Recognizing Small Daily Acts of Tikkun Olam

By Rabbi Tuvia Teldon

COMMACK, New York — What Jewish beliefs do Jews of all stripes agree on? I would assume that monotheism and Tikkun Olam are two safe guesses.

Monotheism is easy to define, but what really is Tikkun Olam? Let’s try this out –  a perfect G-d created a beautiful world and then created us imperfect humans for the purpose of being His/Her partners in the process of perfecting this world. That may be a mouthful, so to simplify it – Tikkun Olam is the process of perfecting the world. It is not just a Jewish belief (in reality all of humanity is wired this way), but the earliest recorded observation of it is found in the Aleinu prayer (composed by Moses and Joshua around 3,300 years ago) which we say three times a day.

With that said, I find that when most Jews think of Tikkun Olam, they think of social action, fighting climate change, projects in the community, or volunteering for various causes. But is it fair to limit Tikun Olam to ‘projects’ if this is the purpose all of humanity was created for?

You might think that I am going to propose that we should aim for greater and more life-changing causes that will truly have a significant effect on the world we live in. As important as they may be, the purpose of this article is to go in the opposite direction. I want to focus on the small seemingly insignificant actions that don’t get our attention and are not credited with being part of Tikkun Olam. In my book Eight Paths of Purpose, they are the meat and potatoes of Tikkun Olam, because they are the actions that keep our lives stable and bring meaning into the mundane.

When you volunteer at the Temple, the PTA, or for any other good cause, what is motivating you? Are you going just for the social interaction or is there also something inside of you which says you want this world to be a better place, for you, your family, and for the future. When a nurse or teacher is hard at work, do they do it just for the money or because there is an inner sense of fulfillment that comes with what they do?

When parents give their children an AHA moment, they are touching a very special place in their mind or heart. When we smile at our bus driver, we may be the first person that day to bring some joy into their life. And how about the random acts of kindness we have the opportunity to do day in and day out? When we pay a good deed forward, we are telling a total stranger that this world has much goodness in it.

But let’s take it one step deeper. Acts of kindness help to bring light into darkness, and may even fix a broken heart, but acts of self-sacrifice can accomplish even more. A single mom with two children and two jobs is doing Tikkun Olam by providing stability for her family, as difficult as her life may be. When we give up a day at the beach or the museum in order to stay home with a sick relative we are fulfilling an important purpose. When we stay home because a pandemic is raging outside, we are also fulfilling a purpose. Tikkun Olam doesn’t always have to feel good or make a nice impression. When the life or circumstances we face present tough choices, fixing the world does not come easily. The harder it is, the greater a Tikkun we accomplish. These small actions are often taken for granted, but the fact is that they all contribute to making somebody’s world a better place to live.

When a child or adult is in pain or suffering from trauma, the only world they can think about fixing is the world inside themselves, and that’s perfectly alright too. We are all part of the world that needs to heal. When you lift someone’s spirits who is lonely or depressed, you are ‘fixing their world’ for the moment. Who knows what the long-term effect could be?

When we do any of these actions, whether they are simple or complex, easy or hard, it is important to remind ourselves that this is part of our contribution to Tikkun Olam. We are adding a dimension of purpose to our lives which resonates in our core. We connect to our Jewish roots. We tap into part of the human wiring that aligns us with a deep sense of purpose. We can change the world. We can make it a better place. Our life does matter.

Tikkun Olam is not just a part-time once-in-a-while pastime. It is not reserved for those occasions when we reach the mountain tops of our lives. It should be as accessible as the air we breathe. It doesn’t force its way in, but it is available to us anytime we want to inhale it.

Human beings are the only part of this universe which does not instinctively fulfill its purpose in creation. We have the unique job, responsibility, and burden of figuring out and then choosing our purpose. Tikkun Olam gives us the opportunity to choose to fulfill this purpose, day in and day out. Let us rise to the challenge and make Tikkun Olam, on all levels, an integral part of our lives; thereby feeling aligned with a purpose in life on an ongoing basis.  *

As a Chabad Rabbi for more than 40 years, Tuvia Teldon was compelled to take his spiritual learning to a new level after his son’s death from Cystic Fibrosis in 1991. Thus began a 28-year journey that culminated with the publication of Eight Paths of Purpose, which seeks to help others understand the variety of ways we can fulfill our purpose, and how central this is to our core being. Now the executive director of 34 Chabad Centers on Long Island (New York), Rabbi Teldon regularly shares insights on his weekly Cablevision Long Island talk show, The Jewish Spotlight, on social media, and through his many classes and speaking engagements.