Tikkun Olam — It’s Not Just a Jewish Concept

SPIRIT

Tikkun Olam —

It’s Not Just a Jewish Concept

Whether your background is They do not necessarily do it out of belief. From the times of Abraham and Sarah Reform, Conservative or Most people naturally find that it (more than 3,700 years ago), Jews have Orthodox, the term tikkun feels good to help another person, solve taught the world about values, morals, olam occupies a special place in Jewish a problem no matter how small or fix mitzvos and the belief in monotheism. practice. It is the teaching that we are something that’s broken.Those with Through the centuries, basic Jewish values here to try to fix, even per- children do it because they want their have been accepted by billions. Christianity fect, this imperfect world children to live in a better world. These and Islam built their systems on the founthrough a variety of posi- seemingly mundane acts not related to dation of the Torah. Our impact on world tive actions. social action add up over time to help history has been totally out of proportion But there seems to be improve our world in all sorts of ways, to our numbers; not necessarily because of quite a disparity as to what big and small. People everywhere feel in what we fixed but rather because of what

Rabbi Tuvia kinds of actions this refers their gut that this is part of their purpose we taught the world.

Teldon to. Many Jews view tik- in life. We continue this tradition by striving kun olam as having a very As proud as we Jews are of the high to serve as a “light amongst the nations” specific role, with social action being the percentage of Jewish Nobel Prize winners, (the prophet Isaiah) and by teaching our focus. However, when we look at tikkun most of the world’s scientific, governmen- children not only how to “fix the world,” olam from a fresh perspective, we see tal, technological and material progress but also how to draw God’s presence down that it is not so Jewish in origin, but it has been made through non-Jews. even to the most mundane aspects of life. is so very Jewish in defining our unique In my book, Eight Paths of Purpose, I This effort is what we refer to three purpose. explain eight different applications of times a day in the Aleinu prayer —

For starters, we are often told that this tikkun olam, which all of humanity can “L’takain olam b’malchus Sha-dai” (fixing the is a uniquely Jewish belief. However, we fulfill. Social action is but one of them. world in God’s dominion — a term credsee that all of humanity is involved in this These paths propose that we make tik- ited to Joshua more than 3,200 years ago). pursuit, not because they learned it in kun olam a practical part of life for every This is something uniquely Jewish! Hebrew school or yeshivah. Most of the human being. We have opportunities to So, don’t stop making the world a better world population never met a Jew, but fulfill our purpose in life and to answer place but do also remember to align yourmany are doing tikkun olam daily. the call of tikkun olam every day. It is not selves with this unique Jewish approach to

The fact is that tikkun olam is not reserved just for lofty goals and accom- tikkun olam that looks at the potential for Jewish in nature and it is not even a belief. plishments, but needs to be applied to our every act, no matter its size, to be an act of It is universal in nature and something mundane lives, including the tests and tikkun olam. It’s the Jewish thing to do. that all humans are hard-wired to accom- obstacles we face. plish. People throughout the world, of all So, you may wonder, is there any backgrounds and belief systems, want to unique Jewish connection to tikkun make the world a better place to live in. olam? The answer is a powerful yes.

Rabbi Tuvia Teldon is the founder and regional director of Chabad on Long Island, New York. He serves on the executive committee of Chabad.org.