Weekly Torah Portion

A Jewish man was once driving and saw a car pulled over on the side of the road, with its driver outside and wearing a kippah on his head. The man immediately pulled over to help. After a few minutes of chatting, with the good citizen trying to discover other people they knew in common, the stranded driver confessed: “I am not actually Jewish.” So why he was he wearing the kippah, the other asked. “My father always told me that if I ever run into trouble I should put this on my head and someone will help me.”

This story is a perfect example of a Kiddush Hashem, sanctification of G-d’s name. Kiddush Hashem was the topic of the last JSU Fellowship program of this semester. It also is the subject of a verse in this week’s Torah portion: “For I am Hashem, your G-d: You shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy” (Vayikra 11:44).

But what is a Kiddush Hashem? Of course G-d is holy, but we are not G-d! And what does being holy mean, anyway? These were the questions we addressed in our group discussions. The answer, it emerged, is that a Kiddush Hashem is when Jewish people act in accordance with the values taught in the Torah, resulting in giving G-d and the Jewish people a good name.

There were many great ideas shared in the group but there is one I’d like to highlight. Our JSU students suggested Tikkun Olam, “repairing the world”, is one of the ways to make a Kiddush Hashem. A beautiful answer, but I’d like to take it a step further.

When people hear the words Tikkun Olam they often think of social actions such as building organizations, fighting for causes, and posting hashtags. Tikkun Olam is one of the most discussed points in the Kabbalah, but it takes on a different meaning. There is the Olam Gadol, the big world, i.e. Earth, but there is also the Olam Kattan, our inner world. The responsibility to repair the Olam refers to both.

Yes, we need to repair the world as a whole, but that is only possible if we start by working on ourselves and repairing our own inner worlds through learning, growth, and actions that reflect it. If we cannot create peace in our own homes, how are we meant to create world peace?

A great rabbi once said, “When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. But I found it so difficult, so instead I tried to change my country.

“When I could not change my country, I began to focus on my community. However, I discovered that this was also too hard. So as I grew older I focused on changing my family.

“Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself. I realize now that if long ago I had started with myself, then I could have made an impact on my family. And, my family and I could have made an impact on our community. That, in turn, could have changed the country and we could all indeed have changed the world.”

When we live as proud Jews, working to make a Kiddush Hashem, we will experience a change in ourselves that will impact the world as a whole. Then we will truly be partners with G-d in bringing Heaven down to Earth, elevating earthly things for a divine purpose.