Separate Lives

In Jewish parlance, this goal of building a better world is known as Tikkun Olam, the healing or repair of the world. The ancient prayer known as the Aleinu (meaning, it is our duty) acknowledges that this can only occur when God's sovereign rule is established in the earth. Yet today the focus of Tikkun Olam seems to be what we humans can bring about through our own efforts.

Most people don't want to acknowledge that the very frightening possibilities suggested by these two stories do not stem from some outside disruptive force, but from the tragic tendencies of the human heart.