INCREDIBLE GUTS

One of my favorite Hebrew words is chutzpah, and like most Hebrew words, it has a plethora of meanings. My favorite among its meanings is "incredible guts."

Chutzpah refers to audacity; it can also mean daring—something I find rather charming. How audacious are you? Mind you, it can be either positive or negative.

Now, in the Jewish sense, this word makes so much sense. During my research, I found something that absolutely blew my mind:

"To be a good Jew, you need two opposites: A sense of shame that prevents you from acting with chutzpah to do the wrong thing, and a sense of chutzpah that prevents you from being ashamed to do the right thing."

Since chutzpah can be both positive and negative audacity, a Jew is expected to be audacious enough not to do the wrong and audacious enough to shamelessly do the right thing.

Hence, it’s not enough to have incredible guts. This audacity ought to be used rightly, to do what is right and act correctly.

The point is, don’t just chutzpah; you must be ashamed to chutzpah in the wrong and unashamed to chutzpah in the right. That’s where most of us get it wrong. When it comes to doing the wrong things, we tend to have a boldness and confidence that diminishes when it’s time to use such audacity for good.

Dearest reader, note that chutzpah is a kind of acosmic attitude, as though there’s nothing really there stopping you from doing whatever you want. That’s why chutzpah can only be really bad or really good.

#Chutzpah

#TheDaringFaith

#IncredibleGuts

@favvy_Okwans🖤.