Several days ago I had a conversation with a dear friend that today, has me thinking about "lamed-vavniks". Jewish legend has it that the "lamed-vavniks" are 36 completely righteous, good people committing acts of kindness, taking pity on the poor and compassion on the helpless and it was for their sake that the world was created. Legend also says that as long as God can find 36 righteous people the world will go on and of course, on the day He can't find 36 "lamed-vavniks" the world will perish.
The world is a complicated place populated by complex people and every day I am amazed that life goes on as well as it does. It seems to me the world operates by agreements and small acts of kindness. Most of us agree to stop at red lights and to pay for what we take from stores. If it were not for such agreements the world would be chaos. Of course I don't believe the legend of "lamed-vavniks." It seems to me however that some people are "lamed-vavniks" in their own right, working at "tikkun olam"… repairing the world and making a difference. Some of us march on Washington to right the problems in government…. some of us feed the hungry (though it's against the law in some parts of Las Vegas)…. some of us hold the hand of the ill and dying and some of us fight for our children, the children of the world. Some of us walk to raise money for Alzheimer's disease research or Diabetes and some of us merely extend a helping hand to our fellow man. Making a difference. In my mind it's the intention to do something to make a difference that keeps chaos at bay.
I have to believe that the majority of the people on the planet have some degree of righteousness or the legend of the "lamed-vavniks" would be real and the world would perish.
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