Tikkun olam

(Hebrew) Repairing the world.

History and explanation

The phenomenon "is important in Judaism and is often used to explain the Jewish concept of social justice. In some explanations, the more mitzvot that are performed, the closer the world will be towards perfection. Some Jews believe that acts of tikkun olam will either trigger or fulfill the prophesied coming of the Moshiach (messiah) or messianic age (the World to Come). The belief in tikkun olam is also central to the Zohar ("Book of Splendor"), the most important book in kabbalah" (Wikipedia). Fot some people, the term offers the motivation for involvement in social justice work. It is used to describe efforts as diverse as teaching Torah, volunteering for social service agencies, raising money for Israel, and supporting the creation of a Palestinian state. As a post-biblical term, tikkun olam neither appears in a prophetic book nor constitutes one of the mitzvot. However, as this concept has come to be equated both with a general call to justice, and with specific philanthropic and volunteer activities, the definition of tikkun olam has been merged with those of tzedakah (financial support of the poor), g’milut hasadim (acts of loving kindness), and tzedek (justice).

So, the four primary definitions of tikkun olam in Jewish history are: the anticipation of the divine kingdom in the Aleynu prayer; the midrashic call to preserve the physical world; the rabbinic desire to sustain the social order; and the Lurianic belief in our power to restore divine perfection. This definition may occupy a space between a limited definition of “tikkun olam” as relating only to a specific theology or legal process and an expansive definition that equates “tikkun olam” with any type of social action or social justice work.