Why are so many Jews involved in altruistic causes?

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Why are so many Jews involved in altruistic causes?

by Rabbi Mendy Hecht

The Jewish nation was created with a mission: A mission to introduce G-d to the world, to bring all of creation to its Creator, and to turn a jungle into the garden it was meant to be. To achieve this goal G-d gives the Jew an innate desire and ability to create change, as well as the gift of Torah, which provides both the manual and the tools to implement the change G-d desires.

So the soul of the Jew naturally yearns for change. Ideally, its vision is actualized through the guidance of Torah. When, for whatever reason, the Jew is not leading a Torah life, the yearning of the soul must find other expressions.

In turn, this leads to the phenomenon captured oh-so-well by playwright David Mamet: “Not only do we Jews put ourselves behind every cause and movement, we put ourselves behind every whale and dolphin.” Not that I have anything against saving whales, the point is that Jews would be so much happier and "fulfilled" if they just found the ultimate "cause": living as a Jew in accordance with the directives of Torah.¹

Footnotes

1. This doesn't mean giving up on saving whales; to the contrary, a Torah fulfilled life will enhance any good one is currently involved in.

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Jewish Identity » Who/What is a Jew?

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