#Rav Kook tz&039;l

[israelseen1]

HARAV KOOK ON TISHA B’AV: REPAIRING THE WORLD WITH THE POWER OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

HARAV KOOK ON TISHA B’AV: REPAIRING THE WORLD WITH THE POWER OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE “If we  destroyed [the second Temple], and the world with us, through needless hatred, we will rebuild [the third Temple] and the world with us, through unconditional love.” (Notebook 8:47) This is one of Rabbi Avraham HaCohen Kook’s most well known and important statements. As Tisha Be’Av-the Ninth of Av…

[israelseen1]

RAV KOOK ON Parshat Balak: MODERNIZING BILAAM’S PROPHECIES

RAV KOOK ON Parshat Balak: MODERNIZING BILAAM’S PROPHECIES RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT BALAK: MODERNIZING BILAAM’S PROPHECIES In Parshat Balak, the Torah recounts Balak’s hateful fear of Israel and his unsuccessful attempts to curse  Israel through the prophet Bilaam. His claim that the ‘multitudes of Israelites will take over everything if we don’t stop them’ (BaMidbar 22:5,6) records perhaps the first…

[israelseen1]

PARSHAT SHLACH: RAV KOOK ON “OVERCOMING SPYFULNESS”

PARSHAT SHLACH: RAV KOOK ON “OVERCOMING SPYFULNESS” “A world of empty chaos preceded the world of building. And light came out of the darkness- ‘And the Creator said ‘Let there be light’ ” (Notebook 3:87) And hence “Existence is full of light and darkness, organization and confusion, repair and chaos.” (N. 1:172) Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook amplifies the Torah’s  teaching that Kilkul ve…

[israelseen1]

RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT KI TAVO: CREATING A WORLD ‘FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY’

RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT KI TAVO: CREATING A WORLD ‘FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY’ RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT KI TAVO: CREATING A WORLD ‘FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY’ “When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you as a heritage, and you possess it and settle in it (Dvarim 26:1)…HaShem brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey(Ibid 26:9)….And you shall…

[israelseen1]

RAV KOOK ON MOSES’S FATAL ANGRY ERROR AT THE WATERS OF DISPUTATION AND WHAT WE MUST DO TO FIX IT

RAV KOOK ON MOSES’S FATAL ANGRY ERROR AT THE WATERS OF DISPUTATION AND WHAT WE MUST DO TO FIX IT RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT CHUKAT: In Parshat Chukat, we read: “The Israelites arrived at the wilderness of Zin on the first new moon, and the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there.      The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron. The people quarreled…

[israelseen1]

RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT SHOFTIM: HOW TO CREATE A DIVINE SOCIETY

RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT SHOFTIM: HOW TO CREATE A DIVINE SOCIETY

RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT SHOFTIM: HOW TO CREATE A DIVINE SOCIETY RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT SHOFTIM: HOW TO CREATE A DIVINE SOCIETY Parshat Shoftim begins with a directive of how Israel must create a functional legal system: שֹׁפְטִ֣ים וְשֹֽׁטְרִ֗ים תִּֽתֶּן־לְךָ֙ בְּכׇל־שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ לִשְׁבָטֶ֑יךָ וְשָׁפְט֥וּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם מִשְׁפַּט־צֶֽדֶק׃  -You shall appoint magistrates…

[israelseen1]

RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYISHLACH:RESTORING THE BROTHERLY LOVE OF YAAKOV AND ESAU

RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYISHLACH:RESTORING THE BROTHERLY LOVE OF YAAKOV AND ESAU

RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYISHLACH:RESTORING THE BROTHERLY LOVE OF YAAKOV AND ESAU “וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח יַעֲקֹ֤ב מַלְאָכִים֙ לְפָנָ֔יו אֶל־עֵשָׂ֖ו אָחִ֑יו אַ֥רְצָה שֵׂעִ֖יר שְׂדֵ֥ה אֱדֽוֹם-Yaakov sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.” (Breishit 32:4) Yaakov is finally returning home. Twenty two years earlier he fled his twin brother’s very angry wrath. Yaakov…

[israelseen1]

THE LIGHTS OF RAV KOOK: SUKKOT JOY AND UNIVERSALITY

THE LIGHTS OF RAV KOOK: SUKKOT JOY AND UNIVERSALITY

THE LIGHTS OF RAV KOOK: SUKKOT JOY AND UNIVERSALITY “Radiant is the world soul, Full of splendor and beauty, Full of life,  Of souls hidden, Of treasures of the holy spirit, Of fountains of strength, Of greatness and beauty.”  -Rav Kook TZ’L (Orot HaKodesh 2:247) The new beginning of Rosh HaShana and the cleansing of Yom Kippur brings us to the joy of Succot. We are now invited to step out of our…

[israelseen1]

RAV KOOK ON ROSH HASHANAH: RENEWING THE POWER OF RENEWAL

RAV KOOK ON ROSH HASHANAH: RENEWING THE POWER OF RENEWAL

RAV KOOK ON ROSH HASHANAH: RENEWING THE POWER OF RENEWAL We are beginning the 5782nd year of our human historical experience. Our personal and collective behavior has resulted in a planetary existence that has much good and much bad, many blessings and many challenges, many joys and many tragedies. In the process of tshuva/return we are directed to examine our behavior, personally and…

[israelseen1]

PARSHAT RE’EH: RAV KOOK ON ‘HOW TO BE HAPPY’

PARSHAT RE’EH: RAV KOOK ON ‘HOW TO BE HAPPY’

Illustrations by Esther Aarts PARSHAT RE’EH: RAV KOOK ON ‘HOW TO BE HAPPY’ The choice is ours: “Behold- I am placing before you a ברכה-blessing and a קללה-curse.   The blessing will come if you obey the directives of YHVH, your Elohim, which I am prescribing to you today. The curse will come, if you do not obey the commandments of YHVH your Elohim.”  (Deut. 11:26,27) Moshe Rabbeinu is explaining…

[israelseen1]

RAV KOOK ON ISRAEL’S RESPONSIBILITY TO UNITE THE WORLD: MATTOT/MAASEI

RAV KOOK ON ISRAEL’S RESPONSIBILITY TO UNITE THE WORLD: MATTOT/MAASEI

RAV KOOK ON ISRAEL’S RESPONSIBILITY TO UNITE THE WORLD: MATTOT/MAASEI What does Torah HaRav Kook teach us about Parshat Maaseh’s significance for our day?  The Parsha recounts the Children of Israel’s 42 step 40 year journey from the enslavement of Egypt to the borders of Israel. They are about to cross over to inherit Israel and Moshe is beginning to share his final words with the Children of…