There once were two evil brothers, who were very rich but used their money to keep their evil ways out of the public eye.
They attended the same temple, and to everyone else, they appeared as examples of perfect Jews.
One day, their rabbi retired and a new one was hired.
Not only could the new rabbi see right through the brothers’ deceptions, but he also spoke well and true about it.
Due to the rabbi’s honesty and integrity, the temple’s membership grew in numbers.
Eventually, a fundraising campaign was started to build a much bigger temple
When one of the brothers died, the remaining brother sought out the new rabbi one day before the funeral and handed him a check for the amount needed to complete the new building.
He held the check out for the rabbi to examine.
“I have only one condition,” he said. “At the funeral, you must say my brother was a mensch. You must say those exact words.”
After some thought, the rabbi gave his solemn word and took the check, which he cashed immediately.
The next day at the funeral, however, the rabbi did not hold back.
“He was an evil man,” he said about the dead brother.
“He cheated on his wife and abused his family. Never once did he commit an unselfish act.”
He went on and on about the true nature of the deceased evil brother.
After nearly a half hour of the pure and evil truth, the rabbi paused and shrugged his shoulders.
Finally, he said, “But compared to his brother, he was a mensch.”