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Tikkun Olam
(Repair of the
World)
Tikkun Olam- (Repair of the World) - Responsibility
The Jewish imperative for involvement in the healing and unification of a broken world is an ancient one. It is only in modern times, however, that we have begun to associate this responsibility with an older Hebrew phrase, tikkun olam (literally, reparation of the universe). We live in a fragmented world, and it is our nature to be somewhat dis-satisfied with the acceptance of things the way that they are. We speak and yearn for a time of increased harmony, unity, synthesis and partnership with others. Judaism places an enormous and unique emphasis on our role in bringing about this redemption of the world. We are reminded in myriad ways of what it means to be alien, homeless, orphaned, oppressed, and how that gives way to our commandment to see that others do not suffer the same fate as we once did, when we were strangers in a strange land, enslaved in Egypt. Our responsibility extends from the environment to interpersonal ethics, from political action to small, everyday kindnesses. What we do matters not only in our lives today, but in the lives of all the generations to follow.
Historically, the phrase tikkun olam first appears in the Mishnah (rabbinic wisdom from the 2nd century C.E.), and refers to emendations that our Rabbis made in Jewish law. In the 12th century, Rambam (Rabbi Moses Maimonides) suggested that the entire rabbinic legal tradition was based on making Jewish law apply fairly and effectively to contemporary circumstances. In the Kabbalistic interpretation of the story of creation first put forth by Rabbi Isaac Luria (from the 16th century Sfat tradition), the fragmentation of the world first comes into being through the scattering of the Divine essence, leading to the presence of holy sparks throughout all of creation. Through Torah study, the performance of mitzvot with proper intention, the contemplation of the Divine through prayer, and the mending of oneís own inner life, we become the fixers of our shattered world. Acts of chesed (loving-kindness), mishpat (social legislation), and tzedakah (righteousness) give us the most common context for todayís understanding of tikkun olam.
Tikkun Olam is a responsibility for every Jew. While many religions place emphasis on the need for its adherents to be involved in the larger community, and to volunteer or donate funds to worthy causes, Judaismís terminology clarifies its particular stance. The English word for the donation of funds to help the oppressed, hungry, or homeless is ìcharity,î derived from the Latin root, caritas, to care. It implies that charitable acts are committed by good people who are going beyond the call of duty, possibly out of a deep love for humanity or the world at large. The Hebrew word for the same act of giving is tzedakah, which literally means righteousness, and implies that caring for the poor is not an unusually good act, but rather simply that the balance of wealth is what should be. The Jewish attitude toward giving has little to do with love and generosity ñ it has to do with justice and responsibility, and repair.
This responsibility extends to our behavior concerning our environment. According to the Torah, our role on earth is both that of master and steward. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch phrases it beautifully ñ ìThe earth does not belong to you, rather you are given to it. You must respect it as holy ground and view every creature as a creation of God Ö loving it and helping it fulfill its destiny Ö they have all been given you on loan, and they all will appear someday Ö to testify either for you or against you, if you ignored them or used them, whether for blessing or for curse.î We have great control, but our stay is a temporary one, and others will follow. Our tradition teaches that although we are not required to complete the task, neither are we free to desist from it. The word ìolamî in ìtikkun olamî connotes transcendence, both in space and time ñ as partners with the Divine, we are involved in continual redemption and reparation of our world.
The Jewish response to the needs of others, and the responsibility to fix what is broken, stems from our communal story. The expectation that we care for the homeless, the hungry, the stranger, the widowed, and the orphaned, is motivated by our own knowledge of what it feels like to be broken. We have been enslaved, we have wandered, and we have felt abandoned and abused. In place of resentment and anger, Judaism demands generosity and social action. Just as God, according to our tradition, clothed the naked, visited the sick, buried the dead, comforted mourners, so should we all. Deuteronomy, Chapter 15 reminds us, ìIf there is a needy person among you, one of your kin within your gates, in your land that God gives you, do not harden your heart or close your hand against your needy kin. Rather you must open your hand and give him enough resources for whatever he is lacking .... Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and God saved you, therefore I command this of you today.î This is one of dozens of places in which Torah reminds us that we must be mindful of the needs of the stranger, as we were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Repair is built into the ritual life of the Jew. Purim, Sukkot, Pesach, all contain mitzvot designed to remind us to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, free those who are enslaved. Our haftarah on Yom Kippur, from the prophet Isaiah, reminds us, ìThis is the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to untie the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every slave collar... share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked to cover them, and do not hide yourself from your own kin.î We are held communally accountable for the well-being others.
Tikkun Olam takes us from understanding to action, from the potential to the possible, and from capacity to responsibility. We inhabit this earth guided by a vision of shalom, of wholeness, and acknowledge that until this vision is real, we are not able to be entirely whole ourselves. At the same time, we are heartened by the realization that what we do matters ñ through our ritual lives; our behavior toward the environment, the needy, those with whom we come in contact every day, we are making a difference. Inaction is not an option for the Jew. Our mastery of the earth is about the cultivation of our own potential for responsible behavior. Our communal memory informs our treatment of others. Our tradition expects this of us, whether or not each of us arrives at this way of life through our own accord. It is simply our way of being in the world.
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