“You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it…”                   –Rabbi Tarfon, Pirkei Avot 2:16

Rabbi Tarfon was a member of the third generation of the Mishnah sages, who lived in the period between the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE) and the fall of Betar (135 CE).

The Creation mythology of Genesis reveals G!D spending 6 days creating the world, in an evolving process of proclamation, separation, development, and emergence. In organizational consult terms, continuous improvement. And then G!D took the seventh day off.

It is taught that not only should we take every seventh day, Shabbat, off ourselves, but we too, should labor the other 6 to continue the work of bringing forth an emerging world, doing our best to improve it. This process is known in Hebrew as Tikkun Olam– healing, repairing, restoring and renewing the world.

What is that work for us today? For many it is pursuit of healing of bodies and souls, justice for the long, old, and weak, and conservation and renewal of the planet we inhabit. Just as Providence brings forth grapes, grain, and maples, and we make wine, bread, and syrup, the work of tikkun is seen as partnering with the Divine to evolve a more perfect world. Visiting the sick and imprisoned; freeing captives; protecting children; physical, emotional, and spiritual healing; rebuilding communities and lives, all are examples of tikkun olam.

And as Rabbi Tarfon so succinctly puts it, we do not have to finish the work ourselves. Whew! How many of us have burned out or worn ourselves to a nub trying to do it all? Great News! We don’t have to!

But neither may we sit on our hands, or wring them sympathetically , while standing by doing nothing. We are tasked. If we see something, we ought not just to say something, but to DO something. The apostle James famously wrote that faith without works is dead.

We don’t need to take the world on our shoulders, Atlas is doing a fine job of that. But we can each lift up our bit of it, and in so doing, become partners with The One in bringing forth a world we’d want to live in.

What catches your attention today? What are you being called to  repair, heal, restore, renew?

Joe Laur is a father, husband, artist, builder, naturalist, consultant, and EcoKosher mashgiach. He lives with his wife Sara in western Massachusetts, where he serves as head groundskeeper and resident singer songwriter. Send him your favorite teaching quote for commentary. He can be reached at joe.laur@joelaur.com.