One day a fifth grader gets sent home from school for taking another student’s pencil.   When he gets home, his  father says why in the world would you take another student’s pencil?

We don’t steal in this family.  Your mother and I have taught you better values than that.  We expect more from you than that. From now on, if you need a pencil, just tell me.  I’ll bring them home from the office!

This story is told by Dan Ariely, an Israeli, and a professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University who wrote a book with an evocative title:  The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone—Especially Ourselves.

Ariely argues that there is a creative tension within everyone of us.  On the one hand, we want to be decent, honest human beings. We want to be mensches.  That’s the father who wants to teach his child not to steal.

On the other hand, it is human nature to want more, which can lead us to get close to the line or to cross the line.  When we cross the line, we rationalize our decisions in order to justify them.   That’s the father taking pencils home from work.

Follow this link to view the sermon on our website https://www.templeemanuel.com/rabbi/rabbi-wes-gardenswartz/the-real-yous/