Humble Opinions

Today, my friends, is a great day. You might think I say so because today is Nov 4th, 2008, a US presidential election day. Today, American citizens will vote to select an individual to lead the most powerful country on planet earth for at least the next 4 years. It also marks the beginning of a massive change, and new direction for America from the last 8 years. Contrary to this, I do not speak of today in that spirit. Today is a great day because when I walked into the bagel store on my way to work, one of the workers saw me, and prepared my usual daily order before my ordering. I didn’t even have to wait on line.

It seems strange that I would ascribe greatness to such an historic day due to an order of bagels for breakfast. But the implications run far deeper. This bagel store is the busiest, in a town full of bagel eaters, and breakfast is a popular time for bagels. Why did this guy remember my order, and why did he prepare it before the people standing in front of me in line ordered?

I believe the answer is because of how careful I try to be when talking to people, especially those that provide me a service. In my daily orders, I never forget to greet everyone with a good morning. I never forget the words please, and thank you. I never forget to smile when paying the cashier, and I never talk down to anyone, or complain. I make sure to put money in the tip jar, and I always make sure I am not causing any problems for the other people waiting on line, whether that be taking unnecessarily long with my order, or any other of the potential nuances of behavior I am sure everyone is aware of.

So why do I do all this? The answer is not in hope of getting better pricing or service. If I had my ideal preference, I would have preferred to wait in line this morning, until it was my turn to order. Rather, my goal is to help set a good example, make a regular interaction more pleasant, and try to help the person that prepares my bagel like his job a little more (or hate it a little less depending on the person).

When dealing with another person, it’s important to put yourself in their shoes. They’re just trying to get through their day without crazy incidents or problems, the same way you are. Everyone has their own goals, likes, and dislikes in life. It’s important to be respectful of others, and their situations.

This touches upon two, much larger subjects: Ethical behavior, and what a person wants to accomplish in their lifetime. I am 24 years old. If I would G-d forbid die tomorrow, I must say, I’d be pretty upset. Not because I’d be missing coffee and guitar playing (though I surely would), but rather because I have nothing to show for my life. I’ve studied music, software development, read a few cool books, met a few cool people. I even used to lift weights. Great… so what? I have yet to give back to the world, to influence anyone or anything, to help improve any aspect of this world, etc.

Life is but a fleeting moment. It is not uncommon for people to wake up 50 years old, and wonder what they’ve done for the last 50 years. That’s not what I want to happen to me. When I’m gone, I want people to have fond memories of me. I want my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to have something I left behind that they can learn from. I want people to think differently because of something I said or did. That is what I believe ethical behavior is about.

Rabbi Yisrael Salanter started a movement in Eastern Europe in the late 19th century called the Mussar movement. He began it in response to the Haskalah movement (the Jewish enlightenment movement). In Czarist Russia, a group of Jews known as the Maskilim began the Jewish enlightenment movement in hope to ease Russian oppression and anti-semitism. Their hope was that if Jews broke their connections to traditional Jewish life, study, and thought, they could become more Russian, secular, and thus more likable by the Russian public.

Regardless of the fact that their movement actually caused an opposite effect, Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, an intellectual giant unmatched in today’s time, began the Mussar movement to help Jews improve their behavior, in hope of removing the claims of the Haskalah that traditional Jews were not ethical or enjoyable people to be around. His movement still has massive reverberations in today’s time, and has produced amazingly refined human beings.

The Mussar movement preached honesty, politeness, empathy, and being a generally nice person. It worked to produce individuals that would be able to leave a significant stamp on Jewish history, and world history. It produced people that would think before they spoke. People that would try to avoid sitting around, and aimlessly discussing others’ personal lives and deeds. People that might be inclined to more clearly define their goals and mission in life.

I highly recommend reading more on this subject, and doing some introspection on one’s life. What would people say about you behind closed doors? Would they bash you, or would they want to make your bagels for you before anyone else? Let us hope the latter.

Tags: haskalah, Jewish, maskilim, mussar movement, rabbi yisrael salanter

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