EXOD743 When all is said and done, holiness and wholeness and any other elevated idea of the spiritual goal come down to a simple Yiddish notion: you are supposed to be a mensch, which means "a decent human being." That one Yiddish word conveys the full measure of the integrity, honor, and respect that a person can hope for in this life. In the words of the Hasidic teacher, known as the Kotzker, "Fine," he says, "be holy. But remember first one has to be a mensch." [1789-1859. He is commenting on the verse "Be holy people to me." In the Hebrew, the word "people" comes before "holy.']