He's 125 years old, feeling strong, and ready to impart some wisdom, according to Legends of the Jews.
He calls his sons together, not to talk about land or inheritance, but about something far more important: how to live a good life. Asher's message is surprisingly simple, yet profoundly powerful. He says, "Hearken, ye sons of Asher…I will show you all that is right before God."
What follows is a lesson in duality. "Two ways hath God put before the children of men," Asher explains, "and two inclinations hath He bestowed upon them, two kinds of actions and two aims. Therefore all things are in twos, the one opposite to the other.” We see it everywhere, right? Good and evil, light and darkness, joy and sorrow. It's the very fabric of existence.
But here’s the kicker: Asher doesn’t want his sons to straddle the fence. He doesn’t want them dabbling in both good and evil. "Ye shall not be double," he urges, "pursuing both goodness and wickedness. Ye shall cling only to the ways of goodness." It's a powerful call to commit fully to the path of righteousness. Why? Because, Asher says, "the Lord taketh delight in them, and men yearn after them." Goodness resonates. It brings us closer to the Divine and to each other.
And what about the other side of the coin? "Flee from wickedness," Asher warns, "for thus you will destroy the evil inclination." It’s not enough to simply choose good; we must actively reject evil. By doing so, we weaken its hold on us. Think of it like weeding a garden – you can’t just plant flowers; you have to pull out the weeds to let the flowers thrive.
He then emphasizes the importance of focus. "Heed well the commands of the Lord, by following truth with a single mind." Don't get distracted. Don't let your attention wander to things that are ultimately meaningless or harmful. "Observe the law of the Lord, and have not the same care for wicked things as for good things. Rather keep your eyes upon what is truly good, and guard it through all the commands of the Lord."
Asher then paints a vivid picture of what awaits us at the end of our lives. "The end of man, when he meets the messengers of God and of Satan, shows whether he was righteous or unrighteous in his life." It's a dramatic scene, straight out of Jewish tradition!
He describes two very different fates. "If his soul goes out with agitation, she will be plagued by the evil spirit, whom she served with her lusts and her evil deeds; but if she departs tranquilly, the angel of peace will lead her to life eternal." Our choices in this life, Asher suggests, determine the kind of welcome we receive in the next. A soul burdened by evil will face torment, while a soul filled with goodness will find peace.
So, what’s the takeaway from this ancient wisdom? It’s a reminder that life is a constant choice between good and evil. It’s a call to choose goodness wholeheartedly, to reject wickedness, and to keep our eyes fixed on what truly matters. And perhaps, just perhaps, if we heed Asher's words, we too can face our final moments with tranquility, knowing we lived a life worthy of the "angel of peace."