To Be a Mentch

Food? It’s got to be absolutely glatt kosher.

Esrog? We want only the most beautiful.

Shabbos? We observe it with the utmost care.

Interpersonal relationships? Well, we try our best. Sometimes.

We all want to be righteous, upstanding Jews, observing G-d’s Torah, fulfilling His commandments. Yet often, too often, the laws of interpersonal relationships – bein adam l’chaveiro — get overlooked. In this groundbreaking work, To Be a Mentch, Rabbi Yitzchak Shkop shows us the vital importance of the laws of interpersonal relationships.

To Be a Mentch is many things: it’s a work of halachah, a work of Torah thought, and a practical guide to improving our relationships – both personal and professional. Drawing upon numerous Torah sources as well as true-life stories, Rabbi Shkop discusses:

• How to make, and keep, resolutions that are sustainable and effective
• The vast importance of a step at a time
• How to give the benefit of the doubt
• How to maintain integrity in business, for both employer and employee
• How to improve our relationships with our spouses
• The shidduch process and making it work
• How to strengthen the traits of compassion, pity, lovingkindness, gratitude
• Anger management
• Friendship – and the importance of a smile

These are not just nice ideas – they are fundamentals in living full Torah lives. Because if you want to be a good Jew – you’ve also got to be a mentch!