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When discussing inheritance, the Sages instruct parents not to show favoritism among their children. Even if children are disrespectful or non-observant, their children may do better. Discrimination against problematic children may further distance them from the family and its traditions, and lead them to deprive their own children of a proper education. Moreover, a father playing favorites in his will is likely to cause discord among the children, which can destroy the family. The children whom the father wishes to draw close may well end up feeling distanced from him. The parent-child relationship must be absolute and unconditional. If children feel their relationship with their father is contingent upon their being properly respectful or even sycophantic, they will remember him as petty and vengeful. Of course, the same considerations pertain to a mother; she should not show favoritism either. The only child who may be disinherited is one who has separated from the Jewish people.
In the past, only sons would inherit, because daughters were integrated financially into their husbands’ families. Instead of an inheritance, parents would give a daughter ten percent of their assets when she got married. If times were difficult, they would give even more. Nowadays, the economy is structured differently, and the status of women has changed. Therefore, it is advisable for parents to write a will in which their assets are divided equally among all their children. If parents did not do so, the rabbinic court tries to persuade the children to divide everything equally.
