THE other night my husband and I sat down to review the sample ballot in preparation for the upcoming election. It took less than two minutes before a mild depression set in and I started looking for that glass of wine I hadnt finished at dinner.
I was upset, not just with the number of propositions, but with how they were written. Without an advanced degree in law and English, its almost impossible to understand what they say.
When I started whining, my husband reminded me, as he often does, of what was most essential: We are privileged to live in a country where we have the right to vote freely, without fear of violence or retribution.
Once I figured out where I stood on the propositions, I turned my attention to the candidates, the men and women competing for the privilege of serving this country. Heres what I realized. I may not be an expert in the language or logic of the world of politics, but I do feel quite conversant in the world of people.
And politics, when stripped of all party affiliations, divisive issues and public displays of power, boils down to one common denominator: people in relationship with other people.
So when I think of who I want to represent me in the arduous task of tackling the complicated issues we face today, I know who I want. I want a mentsch in office. (And no, I dont mean State Sen. Bob Mensch, who is running to retain his 24th district seat in Pennsylvania!)
Dont laugh. Its not as silly or simplistic as it may sound. A mentsch, translated from Yiddish as man or human being, is a person of integrity, compassion, courage and honor.
In todays political arena, a mentsch is the person who understands that there are democratic principles and moral imperatives that cannot be abandoned or side-stepped to gain personal or political clout.
A mentsch is willing to fight for the right of every individual to live a life of dignity, regardless of what it will do to him or her at the polls.
WE learn much about the qualities of mentschlichkeit from several great Jewish leaders in history.
Moses, our greatest and yet most reluctant leader (he objected five times to G-ds request to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt), was known for his humility and compassion, as well as his righteous anger. He pleaded for mercy for the Hebrews when they sinned with the Golden Calf but acted swiftly and decisively in establishing a community that would follow G-d.
Moses was a careful listener and capable arbiter, yet he understood the necessity of delegating responsibilities.
Approximately 1,400 years later, Rabbi Hillel, Jewish sage and architect of rabbinic Judaism, became a revered leader of the Jewish people, interpreting Jewish law so as to make obedience feasible for all Jews.
He was known for his kindness, gentleness and concern for all humanity. His rulings were often based on concern for the welfare of the individual and he sought dignity for all, regardless of background.
Moving into the 20th century, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, a renowned Torah scholar and kabbalist, showed remarkable leadership as the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi under the British Mandate in Palestine.
While a master of Jewish law (Halachah) in the strictest sense, he also maintained an unusual openness to new ideas which drew many religious and non-religious people to him.
He had the courage to adhere to tradition but embraced all people, thereby becoming a great conduit for communication and political alliances between various Jewish sectors, including secular Zionists, religious Zionists and non-Zionist Orthodox Jews.
I AM not saying that being a mentsch is all that it takes to become a leader. Obviously, there are other qualities, skills and talents that must be present before I would want a person to take on the responsibility of office.
Nor do I think that being a mentsch is a guarantee that the results will be perfect since, by definition, a mentsch is a human being real and flawed albeit one who strives to be good, honest and caring.
What I do know is that I would sleep better at night if I knew that, despite the political and ideological divisiveness that exists in politics today, the men and women who represent me were, at the very least, true mentsches.
Copyright © 2010 by the Intermountain Jewish News
