Elements of Jewish Ethical Wills in the Archival Documents of Warsaw Notaries from the First Half of the Nineteenth Century
Elements of Jewish Ethical Wills in the Archival Documents of Warsaw Notaries from the First Half of the Nineteenth Century

Summary/Abstract: The article examines elements of the ethical will present in documents notarized for Warsaw Jews in the first half of the nineteenth century. Research shows that both Jews belonging to the wealthy upper class, as well as craftsmen and merchants, voluntarily included moral instruction in their wills. This type of content had a long tradition in Jewish culture. It took the form of dispositions regarding tzedakah, organization of the funeral, instructions on saying prayers for the deceased, and the guidelines for preserving memory of the deceased. The function of wills was not limited to disposing of one’s estate, but also comprised transmitting moral guidance. The article emphasizes that despite the formal notarial requirements in force, traditional forms of Jewish writing and customs were carried over and integrated into official documents which proves the resilience and universality of these values in Jewish life.

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