When Naomi asked me to contribute an essay to the Good People Fund site, I thought long and hard about what I'd like to share. I began jotting down ideas about why the work of Tzedakah and Tikkun Olam is so important to me personally, and how it has shaped my thinking and my being. Slowly, this statement of intent began to take shape...


Some observations, interconnected, on doing Mitzvahs and learning from Good People:


1. America is not just the richest country in the world; it is the richest country the world has ever known.

1.1. However, these riches are not distributed in any equitable way. The chasm between those who have and those in need - in education, in access to services, in neighborhoods - is enormous, and growing.

1.12. This observation is daily becoming truer of life in Israel as well.

1.13. This is worth losing sleep over.

1.2. There is no discernible connection between being a wealthy person and being a generous person.

1.21. There are some rich people who are among the most generous people I've ever met.

1.22. There are some rich people of whom it is scandalous how little they give to and do for their neighbors.

1.3. Most people should give away more of their money to people who desperately need it.


2. Every person is endowed with unique skills and attributes.

2.1. Some people spend their entire lives trying to identify their special gifts.

2.11. It is indispensible to have a friend (a chaver) and a teacher (a rav) to teach us about the art of living and to coach us to uncover and develop these gifts.

2.2. Any of these special skills can be applied towards Tikkun Olam ("World Repair").

2.21. This is true from my experience as a Jewish teacher: Many, many people, when asked what the most spiritually rewarding moments of their lives have been, cite times when they are immersed in the work of world-repair.

2.3. Becoming aware of these gifts, and applying them towards Tikkun Olam, just might be the essence of what each of us is doing on this earth.

2.31. However, it is crucial to keep a sense of humor and there is no place in this model for arrogance. There is a big difference between being righteous and being self-righteous.


3. There are individuals ("Mitzvah Heroes", "Good People") in the world who do the work of Mitzvahs and Tikkun Olam in extraordinary ways.

3.1. We all could use a teacher or mentor in the art of world-repair.

3.2. They are everywhere, these teachers, sometimes in the public eye and sometimes incognito.

3.3. Seeking out Good People and spending time with them is: spiritually uplifting, inspiring, and eye-opening. Oh-and it's also incredibly fun.

3.4. Seeking out Good People and spending time with them is also an antidote for many contemporary pathologies, including: cynicism, boredom, lack of ambition, misplaced values, wasting time, and wondering what we're supposed to be doing with our lives.

3.41. This observation seems to hold true for people of all ages: children, teens, college students, young professionals, parents, empty-nesters, recent retirees, and elders.


4. There is a uniquely Jewish approach to doing the work of Tikkun Olam.

4.1. The essence of the Jewish approach is found in Jewish texts.

4.11. These texts also give us a uniquely Jewish vocabulary for world-repair, including: "Mitzvahs," "Tikkun Olam," "Tzedakah," "Gemilut Chasadim," and many specific names for specific Mitzvot.

4.111. The English translations of these names rarely capture the full flavor and nuance of the Hebrew or Yiddish. It serves us well to use the Jewish terminology.

4.2. This does not deny the validity of other faith-traditions' approaches to world-repair; it simply asserts that Judaism, too, has unique gifts to bring to the world.

4.21. For this reason, becoming immersed in the world of Mitzvahs and Tikkun Olam is often a key way that many Jews rediscover their Jewish soul and reconnect with their Jewish identity.

4.3. Therefore, we should continually be learning and relearning Jewish texts to refine our own personal Mitzvah-work.

4.4. Study is not complete until we get up from the table, transformed, and put our values into action.


5. Individuals have an incredible amount of Mitzvah-power in their hands. And yet, when like-minded people work together in a group or in communities, the synergy that is created expands exponentially.

5.1. I believe, as a matter of faith, that most any problem in the world can be solved by individuals or communities utilizing this Mitzvah-power for good.

5.11. However: often apathy, or conformity, or peer pressure, or more insidious forces in society prevent us from generating this power.


6. Speaking personally, being introduced to the world of Mitzvah Heroes and Good People changed my life, and for that I am constantly grateful.

Rabbi Neal Gold teaches and works at Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland, Massachusetts.