Be good, y'hear?

A couple of months ago someone asked me what, as a Jewish person, my beliefs are.

The conversation got started a few weeks earlier when the same person asked if I believed that Jesus was the messiah. "No," I said. The follow-up conversation began when the same person stated that I believed he was a prophet. "No," I said. "We believe that he was a false prophet."

I think that was what sparked this person's snide remark, "What DO you believe in, then?"

My response was, "Be nice and live a good life." By live a good life, I meant, be a good person. Be nice to others. Live in a way as to celebrate each day.

I didn't think it was necessary to go into the concepts of halcha (living a life following a righteous path...basically, being a good person), the 613 mitzvot, or the teachings of the rabbis and the idea that we are taught to question our teachers while at the same time respecting them.

As the only practicing Jewish person a lot of people I come into contact know, I should be comfortable with uncomfortable questions. I'm not. I refrain from making broad assumptions about other people's beliefs or lack thereof. First of all, it's none of my business. Also, beliefs tend to be very personal. They change throughout our lives. They are influenced by family, friends and coworkers, by environment and trauma, by adventure and experience.

I am very comfortable in my beliefs, whatever they are. I just don't want to talk about them all the time.