Question
What is a Mentsch? I understand in German it means a person, however in Judaism, Mentsch has more meaning. It is a good person – one who helps others. Where in the Torah does mentsch come up?Â
Answer
A Mensch is a person who behaves in a proper and dignified way, both externally and internally. Most of the major Jewish characters in the Torah were mensches, ergo, the Torah does not describe a Mensch but one studies these people to learn how a mensch behaves. By the way, a Mensch isn’t perfect, and can err just like anyone else.
Regards, Eliahu Levenson