The Jewish Approach to Repairing the World (Tikkun Olam) , livre ebook
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2012
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122
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English
Ebook
2012
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Publié par
Date de parution
11 octobre 2012
Nombre de lectures
0
EAN13
9781580236874
Langue
English
A window into the Jewish idea of responsibility to care for the world—
written especially for Christians.
The concept of repairing the world (tikkun olam) is an integral part of Jewish life. It helps shape Jewish social and family relationships, and even mandates how Jews should speak to others. But why is it important for Christians to understand this Jewish approach to life? And what kind of impact can understanding this fundamental aspect of Judaism have on Christians seeking to develop a deeper understanding of their own faith?
With insight and wisdom, award-winning author Rabbi Elliot Dorff provides an accessible, honest and thorough exploration of this important Jewish concept. With easy-to-understand explanations of Jewish terms, practices and history, each chapter explores a different facet touched by the tradition of tikkun loam. Rabbi Dorff also addresses parallel themes and practices in the Christian tradition, helping you better understand the roots of Christianity and how the fundamentals of Judaism relate and reflect your own aspirations to repair the world.- Caring for the Poor
- The Power of Words
- The Ministry of Presence
- Duties of Spouses to Each Other
- Children’s Duties to Their Parents
- Parent’s Duties to Their Children
- The Traditional Jewish Vision of the Ideal World
Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Part One: Repairing the World (Tikkun Olam) in Theory 1. The Meaning and Significance of Tikkun Olam 2. Why Should I Care? The Example of Caring for the Poor Part Two: Tikkun Olam in Practice: Individuals and Society 3. The Power of Words 4. The Ministry of Presence Part Three: Tikkun Olam in Practice: Families 5. Duties of Spouses to Each Other 6. Children's Duties to Their Parents 7. Parents' Duties to Their Children Part Four: Envisioning a World Shaped by Tikkun Olam 8. Elements of the Traditional Jewish Vision of the Ideal World Notes Glossary Suggestions for Further Reading
Publié par
Date de parution
11 octobre 2012
Nombre de lectures
0
EAN13
9781580236874
Langue
English
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In honor of Richard Mouw,
president of Fuller Theological Seminary, professor of philosophy at Fuller, intelligently committed Dutch Reformed Christian, active creator and participant in interfaith efforts of understanding and cooperation, top-notch philosopher, wonderful friend, a mensch who fixes the world each and every day, a blessing to us all.
Our Rabbis taught: [What blessing does one say] when one sees those of the nations of the world who are wise and learned? [Praised are You, Lord our God, Sovereign of the universe], who has given of His wisdom to flesh and blood.
Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 58a
C ONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part One: Repairing the World ( Tikkun Olam ) in Theory
1. The Meaning and Significance of Tikkun Olam
2. Why Should I Care? The Example of Caring for the Poor
Part Two: Tikkun Olam in Practice: Individuals and Society
3. The Power of Words
4. The Ministry of Presence
Part Three: Tikkun Olam in Practice: Families
5. Duties of Spouses to Each Other
6. Children s Duties to Their Parents
7. Parents Duties to Their Children
Part Four: Envisioning a World Shaped by Tikkun Olam
8. Elements of the Traditional Jewish Vision of the Ideal World
Notes
Glossary
Suggestions for Further Reading
About the Author
Copyright
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P REFACE
Tikkun olam -repairing the world. Quite a task! Yet this is precisely the goal that the Jewish tradition sets for our lives. This gives us a mission and thereby lends meaning to our lives. It also imposes a heavy burden on each of us every day. We may certainly take time to enjoy ourselves, our families, our work, and our play, but throughout our lives we must dedicate at least part of our time, energy, and resources to improving the lot of others.
Jews understand this almost instinctively. Surveys show that Jews feel in their bones that they have a duty as Jews to make this a better world, that this is the essence of what it means to be a Jew.
This book describes the roots in Jewish beliefs and laws of Judaism s commitment to improve the world. It explores why Judaism would have us engage in such activities, reasons that include but go far beyond a general humanitarian feeling or the hope that if you help others, others will in turn help you. It also describes how the Jewish tradition would have us seek to repair the world in some key ways.
The book is divided into four parts. Part One addresses the underlying theory of repairing the world ( tikkun olam ). Chapter 1 describes how the meaning of the term has developed over time and indicates related terms and concepts that Judaism has used for thousands of years to describe the duties we now identify as acts of tikkun olam . It also cites sources to demonstrate the great significance that classical Judaism ascribes to such activities. Chapter 2 then explores why any person, and why any Jew in particular, should care about the lot of someone else, using alleviating the circumstances of the poor as its example. It first addresses why we should be wary of helping the poor and then suggests reasons to nevertheless offer aid, the proper limits of such support, the duties of the poor, and the modes of assistance we should offer.
Part Two explores the theory and practice of Jewish tikkun olam in our social interactions. Chapter 3 deals with language-how we should speak to others and what we should avoid saying. Chapter 4 addresses our duties to assist others in their times of need and joy, such as providing health care to the sick, including the emotional support we must offer the ill by visiting them. This kind of communal support also extends to helping couples celebrate their weddings and families to mourn the loss of a loved one. Attending to the emotional needs of people in these situations constitutes a form of tikkun olam.
Part Three addresses tikkun olam within families. Chapter 5 considers the duties of spouses to each other, Chapter 6 describes Judaism s specification of filial duties, and Chapter 7 delineates Judaism s understanding of parental duties. In each case, the chapter cites traditional sources, but it also takes into account how modern society has evolved and explores how that might affect how we use traditional materials in approaching a given issue in our day.
Finally, Part Four describes Judaism s vision of the ideal world, the one toward which we should strive to repair our world. It includes some elements that are undoubtedly common to many religions ideals-for example, peace and prosperity-but also some specifically Jewish components, such as ingathering of Jews living in other countries to Israel and spreading of knowledge of Torah to everyone.
A G UIDE TO THE T EXT
For the Hebrew Bible translations throughout this book, I use the Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1985). For the New Testament translations, I use the New Revised Standard Version.
I refer to the sages whose interpretations of the Hebrew Bible and discussions of the Oral Torah-that is, the traditions transmitted orally and in action from one generation to another-as the Rabbis with a capital R. These sages lived between the fifth century BCE (Before the Common Era) and the sixth century CE (Common Era).(The years of BCE = BC, and CE = AD, but Jews do not refer to these years with reference to Christ or Our Lord, meaning Jesus, but instead use the religiously more neutral designations). The most important works that were produced in this period are (1) the Mishnah, the first collection of oral traditions, edited by Rabbi Judah, president of the Sanhedrin, in approximately 200 CE; (2) the Jerusalem (or Western, or Palestinian) Talmud, edited c. 400 CE; and (3) the Babylonian Talmud, edited c. 500 CE, both of which record continued discussions of the Bible and the Mishnah by the Rabbis in those two locales in the years after 200 CE until they were edited; and (4) the Midrash, consisting of rabbinic interpretations and expansions of both the legal and non-legal sections of the Bible. The largest work of Midrash is Midrash Rabbah , which consists of the Rabbis interpretations of each of the books of the Torah (the Pentateuch, the Five Books of Moses) and some of the other biblical books read in the synagogue. They are designated as, for example, Genesis Rabbah , the expanded, or great, Genesis. The two major codes of Jewish law are Maimonides s Mishneh Torah (1180 CE) and Joseph Karo s Shulhan Arukh (1565 CE). References to the Mishnah begin with M. ; to the Jerusalem Talmud with J. ; to the Babylonian Talmud with B. ; to the Mishneh Torah with M.T. ; and to the Shulhan Arukh with S.A.
A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are many people I would like to thank for helping me make this book possible. Stuart M. Matlins, publisher of Jewish Lights, first suggested that I write The Way Into Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) for the Jewish community and then this version for Christian readers, with comparative Christian materials and ideas. It has been a true work of love and, I hope, useful too, so I want to thank him for conceiving the idea of The Way Into series and for asking me to contribute to it. Emily Wichland, vice president of editorial and production, applied her considerable editorial talents to my manuscript, making it better than the one I created, and I thank her sincerely for that. I would also like to thank all the talented people at Jewish Lights for their help in publishing and marketing this book.
Father Michael Wakefield, my co-chair in the Los Angeles Priest-Rabbi Dialogue and a good friend, lent me some of his books so that I could include the Catholic view of the topics I treat in this volume. I thank him for that, for the immense amount he has taught me in the Dialogue, and for his friendship. I also want to thank the love of my life, my wife Marlynn, for her support in joining me in many acts of tikkun olam and for her patience in allowing me to spend the time necessary to write about it. I am grateful to her and, indeed, God for the incredible blessings of our children and grandchildren-Tammy and her son Zachary Ethan; Michael and Tanya and their daughter Zoe Elliana; Havi and Adam and their daughters Noa Yarden and Ayden Chaya; and Jonathan and Mara and their children Amiel Shalom and Shira Rose. As I mention in this book, and as my children have heard me say ad nauseum, children are one of the greatest blessings of life, an integral part of God s promise to Abraham long ago, so I hope that many more grandchildren are on the way!
I would especially like to acknowledge Cory Willson, a graduate student at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, who collected relevant Christian sources for me from his own Evangelical tradition as well as mainline Protestant and Catholic documents. Catholics have a magisterium, so what constitutes official Catholic beliefs is fairly easy to ascertain, but I had no idea how to identify the significant writers and writings within the Protestant world. He did a masterful job of locating such sources for me, making it possible for me and the readers of this book to see some Christian though
