TIKKUN OLAM

Tikkun Olam is a Hebrew phrase that means repairing, or mending the world. The Rabbis ask which is more important: Torah study or good deeds? They answer, Torah study, because from it, we can infer the latter. Torah study only has value when it inspires us to make the world a better place. In addition to the resource links for further study included here are links to organizations that help repair the world.

The Midrash asks why God created wheat, that we must grind into flour and bake into bread, and why God created mud, that we must bake into bricks and build houses. The answer is that God created the world incomplete, so that we could be partners with God in helping to finish the job of Creation.

There is also the idea in Jewish mysticism, that the world was 'shattered' by God's cosmic light, and sparks of the Divine are scattered in broken vessels. Each time we make the world a better place, we connect this spark with its Divine source.

These two ideas are captured by the phrase of Tikkun Olam.

LINKS

Online study (also visit our online classroom)

JUICY (Jewish University in Cyberspace): Excellent online courses from the Department for Jewish Zionist Education
MISTABRA Mistabra challenges the study of traditional Jewish sources with urgent contemporary ethical issues.
Olam magazine: High quality magazine also available in e-zine format. With interactive forums on spirituality.(Issue 3 focuses on Shabbat from a variety of perspectives)
Jewish Heritage Online Magazine: High quality material, beautifully presented.
eParasha Warehouse: a comprehensive collection of links to online resources for Torah study.
Bluethread: liberal, on line discussion and study
Jewish Theological Seminary: online adult educations courses & Parshat Hashavua
Maqom: A school of Adult Talmud study.
ClickonJudaism: curious, searching?

Reference Tools

Jewish Encyclopedia

JSource

Bible

ORT Bible: the entire Hebrew, English and transliterated Torah- with audio!
KAPLAN on ORT
Jewish Bible (JPS 1917)

Search Tools

Bible Gateway Bible note: This is a Christian site, but handy for comparing multiple English translations
Revised Standard Version
NET Bible : The Biblical Studies Foundation
Chumash Intelligent Concept Search

Parshanut & Parshat Hashavua

Rashi (in English) by Parshah
JTS Podcasts and Parasha Archives
Mordechai Torczyner's WebShas - Index to the ...
The Torahnet Page
Mikra'ot Gedolot
Tanach Study Center
The Weekly Torah Portion Page Anthology
Parashat haShavuah Archives from JTS

Hebrew & Jewish Education

Hebrew fonts and installation instructions (in Hebrew and English)
Hebrew Language
Hebrew Phrase a Day

Jewish Internet Learning Resources
Pedagogic Center
Snunit

Holidays & Jewish Life

Jewish Family Life
My Jewish Learning
BabagaNewz: Jewish Kid's e-zine
Judaism 101
Online Hebrew Calendar

Resources and Educational Organizations

JESNA
CAJE
Bureau of Jewish Education, San Francisco:

Software

Davka
Torah Educational Software
Torah La’am: a comprehensive anthology of hyperlinked midrash on the Torah (available as a set or by individual parasha)

Jewish Toronto

TIKKUN OLAM (see sidebar)

Idealist.org: a master list of non-profit and humanitarian websites
CanadaHelps.org