Tikkun olam, tikkun adam: To make the world better, make people better - opinion

The phrase tikkun olam is a Hebrew term that means “repair of the world.” It is a central tenet of Judaism, and it is often interpreted as a call to action to make the world a better place. In recent years, there has been a growing focus on tikkun olam, especially in the American Jewish community. Such focus is likely due in part to the rise of social justice as a central point of discourse in response to the emergence of social, political and cultural movements.

While a focus on tikkun olam is a worthwhile cause, it is important to remember that it is only one part of the equation. Tikkun adam, or “repair of the individual,” is also essential. We must first work to improve ourselves if we are to truly make the world a better place. This means working on our own personal growth, developing our character, and strengthening our relationships with others.

Unfortunately, there is a tendency to focus too much on tikkun olam and disregard tikkun adam. Indeed, one rarely hears mention of tikkun adam. This is often seen in the way that we approach social justice issues. We are quick to jump on the bandwagon of the latest cause, but we often fail to take the time to understand the issue or to develop a long-term plan for addressing it.

We also tend to be more interested in working on large-scale problems than in addressing the smaller, more personal challenges that we face in our own lives. All too often we project our own faults and shortcomings onto such large-scale problems, attempting to fill personal gaps with abstract and nebulous causes.

Don't just make the world better – make ourselves better

This focus on tikkun olam at the expense of tikkun adam is a mistake. It is not enough to simply work to make the world a better place. We must also work to make ourselves better people. If we do not, then our efforts to improve the world may ultimately be futile, and at the very least, hypocritical. The saying, “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones” comes to mind.

There are many ways to work on tikkun adam. We can start by developing our own personal character. This means working on our self-awareness, our empathy, and our compassion. It also means recognizing our own faults, doing our best to improve on them, and being conscious of those faults when we engage in tikkun olam, lest we throw stones from our own glass houses.

In addition to working on our own personal growth, we can also work to improve the individual lives of others through volunteering, donating to charity, or simply being kind and helpful to those around us. Every act of kindness, no matter how small, can make a difference in the world.

Jewish tradition teaches us that tikkun olam and tikkun adam are two sides of the same coin. All too often, we ignore one side of that coin to the detriment of the other. We cannot truly make the world a better place until we first work to improve ourselves.

The writer is an Israeli-American attorney and engages in Jewish diplomacy through the American Jewish Committee.