To
My Dear Students,
I
do not believe that most people are unethical,
but many people are ethically incompetent.
Recently, a large volume of ethical guidelines
was published for government workers. Conflict
of interest, gifts, influence, meals, and privileges
were covered over hundreds of pages. One
government official remarked, "I wonder what
was wrong with that one-page list called The Ten
Commandments?"
Ethics, character, and life are about integrity,
the sense of right and wrong. We need clearly
articulated and meticulously observed standards
upon which we base our decisions. We need
the magnetism that keeps our compass pointing
true north. We must be constant in our convictions
and not let external circumstances divert us from
our true selves. We must listen to the higher
voice of G-d, the commanding voice of Torah, and
the inner voice of conscience.
We
must, as Bob Dylan sang, "have a strong foundation
as the winds of change shift."
We
must know who we are and not be swayed by the
actions of others. We must not be laid low
by the philosophy of "everybody does
it," or "just do it."
We must not surrender our core to the lure of
temptation. We must know that good and bad
are not dependent on public opinion.
As
Martin Luther King said:
Cowardice asks the question
"Is it safe?"
Expediency asks the question
"Is it prudent?"
Vanity asks the question "Is
it popular?"
But conscience asks the question
"Is it right?"
Shabbat
Shalom,
Your
Rabbi
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