I have often written and spoken and harped about the
importance of being a “mensch.”
It is at the center, for me, of what it means to be a Jew
and a human being.
The word “mensch” comes from the Yiddish appropriation of a
German word, meaning man or person. When
you say someone is a mensch, you’re saying that person has character, courage, kindness
and wisdom. Another way is to ask
yourself, if you were in trouble and needed help, on whose door would you knock
and be sure they would let you in? That
person would be a mensch because you could trust he or she would be there for
you.
Being a mensch is
also not about agonizing whether to act or not.
“Those who agonize do not act.
And those who act do not agonize.”
You become a mensch by acting like a mensch. It happens through being a person of
character, action by action. You act
this way not to get God to love you or because you are perfect. You act like a mensch to be a human
being. It becomes part of your
life. It becomes a matter of habit. If you want to be a kind person, do kind
acts. If you wish you could care more,
care more.
Theology, religious rituals and acts, hymns, meditation, creeds,
confessions, and prayers have their place.
But, the heart of real faith is centered not on what you believe, but on
what you do.
By the way, being a mensch is true for Jews and Christians. Think
of the story of the Samaritan who risks helping the person on the side of the
road. And, in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus
is depicted as asking his followers, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord and not do
what I tell you to do?” (Luke 6:46)
You become a mensch by being a mensch. This is at the heart and soul of being a
religious person. All the rest is commentary.
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