[Avodah] Tikkun Olam

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 06:48:09PM -0400, Zev Sero wrote:
>> The first 12 are all, as RnCL characterized it on Areivim, to protect
>> "the down trodden of Chazal's society."
>
> I don't think so.  On the contrary, the common denominator that stands out
> is that they are all minor tinkering around the edges of the existing system,
> fine tuning it to make it work better.

I do not disagree, I just think your statement is too broad without mine.
There are lots of small taqanos; tiqun olam appears to only be used for a
tiny subset. They are all tinkering around the edges of existing dinim
in order to protect the downtrodden.

>> Gittin 33a asks what "tiqun olam"
>> means WRT not anulling the get in an outside BD unrelated to the shaliach
>> and gets two answers: R' Yochanan says tiqun mamzeirim, Reish Laqish,
>> tiqun agunos.

> I don't see any indication that this has to do with agunos or mamzerim
> being "downtrodden", but merely that they are an undesirable consequence
> of the anomaly that was found in the law, so a technical regulation was
> invented to fix it.  Now the system works well again.

And the anomaly just happens to be because someone will be harmed? And
in every case the someone happens to be an agunah, a mamzer, a yasom,
a future potential captive, or someone who lost an aveidah?

...
> The bottom line is that none of these are social activism; none of them
> are consistent with a radical political agenda...

The seifa wasn't under discussion.

We had two issues: it was agreed that halakhah doesn't align in lockstep
with liberal social agendas. But then the question was asked whether
tiqun olam refers to social agenda at all, or to something metaphysical
as per Aleinu's "lesaqein/lesakein olam".

In terms of tiqun (quf) vs tikun (kaf).

Lesaqein is, according to RSRH and RYBS, related to qoneh. It's repair in
the sense of remake, with implications of taking ownership. The original
qinyan (note the word!) was to make it yourself. Emphasis on the cheftzah.

Lesakein, with a kaf, is to prepare. Muchan. No connotations of
manufacture or resulting baalus. And the emphasis is on the tachlis.

I would therefore suggest:

Tiqun olam is to become a partner in HQBH's making of the world.

Tikun olam is to prepare the world for the era of His rule and its
perfection.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             When we are no longer able to change a situation
micha at aishdas.org        -- just think of an incurable disease such as
http://www.aishdas.org   inoperable cancer -- we are challenged to change
Fax: (270) 514-1507      ourselves.      - Victor Frankl (MSfM)