Guilty as charged. The concept of “tikkun olam”, revealed to me as a young adult, was my gateway drug into taking Judaism seriously for the first time, because it fit with the world view I had developed, growing up secularly. In the past two years, I have woken up and smelled the hypocrisy coffee of the so-called “progressive” left and see how diluted the “tikkun olam” mantra is - the moral equivalent of holding Shabbat services on Sundays.
The modern version of Tikkun Olam is a perversion of Jewish law adopted by hypocrites and Marxists like Barack Obama to make liberal Jews think they are respected by the Left. They’re not as the last two and one half years has vividly shown. For this group Tikkun Olam is a world devoid of Israel and Jews.
Tikkun Olam is a valid concept from Lurianic Kabbalah. The term means improving the world through Torah learning, tefilla and especially meditation of holiness. The secularists who have stolen this term from Torah history demonstrate that their knowledge is limited to the literal meaning. Their shameful behaviour shows they have the greatest need for Tikkun.
"Tikkun olam" isn't just unknown or unused in Israel; it's not used anywhere else in the Diaspora! It's a brand of Jewish nonsense peculiar to America. Hopefully this erudite article will banish that bullshit forever.
You nailed it as follows: Tikkun Olam emerged as a kind of therapeutic creed: a way to feel morally Jewish without practicing Jewishly. I’ve always felt that this slogan felt more political than Jewish. It made me cringe as it implied a moral superiority that didn’t actually exist. Thanks for expressing so well why this expression is actually hurting us as a people. It’s a substitute for the hard work of mitzvot and ritual. It’s also rather arrogant that we who can’t even repair our own Jewish world can repair the globe .
Thank you for the explanation. I "as a Gentile" have been concerned for the last two years and longer about this phrase. It did not make any sense at all. How can you heal a world when the world wants you dead. Once you are dead who will do the "tikkun olam " thing then? You can only lick arse for so long before you realise that all you are doing is eating shit. Am Yisrael Chai
You are correct. At least a gentile understands. What good is Tikun Olam when it provokes the distruction of Israel and the Jewish people. Jews today have to be aware of their own survival before putting all their energy into saving the world. Obviously a large segment of Israeli Jews don’t understand this. The division of Jews caused the destruction of both Temples and is happening again today, even in Israel!
The Kabalistic concept of Tikun Olam is that the perfect world created by God has shattered due to sin and that by fullfilling Mitzvot, the Jewish people begin to repair the world. While charity is a part of mitzvot it is not what is meant and as you write, its meaning has been distorted by left wing Jews who have fully replaced Judaism with Marxist ideas.
Thanks so much for clarifying the situation in which we find ourselves. Who could have dreamed that a seemingly hopeful phrase would do so much damage to Jewish unity?
You can thank Reform for taking a tiny aspect of Judaism as the whole of their Judaism so it would fit in nicely with their decision to be a social activist sect with Judaism as an after thought in the late 1990s. Thankfully Reform is negligible outside the US. Along with Tikkun Olam as the centre piece, the leaders and many rabbis featured the demonization of Israel and religious Jews for decades. Then after Oct. 7 , they were shocked that their brainwashed kids and young adults became Hamas wannabes wearing keffiyehs and hunting down Jewish kids not so “enlightened” at universities. I assume Tikkun Olam means screaming “worldwide intifada” and going on Jew hunts at universities according to these Tikkun Olam sect young people.
Guilty as charged. The concept of “tikkun olam”, revealed to me as a young adult, was my gateway drug into taking Judaism seriously for the first time, because it fit with the world view I had developed, growing up secularly. In the past two years, I have woken up and smelled the hypocrisy coffee of the so-called “progressive” left and see how diluted the “tikkun olam” mantra is - the moral equivalent of holding Shabbat services on Sundays.
Ditto!
You win The Kosher Internet today for "smelling the hypocrisy coffee!"
The modern version of Tikkun Olam is a perversion of Jewish law adopted by hypocrites and Marxists like Barack Obama to make liberal Jews think they are respected by the Left. They’re not as the last two and one half years has vividly shown. For this group Tikkun Olam is a world devoid of Israel and Jews.
Deeply considered, excellenty expressed
Bravo ! A beautiful takedown of his misused , dangerous concept . Thank you
This is an exceptionally cogent article.
As an American Jew, I am sort of amused when Jewish political candidates reveal in fund-raising emails that they are running to fulfill Tikkun Olam.
Huh?? Aren't all politicians running to make the world a better place? I am so disillusioned. /s
Joshua, remarkable, thought-provoking piece. I appreciate you.
Tikkun Olam is a valid concept from Lurianic Kabbalah. The term means improving the world through Torah learning, tefilla and especially meditation of holiness. The secularists who have stolen this term from Torah history demonstrate that their knowledge is limited to the literal meaning. Their shameful behaviour shows they have the greatest need for Tikkun.
"Tikkun olam" isn't just unknown or unused in Israel; it's not used anywhere else in the Diaspora! It's a brand of Jewish nonsense peculiar to America. Hopefully this erudite article will banish that bullshit forever.
You nailed it as follows: Tikkun Olam emerged as a kind of therapeutic creed: a way to feel morally Jewish without practicing Jewishly. I’ve always felt that this slogan felt more political than Jewish. It made me cringe as it implied a moral superiority that didn’t actually exist. Thanks for expressing so well why this expression is actually hurting us as a people. It’s a substitute for the hard work of mitzvot and ritual. It’s also rather arrogant that we who can’t even repair our own Jewish world can repair the globe .
Thank you for the explanation. I "as a Gentile" have been concerned for the last two years and longer about this phrase. It did not make any sense at all. How can you heal a world when the world wants you dead. Once you are dead who will do the "tikkun olam " thing then? You can only lick arse for so long before you realise that all you are doing is eating shit. Am Yisrael Chai
You are correct. At least a gentile understands. What good is Tikun Olam when it provokes the distruction of Israel and the Jewish people. Jews today have to be aware of their own survival before putting all their energy into saving the world. Obviously a large segment of Israeli Jews don’t understand this. The division of Jews caused the destruction of both Temples and is happening again today, even in Israel!
מפני קמצא ובר קמצא נחרבה ירושלים
The Kabalistic concept of Tikun Olam is that the perfect world created by God has shattered due to sin and that by fullfilling Mitzvot, the Jewish people begin to repair the world. While charity is a part of mitzvot it is not what is meant and as you write, its meaning has been distorted by left wing Jews who have fully replaced Judaism with Marxist ideas.
Thanks so much for clarifying the situation in which we find ourselves. Who could have dreamed that a seemingly hopeful phrase would do so much damage to Jewish unity?
You can thank Reform for taking a tiny aspect of Judaism as the whole of their Judaism so it would fit in nicely with their decision to be a social activist sect with Judaism as an after thought in the late 1990s. Thankfully Reform is negligible outside the US. Along with Tikkun Olam as the centre piece, the leaders and many rabbis featured the demonization of Israel and religious Jews for decades. Then after Oct. 7 , they were shocked that their brainwashed kids and young adults became Hamas wannabes wearing keffiyehs and hunting down Jewish kids not so “enlightened” at universities. I assume Tikkun Olam means screaming “worldwide intifada” and going on Jew hunts at universities according to these Tikkun Olam sect young people.
Such an important post, thank you for clarifying this so compellingly!
Indeed, Tikkun Olam in its present usage is a copout.
Catholic Christians have a similar problem—the social justice teachings of the church.
These invented doctrines are used in a similar way, I think: to avoid moral responsibility for my own choices.
That's why i regard myself as a heretic nowadays. I denounce the post-Ratzinger institution (he was the last decent Pope).
The Church of England is even deeper down the doodoo, it's the propaganda wing of the Fabian Society since long.
I only ever go to church for the architecture these days. Last sermon i heard (CofE) was bleating about the "Gazan innocents". I left.
I completely understand your position.