Building A Legacy Through Acts of Generosity

August 24, 2010

Shalom,

I am constantly awed at how the biblical characters who lived so long ago continue to give value and meaning to my life today. As I strive to mirror the attributes of our biblical ancestors who lived in a world very different than our own, I continue to learn from them. Their lives and experiences teach me that life is a gift and should be filled with unwavering holiness, charity, and kindness, irrespective of prevailing politics or society's pressures.

Moses filled an immoral, idol-worshiping world with a new system of morals and ethics when he brought the Ten Commandments down from Mount Sinai. He is a hero for leading the Israelites out of slavery and into the Promised Land, and for relentlessly crying out to God on behalf of His children. His godly example and life lessons continue to impact God's people today. Moses lived 120 years, yet his legacy is immeasurable. Our biblical ancestors teach us that our impact upon the world can extend far beyond our lifespan.

The evidence of this fundamental truth is overwhelming. I think of Oskar Schindler, a German Christian businessman, who rescued innocent Jews during the Holocaust, providing life to more than a thousand European Jews and their descendants. Philanthropist James A. de Rothschild financed the Knesset (Israel's parliament) building as a gift to the State of Israel. His legacy lives on in this amazing building that houses Israel's democratic government. The more than 2,000 trees outside the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem are an enduring testimony to the heroic legacy of the "righteous gentiles" who saved Jews during the Holocaust.

We, the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, place a strong emphasis on moral achievement and charitable giving because we realize that their impact endures long after we are gone. When we die, we cannot take our career, bank account, or social standing along but our righteous acts, that God holds eternally sacred, outlast us. The best way to ensure that we all leave an everlasting legacy is to begin building it now through acts of kindness and generosity.

Looking around the Jewish homeland, I know that it is only thanks to God's grace, hard work, and the generosity of Israel's friends that we have gotten this far. I trust that the Lord will continue to send us godly friends who will enable us to grow, flourish, and succeed.

With blessings from Jerusalem,

Yael