Saving a Life, Saving the World: The Mitzvah of an Organ Transplant.

I am writing this on July 21, 2021, because of the importance of the day in my family.

This is a very personal essay, as it is about two of my relatives, both of whom live their lives with menschlichkeit.

“Menschlichkeit is a Yiddish word that refers to all the qualities of being a ‘mensch’- a moral and honourable person of good character and who behaves with common decency….” See, https://www.herzlia.com/menschlichkeit/ .

These two young men (both in their late 20s) are third cousins of one another. One is my nephew, the other my second cousin’s son. Both, as boys, were scouts and went with me to Boy Scout Camp. Both, as college students, joined fraternities, like I did, and did well at their respective universities. Both have gone on to advanced learning (like me), one in business management/engineering the other in public policy/law.

Both of them are close to my heart.

Interestingly, both had grandfathers who were Masters of their Masonic Lodges. One is currently a Mason (as I am) and he is the Master of his lodge; the other has not (yet) asked to join.

One has had kidney problems requiring a transplant. The other will donate one of his kidneys today to him.

We measure people by the content of their character. The gift of life to another person, and the others’ grateful acceptance, constitute the measure of each of these two men.

For the donee, I am reminded of the phrase: “Choose life—so that you and your children after you will live” (Deut. 30:15,19). See, https://www.jtsa.edu/choose-life-and-torah

For the donor: “Whoever saves a single life is considered by scripture to have saved the whole world.” Talmud (Sanhedrin 37a), see https://rac.org/blog/save-one-life-save-entire-world-including-yourself

Both of them make me proud for what they go through together.

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David I. Karp is a full time independent mediator of real estate and business disputes in Southern California who sometimes writes about subjects other than mediation. His website is at http://karpmediation.com

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