No bumper stickers today. Sorry. The Jewish value of “tikkun olam,” popularly understood as “repairing the world through social justice,” is central to the modern practice of Judaism. It’s why Jewish leaders and groups, including the government of the State of Israel, condemn the suffering of the innocent when a Jewish army goes into battle. It’s why Jews are now, and have long been, on the front lines of practically every struggle for equality and justice in this country. It’s why there are so many remarkably impactful Jewish non-profits today delivering relief to people all over the world who have virtually no connection to Judaism. We Jews try to make the world better at our own expense, sacrificing position and advantage for the sake of improving the lot of others. In that light I can understand, if not sanction, Jewish criticism of an embattled State of Israel. We’ve become accustomed to our freedom of speech and sometimes naively believe that by playing the devil’s advocate we can win the acceptance of people who hate us. (Just don’t forget that when you join the devil’s law firm you run the risk of becoming a shareholder). We Jews do wacky things because we know what it’s like to live in an imperfect world and we want to erase all hatred. If only wishing made it so. Seeing ourselves as God’s partner in completing the work of Creation is the raison dêtre for many non-ritually observant Jews. My own Reform Movement is in large part rooted in that Prophetic tradition. Some of our earliest ideologues went so far as to distinguish between the ethical and ritual commandments, noting that while the former are eternal, the latter must adapt to changing circumstances. The tefillin may not make the outfit, but making the world a better place never goes out of style. There has been a significant, even if self-serving, benefit to Jewish tikkun olam. Our commitment to social justice has brought us close over the decades to well-intentioned people of other faiths who share these Prophetic values. We build homes together, feed the hungry, house the homeless and lobby our legislators on behalf of the most vulnerable in our cities. Judaism does not have a monopoly on righteousness, and our best tikkun olam work is done in partnership with people from whom we can learn much through conversation, study and prayer. We live with and among people from many backgrounds, and our quest for justice and mercy is not limited to our own parochial interests. Still, it’s good to break and share bread with people who can advocate for the Jewish people once we’ve left the room. We can never have enough friends, especially when some of those friends too readily buy into the fallacy that we’re the primary aggressor in the Middle East. We should all be outraged that Christians are being targeted right now by the Islamic State for conversion, expulsion or execution. (Perhaps these terrorists can’t do the same to Jews only because there aren’t any to be found at hand). They show no sign of letting up any time soon. I wrote a few weeks ago that Judaism’s birthplace is the Land of Israel, and we shouldn’t lose sight of the sad fact that some of Christianity’s earliest chapters take place throughout the lands in which they are presently suffering. Jesus’ Jewish disciples would not have been welcome to spread their mission in places under the boot of these barbarians. Nor are brave Muslims who stand against this extremism safe from the Islamic State’s atrocities. We Jews know what it means to flee from almost certain death because of what we believe. That’s why we built a State that has religious freedom. Religion should elevate the soul and bring meaning to our lives in the service of others. It should bring people together and create bridges to move us from the world as it is to the world as it should be. Religion should bring people together as children of a common ancestry, all created in the divine image. I am Jewish and believe that we are all supposed to be God’s partner in the ongoing work of creation. But my commitment to tikkun olam does not blind me to the acknowledgment that there is a growing threat from extremists who frighteningly see themselves as God’s instruments of destruction.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 19:45:10 +0000
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