbi Eliezer: An evil eye. Said Rabbi Joshua: An evil friend. Said Rabbi Yossei: An evil neighbor. Said Rabbi Shimon: To borrow and not to repay; for one who borrows from man is as one who borrows from the Almighty, as is stated, ``The wicked man borrows and does not repay; but the righteous one is benevolent and gives'' (Psalms 37:21). Said Rabbi Elazar: An evil heart. Said He to them: I prefer the word of Elazar the son of Arach to yours, for his words include all of yours.