Many times when a person tries to give over…
Many times when a person tries to give over to his children and grandchildren and his descendants suggestions and information on how to best lead their lives, it is repetitive of what everybody else says. After all Shlomo hamela said that Anchorage takasa shemesh there is nothing new under the sun. I sincerely hope and pray that the information that I am giving over to you, even though it may not be completely new, and you know much of these things, that the context and substance of what I say will be of benefit. It also might give you a picture of who I was or am and who I tried to be. Hopefully once you distill the essence of this, it will be my message. But you guys know that I always had the comment of I'll take the cash you can have the credit. So if you guys live your lives in the way that turns out best for you, I'll take that cash and everybody else can have the credit.
— from Before Takeoff (front matter) · Hebrew Ethical Wills by Israel Abrahams
In the book
Almost nothing I tell you will be brand new — there is, as Solomon said, nothing new under the sun — and you will already know much of it. I am betting that the context and the fact that it comes from me will make it land differently, and I have always lived by the line I'll take the cash, you can have the credit — so if you simply live well, I have everything I wanted. Much of what follows is drawn from books and teachers I admired; sometimes I'll name them and sometimes I won't. — Before Takeoff (front matter)
Take it the way you'd take the cash — you can keep the credit. If you live your lives in the way that turns out best for you, I'll have gotten everything I wanted, and everyone else can have the credit. I had big dreams once, and I was lucky enough to reach most of them, so my dreams now are simpler: peace of mind, and time — time with you, traveling with you, playing with you, talking with you, arguing with you. — Legacy / The Logbook (Legacy/Epilogue)