Excellent essay. There is much to be appreciated about the world given us by G-d, and hubris to think we were created by Hashem to repair a broken world, a world created by G-d. The best parts of Kabbalah teach that even the wisest of men can only understand no more than 3% of the world. We should remain humble, work with the tools, intelligence, and spiritual awareness given by Hashem, and repair ourselves and our own creations, the world needs no repairing.
It's true that gratitude for what is, is essential and a counterbalance to seeing what is broken. The problem is not the latter. The former by itself is also problematic when things are going downhill and we don't see it, or pretend not to. That was the story of Pangloss in Voltaire's Candide. Also, wanting to fix things requires both study and humility, so smaller changes in complex systems are more likely to succeed than radical big changes. And gratitude for what is, often is on the shoulders of those before us who also were able to improve things, by seeing what needs to be changed BECAUSE it was broken. The disasters of Stalinism, Maoism and Fascism were due to arrogance, improper understanding of root causes, and (to use J. Peterson's term) ideological possession which takes away compassion, humility and open-mindedness. Those who can't even fix a car, should not attempt to fix a whole society.
Great insights about the misinterpretation of "tikkun ha'olam." Periodically, humanity undergoes convulsions, as if to throw off everything that preceded the present moment-- and we can see the results.
In all fairness, the irruption of Judaism into the world was clearly one of those convulsions. But, we spent 40 years pounding sand, before we were ready to take the show on the road.
I think that the impulse itself is benign, even sacred. It's just that the impulse is so easily manipulated and misdirected. And this allows bad actors to have a field day with the naive and the innocent—and make a real mess.
The notion of a universalist ideal in some people’s approach to Tikun Olam is key… of collectivism and world peace. Progressives seem to have hijacked a religious impulse for political purposes. Maybe it’s a secular or atheist void that makes many vulnerable to lack of reason. IDK… there are also mental health issues and entitlement combined with post-modern subjective views of reality. Whatever is driving this madness will destroy the world not repair it.
I disagree and favor both Tikkun Olam and its popular interpretations and applications, but this was a well-written, well-argued piece that was smart and insightful.
Lev, it's a rare and wonderful thing to encounter someone who can appreciate an essay with a point of view that they vigorously disagree with. Thanks for the kind words.
“Nice Irvings…”, decided Rabbi Kahane, sick of the intellectual panels of plaintive Jewdom convening to add more charitable ass kissing to the long list of surviving hate and murder. Jews were oh so embarrassed at his crass truth and screaming polemics warning for us to arm ourselves and start confronting the enemy. (Not dad. Refreshingly he got a gun and we moved to a farm and learned strength and he started studying on his own, forsaking many “dubious provenance” teachings). Meanwhile, Kahane’s choice for the camera was baseball bats and lead pipes, telling Morley Schaffer or Dan Rather or Mike Wallace, all aghast, that the intent was to break the kneecaps or heads of any Black Panther who dared to touch the synagogue or a Jew that night. The ignoramuses fled into the night. But the Rabbi was assassinated by an Egyptian who was from the same Islam murderous hate group doubtless longing for Jewish charity who later blew up the basement in the first WTC attack. We were warned.
Thank you so much for your wonderful essay .....It was utterly painful and unbelievable to watch these Jewish students at the elite Universities, to side with the Pro Palestinians, chanting their anti Israel chants, inciting the antisemitism.......
Yes, it was very, very hard to swallow. There's a quote by Max Nordau, an early Zionist writer and thinker, that has stayed with me since I first read it some years ago. I'm paraphrasing, but it went something like this: "The antisemites' most cherished victory has been to get certain Jews to see the world through antisemitic eyes."
Tikkun Olam is a beautiful concept in Judaism, but protests of hate against Jews, and worldwide condemnation of Jews has nothing to do with making the world a better place. All misguided and as you stated, the appreciation for what we have. and the world we live in goes unnoticed. On a small scale, the mitzvahs we partake in may help those less fortunate, but somehow, mitzvahs for Jews is at the bottom of the list. The "world" cannot be repaired by us. We can help to make it better, while others, including those in charge, continue to take it apart.
Human beings are broken too. We all have cracks and crevices, as do all human endeavor. Surely humans can make and have made the world a materially better, healthier place at certain times for certain peoples: sometimes in spectacular fashion. But even so human history demonstrates without exception the failure of human civilizations to overcome our own imperfections.
For many of us the obvious conclusion is that man is not perfectable by our own power. Never has been, never will be. What then to do? Well, we can still make the world a better place. That is possible and has been demonstrated over and over again. But as that great Professor of Philosophy, Harold Callahan reminds us, “A man’s got to know his own limitations.” Even this goy boy knows.
As a retired therapist you've surely had ample opportunity to ponder broken humans with all their cracks and crevices. I almost chose the same career path, but I was dissuaded in time by a wise counsellor. He took me aside and said, "Sam, you're clearly fascinated by psychology, by the theories of psychology. But, ask yourself whether you could actually spend your weeks patiently listening to people discussing their unhappiness and confusion." He definitely had a point. So, that was the road not taken...
Yes, I have Sam: both listening and pondering, and I have learned a lot, not least about myself. Listening to people’s struggles and unhappiness is both a discipline and a gift. But it’s also important to listen for a person’s strengths and abilities because therein lies the solution to their unhappiness. I have also been blessed with wise supervisors who have helped me maintain my boundaries and sanity. And above all is my Higher Power, G-d, as I understand Him. Or rather as I misunderstand Him. I’m glad to hear that you’ve had wise counsel too. Nice to make your acquaintance.
SECULAR JEWS INCLUDING CHILDREN OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS OFTEN PRACTICE THEIR TIKKUN OLAM IN ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE FEW JEWS. ALL PEOPLE ARE CREATED BY G-D AND IT IS FINE AND PROPER TO HELP ALL PEOPLE, BUT OUR FIRST PRIORITY SHOULD BE IN SERVING OUR OWN SAFETY. TZIPPORAH BAT AMI, COAUTHOR OF MY NAME IS ALICE BY CHILD HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR ALICE MULLER
"BUT OUR FIRST PRIORITY SHOULD BE IN SERVING OUR OWN SAFETY." Yes, indeed.
And to put it bluntly, this will become ever more obvious as Jews around the world continue to be murdered without the need for even the slightest justification.
I think that many of us are just now beginning to ask these same questions. I respect both the power of prayer and practice of self-defense. But if you live in an area where your physical safety is in jeopardy, I would buy a gun and learn to use it. Rabbi Kalonymus Shapiro in the Warsaw ghetto was as pious a soul as ever existed, and his prayers were of no avail. But Jabotinsky's approach saved many lives.
I AM A CHILD OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS WHO WOULD AGREE WITH YOU ONE THOUSAND PERCENT. BUT THERE HAS TO BE ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND WAYS FOR JEWS TO DEFEND THEMSELVES THRU LEGAL PARAMETERS AND COMMUNITY PROTECTION AS THERE ARE MANY WHO ARE FRAIL OR ELDERLY OR UNABLE TO CARRY A GUN. ALL SUCH WALKS SHOULD HAVE SUCH SECURITY. BUT IS THAT THE TOTAL ANSWER?
I really don't know. I'm reading whatever comes my way that discusses these issues. We were caught by surprise and the response is still being formulated. But the good news is that we are much more ready, willing and able to respond now than we were in the 1930s.
This essay plays a very dangerous game. It would be just as easy to generalize and denigrate the majority of Orthodox Jews (which is clearly what’s meant by the euphemistic “observant Jews”) over the actions of a minority among them. Jonathan Neumann sang this song better seven years ago, but even he was still off-key. If the point of FoJ is simply to tell non-Orthodox Jews to fuck off, though, then yeah, I guess this essay fits.
Your comment made me laugh. I spent the first half of my life reading novels about imaginary people and places. And then, eventually, I got interested in history and politics, and I read mostly non-fiction these days. But I guess my roots in literature still show through when I turn my attention to current events!
Tikkun Olam has gone from fastening the oxgen mask to your neighbor's face when the plane is going down... to encouraging your neighbor to *destroy* your oxygen mask so you can brag about how virtuous you are before the plane crashes.
Excellent essay. There is much to be appreciated about the world given us by G-d, and hubris to think we were created by Hashem to repair a broken world, a world created by G-d. The best parts of Kabbalah teach that even the wisest of men can only understand no more than 3% of the world. We should remain humble, work with the tools, intelligence, and spiritual awareness given by Hashem, and repair ourselves and our own creations, the world needs no repairing.
It's true that gratitude for what is, is essential and a counterbalance to seeing what is broken. The problem is not the latter. The former by itself is also problematic when things are going downhill and we don't see it, or pretend not to. That was the story of Pangloss in Voltaire's Candide. Also, wanting to fix things requires both study and humility, so smaller changes in complex systems are more likely to succeed than radical big changes. And gratitude for what is, often is on the shoulders of those before us who also were able to improve things, by seeing what needs to be changed BECAUSE it was broken. The disasters of Stalinism, Maoism and Fascism were due to arrogance, improper understanding of root causes, and (to use J. Peterson's term) ideological possession which takes away compassion, humility and open-mindedness. Those who can't even fix a car, should not attempt to fix a whole society.
Thank you, Iuval. Beautifully said! 100%
"Those who can't even fix a car, should not attempt to fix a whole society." Love it!
Tikun Olam is the replacement of traditional Jewish values with the woke agenda and its false gods of race gender and climate
Great insights about the misinterpretation of "tikkun ha'olam." Periodically, humanity undergoes convulsions, as if to throw off everything that preceded the present moment-- and we can see the results.
In all fairness, the irruption of Judaism into the world was clearly one of those convulsions. But, we spent 40 years pounding sand, before we were ready to take the show on the road.
A wonderful read. Thank you.
Many thanks!
I’ve often wondered about social justice warriors
I think that the impulse itself is benign, even sacred. It's just that the impulse is so easily manipulated and misdirected. And this allows bad actors to have a field day with the naive and the innocent—and make a real mess.
The notion of a universalist ideal in some people’s approach to Tikun Olam is key… of collectivism and world peace. Progressives seem to have hijacked a religious impulse for political purposes. Maybe it’s a secular or atheist void that makes many vulnerable to lack of reason. IDK… there are also mental health issues and entitlement combined with post-modern subjective views of reality. Whatever is driving this madness will destroy the world not repair it.
I think your diagnosis is accurate on all counts!
I disagree and favor both Tikkun Olam and its popular interpretations and applications, but this was a well-written, well-argued piece that was smart and insightful.
Lev, it's a rare and wonderful thing to encounter someone who can appreciate an essay with a point of view that they vigorously disagree with. Thanks for the kind words.
Indeed, the road to Jewish is paved with tikun olam. Thank you for this thoughtful essay.
Thanks for being a thoughtful reader!
“Nice Irvings…”, decided Rabbi Kahane, sick of the intellectual panels of plaintive Jewdom convening to add more charitable ass kissing to the long list of surviving hate and murder. Jews were oh so embarrassed at his crass truth and screaming polemics warning for us to arm ourselves and start confronting the enemy. (Not dad. Refreshingly he got a gun and we moved to a farm and learned strength and he started studying on his own, forsaking many “dubious provenance” teachings). Meanwhile, Kahane’s choice for the camera was baseball bats and lead pipes, telling Morley Schaffer or Dan Rather or Mike Wallace, all aghast, that the intent was to break the kneecaps or heads of any Black Panther who dared to touch the synagogue or a Jew that night. The ignoramuses fled into the night. But the Rabbi was assassinated by an Egyptian who was from the same Islam murderous hate group doubtless longing for Jewish charity who later blew up the basement in the first WTC attack. We were warned.
Thank you so much for your wonderful essay .....It was utterly painful and unbelievable to watch these Jewish students at the elite Universities, to side with the Pro Palestinians, chanting their anti Israel chants, inciting the antisemitism.......
Yes, it was very, very hard to swallow. There's a quote by Max Nordau, an early Zionist writer and thinker, that has stayed with me since I first read it some years ago. I'm paraphrasing, but it went something like this: "The antisemites' most cherished victory has been to get certain Jews to see the world through antisemitic eyes."
Tikkun Olam is a beautiful concept in Judaism, but protests of hate against Jews, and worldwide condemnation of Jews has nothing to do with making the world a better place. All misguided and as you stated, the appreciation for what we have. and the world we live in goes unnoticed. On a small scale, the mitzvahs we partake in may help those less fortunate, but somehow, mitzvahs for Jews is at the bottom of the list. The "world" cannot be repaired by us. We can help to make it better, while others, including those in charge, continue to take it apart.
Human beings are broken too. We all have cracks and crevices, as do all human endeavor. Surely humans can make and have made the world a materially better, healthier place at certain times for certain peoples: sometimes in spectacular fashion. But even so human history demonstrates without exception the failure of human civilizations to overcome our own imperfections.
For many of us the obvious conclusion is that man is not perfectable by our own power. Never has been, never will be. What then to do? Well, we can still make the world a better place. That is possible and has been demonstrated over and over again. But as that great Professor of Philosophy, Harold Callahan reminds us, “A man’s got to know his own limitations.” Even this goy boy knows.
Shalom my Jewish sisters and brothers.
As a retired therapist you've surely had ample opportunity to ponder broken humans with all their cracks and crevices. I almost chose the same career path, but I was dissuaded in time by a wise counsellor. He took me aside and said, "Sam, you're clearly fascinated by psychology, by the theories of psychology. But, ask yourself whether you could actually spend your weeks patiently listening to people discussing their unhappiness and confusion." He definitely had a point. So, that was the road not taken...
Yes, I have Sam: both listening and pondering, and I have learned a lot, not least about myself. Listening to people’s struggles and unhappiness is both a discipline and a gift. But it’s also important to listen for a person’s strengths and abilities because therein lies the solution to their unhappiness. I have also been blessed with wise supervisors who have helped me maintain my boundaries and sanity. And above all is my Higher Power, G-d, as I understand Him. Or rather as I misunderstand Him. I’m glad to hear that you’ve had wise counsel too. Nice to make your acquaintance.
SECULAR JEWS INCLUDING CHILDREN OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS OFTEN PRACTICE THEIR TIKKUN OLAM IN ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE FEW JEWS. ALL PEOPLE ARE CREATED BY G-D AND IT IS FINE AND PROPER TO HELP ALL PEOPLE, BUT OUR FIRST PRIORITY SHOULD BE IN SERVING OUR OWN SAFETY. TZIPPORAH BAT AMI, COAUTHOR OF MY NAME IS ALICE BY CHILD HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR ALICE MULLER
"BUT OUR FIRST PRIORITY SHOULD BE IN SERVING OUR OWN SAFETY." Yes, indeed.
And to put it bluntly, this will become ever more obvious as Jews around the world continue to be murdered without the need for even the slightest justification.
SAM, WHAT SHOULD WE DO? WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST? PERHAPS MORE WORLDWIDE PRAYERS FOR THE GEULAH? SELF DEFENSE CLASSES?
I think that many of us are just now beginning to ask these same questions. I respect both the power of prayer and practice of self-defense. But if you live in an area where your physical safety is in jeopardy, I would buy a gun and learn to use it. Rabbi Kalonymus Shapiro in the Warsaw ghetto was as pious a soul as ever existed, and his prayers were of no avail. But Jabotinsky's approach saved many lives.
I AM A CHILD OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS WHO WOULD AGREE WITH YOU ONE THOUSAND PERCENT. BUT THERE HAS TO BE ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND WAYS FOR JEWS TO DEFEND THEMSELVES THRU LEGAL PARAMETERS AND COMMUNITY PROTECTION AS THERE ARE MANY WHO ARE FRAIL OR ELDERLY OR UNABLE TO CARRY A GUN. ALL SUCH WALKS SHOULD HAVE SUCH SECURITY. BUT IS THAT THE TOTAL ANSWER?
I really don't know. I'm reading whatever comes my way that discusses these issues. We were caught by surprise and the response is still being formulated. But the good news is that we are much more ready, willing and able to respond now than we were in the 1930s.
Agreed. I am coauthor to a child Holocaust survivors books and M'Geyn Mir Shoin discussed this a bit. Thank you and Shabbat Shalom
This essay plays a very dangerous game. It would be just as easy to generalize and denigrate the majority of Orthodox Jews (which is clearly what’s meant by the euphemistic “observant Jews”) over the actions of a minority among them. Jonathan Neumann sang this song better seven years ago, but even he was still off-key. If the point of FoJ is simply to tell non-Orthodox Jews to fuck off, though, then yeah, I guess this essay fits.
Very interesting, but I felt like I was reading a novel.
Your comment made me laugh. I spent the first half of my life reading novels about imaginary people and places. And then, eventually, I got interested in history and politics, and I read mostly non-fiction these days. But I guess my roots in literature still show through when I turn my attention to current events!
That’s alright, I find as I get older. I’m very much into brevity, brevity, brevity.
Tikkun Olam has gone from fastening the oxgen mask to your neighbor's face when the plane is going down... to encouraging your neighbor to *destroy* your oxygen mask so you can brag about how virtuous you are before the plane crashes.