Does the word “mitzvah” mean “good deed”? Is it a commandment? Can it be both?
The London-based initiative Mitzvah Day answer the question, and then answer is pretty straightforward: Pick a project and start helping people. Here’s a video that explains it better, courtesy of U2:
(And if you fast-forward to about 2:55 in the video, you’ll see British Prime Minister Tony Blair pronounce the word “mitzvah” more awkwardly than anyone else in history.)
Mitzvah Day started in the UK, but it’s an international effort. Friend-of-MJL Karoline Henriques is in Israel. This Friday, she’ll be teaming up with Leket, Israel’s National Food Bank–as she puts it, “pickin’ some fruits and doin’ some good!” I can’t think of a better way to save the world. (Except, maybe, by eating them yourself. Um, never mind.) Want to help? In Israel? Leave a message in the comments!