In a speech Monday night, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton encouraged a group of Jewish Labor Committee supporters in New York City to use the Jewish principle of “Tikkun Olam,” meaning to repair the world, to justify fighting the Trump presidency ahead of the 2020 presidential election, according to The Times of Israel.

Rabbi Aryeh Spero is the president of Caucus for America, author, columnist and president & spokesman for the National Conference on Jewish Affairs. Spero told this reporter that Clinton was ‘mischaracterizing’ the term Tikkun Olam to score political points.

“When liberals and Democrats speak today of “Tikkun O’lam” they are mischaracterizing and convoluting a concept for political gain and to provide a “religious” sheen on the left/liberalism that has been their political agenda for decades,” said Rabbi Aryeh Spero, in a telephone interview. “They are manipulating Tikkun O’lam to conform to their a’priori devotion to liberalism and provide themselves license to social engineer virtually every aspect of society, permanently embed the welfare state, and transform America into a socialist model. This has been their desire for years and they have chanced upon a slogan to do so.”

Spero continued, “The truth is that Tikkun Olam is a rather conservative calling. It means that the Jewish people should make well-known the name of the One God and the commandments and limitations He has set for mankind. Many of these restraints on conduct are, in fact, ostracized by liberal groups, as is the concept of submitting to the Divine authority. Worshiping God is the historic meaning of Tikkun Olam, for fidelity to God’s law repairs the world. Tikkun Olam was never conceived 3,000 years ago as a call for the social engineering of society into a welfare state and socialism. Nor is it to be used to fight against the founding principles of personal accountability, liberty, and local control. “

“Long ago, some interpreted “Tikkun Olam” as a call to mankind to produce products and services that benefit people, as is the goal of companies and our human creativity. It also was used by the Talmud to warn people and institutions not to physically harm their neighbors.”

Clinton spoke to a room filled with 250 people attending the group’s 48th annual human rights awards dinner, according to the news site. The friendly crowd applauded and laughed as she criticized the President and his administration.

“In her speech, Mrs. Clinton used Tikkun Olam to condemn all the policies of the Trump administration. Such rhetoric seems to be much too political.” Spero said, “She even included in her remarks a castigation of our immigration policies. But, this belies the reality of Torah, which is much more protective of a nation’s borders and a country’s existing citizens. Torah does not espouse Open Borders or a No-Need-for-Vetting policy. No way!”

The Jewish Labor Committee is a non-profit organization that advertises itself as a group that “enables the Jewish community and the trade union movement to work together on important issues of shared interest and concern, in pursuit of our shared commitment to economic and social justice.” It’s headquartered in New York and has several local offices across the country.

Notably, JLC is a strong critic of the State of Israel. The group recently signed onto a letter condemning support of “Israeli annexation” of portions of the West Bank.

“The term Tikkun Olam has been politicized by the Left in service to the agenda of groups such as the Jewish Labor Committee, a radical and marxist-oriented group from way back. For the Left everything is politicized, even our religion. Their first and foremost loyalty is to their socialism/collectivism, not Jewish law,” Rabbi Spero concluded.