Join the Mitzvah League
I have started a new club. So far, I am the only member. It has to do with mitzvahs, roughly translated from the Judaic faith tradition as “good deeds.” I’m not Jewish, but as in nearly every faith tradition, Judaism embraces good-deed-doing. It’s as close as we get to a universal religious principal. Different faiths give different names for the act of doing good, but I chose “mitzvah” because I liked the sound of it the best. It’s got a certain pop to it, and certainly sounds better than simply saying, “I am all over that good-deed-doing!”
While a mitzvah can be something really large and life changing, one could think of mitzvahs more as little deeds, done on a regular basis, as a matter of habit. Mitzvahs are not the meal—rather they are the chips you dip into the salsa of life.
“While a mitzvah can be something really large and life changing, one could think of mitzvahs more as little deeds, done on a regular basis, as a matter of habit.”
Why the small-but-good deeds? Well, why not? There’s no excuse not to do them—the world offers opportunities for little good deeds every hour of every day. They indicate an inconspicuous gratitude that can be whispered softly and continuously—perhaps because God sometimes speaks to us in a whisper we can only hear when we are calm and quiet.
What, pray-tell (pun intended) are some of these small mitzvahs? The simplest one is a smile—just being nice and pleasant, particularly during encounters in which your first instinct is to be abrupt. A related and higher-form mitzvah is to be calm and calming when others are stressed. An example of a practical mitzvah would be to allow cars to cut in front of you during a traffic jam. To feel the power of this on others and on yourself, choose to do a mitzvah three times each day—you’ll notice the difference.
Another everyday mitzvah is tipping. Try not to rationalize, calculate, or be sentimental. Just add another 5 percent to whatever you normally give. This can create happiness for the person serving you, and will truly brighten your own day as well.
Whenever you feel your spirit getting a little flabby, try this seven-day program of mitzvahs. It’s a cure for what ails you.
DAY ONE
Say “good morning” like you mean it.
Let one car merge in front of you.
Defend a cause—something that matters to you, big or small.
DAY TWO
Wish somebody a happy birthday (preferably on their actual birthday).
Catch yourself being judgmental (limit to one time) and let go of said judgment.
Offer, silently or aloud, your well wishes without conditions.
DAY THREE
Call someone you’ve been meaning to call (but haven’t gotten around to calling) just to say hello and find out how they’re doing.
Let three cars in front of you this day.
Listen, and try to understand a different viewpoint.
DAY FOUR
Say one prayer of thanks without asking for anything.
Gratuitously cut in front of one car because it’s unhealthy to be “good” all the time and someone else needs to do their own mitzvah, right?
Give someone five more minutes of your time than you think you have.
DAY FIVE
Smile at everyone you interact with, no matter how brief the moment.
Let three more cars in.
Do someone a favor without being asked. Don’t remind them of that time you did them a favor… ever.
DAY SIX
Let two cars in.
Find your neighborhood lemonade stand, and pay double what the kid asks for.
Compliment someone's work or ideas, and say “well done” like you mean it.
DAY SEVEN
Let one car in. Continue into the future indefinitely looking for opportunities to let cars in—it’s not that easy sometimes, so you have to work on it.
Allow someone else to do a mitzvah for you, and be sure to recognize when they do.
Discover a new mitzvah of your own, and email it to ray@mitzvahleague.com so we can add it to the program!
Mitzvahs are especially beneficial in combating cynicism, and its lesser, hipper younger brother, irony. Honestly, haven’t we had just about enough of that lately? Cynicism fills life like a balloon, with snide, hot air. Your little daily mitzvahs should be the pin that lets that hot air out.
Getting into the habit of daily mitzvahs is the object of the newly founded and extremely under-subscribed Mitzvah League. I am rolling this out in hopes that you can be recruited. It may not be the Season of Giving now, but small gifts and gratitude are always in style. Happy Mitzvah-ing!