When I was younger, the idea of having 'character' was something to strive for and to maintain. In our culture, the meaning has changed to become a pejorative term. "Boy, is he a character." In the English language, 'character' defines who you are. It used to be a word that stood alone. To have 'character' meant that you have high morals and ethics. This word has been the product of 'lexical entropy". In the Greek language, it is 'charak' which means "to stamp or engrave". The royal stamp of a King would not be used unless he approved of that which he has "put his stamp on". This Greek word comes from the Hebrew word 'charat'. This word is used only once, in Sh'mot 32:16. This is the occasion of the two tablets containing the charat or 'engraved words' of YHVH. These ten, which form the basis for all of YHVH's teachings, are the stamp of His character. It is YHVH's morals and ethics. It is His character. In the next few verses, we read that His people had no regard for them, even though they continued to call on Him. Replacing YHVH's character and substituting His ways with our own would be the pattern of false worship until the very end. So what kind of 'character' do you have?

Shalom Alecheim!