The voice within can tell us what is right and wrong

In response to the article “Madoff scandal inspires shul to probe Jewish financial laws” by Leon Cohen in the Jan. 30 issue:

I believe we all have the ability to know what is moral and ethical, regardless of our religious beliefs. Some people choose not to do the right thing because they are greedy and self-serving.

To discuss whether one’s actions are a sin is irrelevant. We all know what is right and what is wrong. Some of us prefer to do what is wrong because in the short term it serves our self-interests. So if we do anything just for our benefit, it is a sin.

The fact that one needs a rabbi or any other religious leader to help us decipher what is right or wrong is ludicrous. If we listen to the voice within that is God-given, we will always choose the morally right answer.

Taking one dollar or $50 billion from someone by nefarious means is a sin. A sin is a sin is a sin. Recalling the poem by Gertrude Stein, “A rose is a rose is a rose.”

Roberta Wolfsohn
Milwaukee