Rosh Hashana Day 1 2007/5768

At the tashlich program last year as we gathered by the shore of Lake Needwood, Lisa Arber suggested we each pick up a stone. That stone should represent a character trait or behavior that we want to work on change by next year. That stone should stay in our pocket all year as a constant reminder of the need to change - to do tikun olam (repairing the world) in our personal life.

Tikun Olam is usually translated as social action but I learned something different in Israel this past Summer. I studied on a program at the Shalom Hartman Institute geared specifically to North American rabbis. The theme this summer was Tikun Olam and I wanted to highlight three different aspects.

1. In the Bible the phrase tikun olam doesn’t appear. Rather the words used are tzedek and mishpat - both mean justice. The classic example is Abraham’s argument with God. God informed Abraham that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were about to destroyed. Abraham asked what if 50 righteous people were found. God said that the cities would be saved. Abraham then asked what if 45, or 40, or 30, or 20, or 10 and he asks "the judge of all the Earth shouldn’t act justly"?

In the book of Deuteronomy in a section that describes how judges are to conduct themselves in court the verse states, "justice, justice shall you pursue." Tikun Olam then in the Bible happens by acting justly.

2.The rabbis teach that tikun olam can be achieved by order or perfection. The system of 613 commandments was devised by them to provide moments every day when we can achieve order. There are 365 negative commandments to remind us that the commandments are to be observed every day of the year. There are 248 positive commandments to remind us that our whole body (there are 248 bones in our bodies according to the rabbis) should be involved.

3. The mystics teach us that tikun olam means restoring the balance or relationship with God. Through a very outrageous interpretation of a verse in Genesis, they understand that not only did God drive out Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, but that Adam drove God out. Our goal in life is to bring God back.

All these things are hard to do. We can study and discuss these ideas, but putting it in action is quite difficult. The stone in the pocket then serves to remind us of these lessons and prompt us to do something about it in our life. May this year be one of tikun - justice, perfection, and balance.

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