hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and welcome to watchmojo.com and today Michael wax will
watchmojo.com and today Michael wax will
watchmojo.com and today Michael wax will be teaching us more about Jewish
be teaching us more about Jewish
be teaching us more about Jewish language and culture and how to be a
language and culture and how to be a
language and culture and how to be a mensch and not a schmuck so let’s start
mensch and not a schmuck so let’s start
mensch and not a schmuck so let’s start by having you tell us the main premise
by having you tell us the main premise
by having you tell us the main premise in your book everybody has two sorts of
in your book everybody has two sorts of
in your book everybody has two sorts of possible ways that they can live in the
possible ways that they can live in the
possible ways that they can live in the world you can consider other people and
world you can consider other people and
world you can consider other people and think about what effect your actions
think about what effect your actions
think about what effect your actions might have on others before you perform
might have on others before you perform
might have on others before you perform them this is a manage a ‘shmock is
them this is a manage a ‘shmock is
them this is a manage a ‘shmock is somebody who just goes ahead and does
somebody who just goes ahead and does
somebody who just goes ahead and does whatever they feel like but they’re not
whatever they feel like but they’re not
whatever they feel like but they’re not mutually exclusive you know most of us
mutually exclusive you know most of us
mutually exclusive you know most of us fall somewhere on the trajectory now
fall somewhere on the trajectory now
fall somewhere on the trajectory now let’s clarify some language for the non
let’s clarify some language for the non
let’s clarify some language for the non Jews out there what does a mensch and a
Jews out there what does a mensch and a
Jews out there what does a mensch and a schmuck translate to literally mensch is
schmuck translate to literally mensch is
schmuck translate to literally mensch is a person a human being a schmuck
a person a human being a schmuck
a person a human being a schmuck literally is a penis now in terms of
literally is a penis now in terms of
literally is a penis now in terms of yourself are there any telltale signs to
yourself are there any telltale signs to
yourself are there any telltale signs to know if you’re a mensch Irish market you
know if you’re a mensch Irish market you
know if you’re a mensch Irish market you basically if you’re always right you’re
basically if you’re always right you’re
basically if you’re always right you’re probably a schmuck if you never make a
probably a schmuck if you never make a
probably a schmuck if you never make a mistake you’re probably a schmuck if
mistake you’re probably a schmuck if
mistake you’re probably a schmuck if you’re congratulating yourself on how
you’re congratulating yourself on how
you’re congratulating yourself on how much of a mensch you are you’re probably
much of a mensch you are you’re probably
much of a mensch you are you’re probably a schmuck you know the thing about being
a schmuck you know the thing about being
a schmuck you know the thing about being a mensch is instead of directing your
a mensch is instead of directing your
a mensch is instead of directing your complaints to other people you look at
complaints to other people you look at
complaints to other people you look at yourself and go well you know I I could
yourself and go well you know I I could
yourself and go well you know I I could have done that better I could have
have done that better I could have
have done that better I could have handled that in a different way tell us
handled that in a different way tell us
handled that in a different way tell us how these characters for lack of a
how these characters for lack of a
how these characters for lack of a better word influenced Jewish culture
better word influenced Jewish culture
better word influenced Jewish culture not so much influence it’s the Jewish
not so much influence it’s the Jewish
not so much influence it’s the Jewish culture is very much about being Waffen
culture is very much about being Waffen
culture is very much about being Waffen while trying not to be the other and
while trying not to be the other and
while trying not to be the other and that’s that’s got a lot that I mean it
that’s that’s got a lot that I mean it
that’s that’s got a lot that I mean it goes all the way back to the Talmud
goes all the way back to the Talmud
goes all the way back to the Talmud where they talk about you know one of
where they talk about you know one of
where they talk about you know one of the big problems that people notice very
the big problems that people notice very
the big problems that people notice very early on is you can do all of this stuff
early on is you can do all of this stuff
early on is you can do all of this stuff you cannot eat pork and you can keep the
you cannot eat pork and you can keep the
you cannot eat pork and you can keep the Sabbath and you can pray 72 hours a day
Sabbath and you can pray 72 hours a day
Sabbath and you can pray 72 hours a day and you can still be a really unpleasant
and you can still be a really unpleasant
and you can still be a really unpleasant not very nice person can you tell us
not very nice person can you tell us
not very nice person can you tell us more about the relationship between the
more about the relationship between the
more about the relationship between the Yiddish language and the Jewish culture
Yiddish language and the Jewish culture
Yiddish language and the Jewish culture what you have here is a language you
what you have here is a language you
what you have here is a language you know spoken day to day language that was
know spoken day to day language that was
know spoken day to day language that was designed very much so and to a little
designed very much so and to a little
designed very much so and to a little degree to some degree very deliberately
degree to some degree very deliberately
degree to some degree very deliberately to reflect Jewish rather than any other
to reflect Jewish rather than any other
to reflect Jewish rather than any other values and in this case of course the
values and in this case of course the
values and in this case of course the other values were Christian if you
other values were Christian if you
other values were Christian if you compare Yiddish with German you can even
compare Yiddish with German you can even
compare Yiddish with German you can even see in phrases and sentences where the
see in phrases and sentences where the
see in phrases and sentences where the vocabulary will be almost identical the
vocabulary will be almost identical the
vocabulary will be almost identical the feel and the actual meaning of things
feel and the actual meaning of things
feel and the actual meaning of things just totally different you know a shul
just totally different you know a shul
just totally different you know a shul in Yiddish of course a synagogue isn’t
in Yiddish of course a synagogue isn’t
in Yiddish of course a synagogue isn’t really the same as the German school
really the same as the German school
really the same as the German school understood while people studied in there
understood while people studied in there
understood while people studied in there well yeah that actually did have some
well yeah that actually did have some
well yeah that actually did have some influence on it but again you know
influence on it but again you know
influence on it but again you know reflecting very very different ways of
reflecting very very different ways of
reflecting very very different ways of life well thank you very much thank you
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