Why do certain Jews, like Bernard Madoff, do bad things?

    Dr. Erica Brown, in her book “Confronting Scandal: How Jews Can Respond When Jews Do Bad Things” (2010), writes:

    “There seems to be a point—an elusive, slippery point—at which individuals deem themselves above the law…. At some point they begin to believe too much in their own publicity…. They realize that they can do something wrong and get away with it. And that deception becomes its own thrilling, fear-inducing magnet: I can do anything I want and not get caught.  It’s addictive. It’s a hold that whispers, ‘Push a little more and see if someone notices.’ Over time that whisper grows into a full-blown shout. And the deception holds true for a while until it is no longer true, and when it is no longer true we watch the media spectacle: the fabulous downfall….”