The Idea of Tikkun (Part 1)

The word Tikkun (תקון) itself is found only once in Tanach, where we’re told that “what is crooked cannot be made straight” or corrected (Eccl. 1:15). And that’s clearly the import of the act of Tikkun in Klach as well as in other Kabbalistic works.

Tikkun is used in Targum Onkelus quite interestingly in a couple of instances. The verse that reads “a woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing” (Deut. 22:5) is translated in Onkelus as “a woman must not wear men’s Tikkun, nor a man wear women’s Tikkun”, referring to a piece of clothing or in our context, as the thing that functions as the final adjustment of one’s appearance. Also see Onkelus to Exodus 33:4-6 where it’s used to refer to one’s jewelry or ornaments, which is the ultimate adjustment of one’s appearance.

 

(c) 2013 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

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