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Haorot Blog Articles
Self
OUR FREEDOM AND THE BURNING OF CHAMETZ
“Intrinsic freedom is that exalted spirit by which a person- as well as the nation as a whole- is inspired to remain faithful to their inner essence, to the spiritual attribute of the Divine image within. It is that attribute which enables one to feel that their life has purpose and value.” – Rav Kook
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYAKHEL: WE MUST BUILD A TEMPLE OF GENEROSITY AND KINDNESS
“The holy temple must be built in our inner spirit every day through thoughts and acts of kindness and compassion. We need to know that when the longing to be good to all is intensified in us an illumination from the higher realm has reached us.” -Rav Kook ZT’L
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT TRUMA: HOW TO LIVE IN THE divine PRESENCE OF THE SHECHINA
“Ascend towards the heights, ascend. You are of mighty prowess, you have wings to soar with, wings of mighty eagles. Do not fail them, lest they fail you; seek for them and they will be immediately ready for you.” -Rav Kook
RAV KOOK’S ILLUMINATED GUIDE TO ENLIGHTENMENT: Step 2-BECOME A UNIVERSALIST
“We must raise our thought and will and basic preoccupations towards universality, to the inclusion of all, to the whole world, to the collective of Israel, to all existence.” -Rav Kook
RAV KOOK’S ILLUMINATED GUIDE TO ENLIGHTENMENT: Step 1- A CALL TO HIGHER CONTEMPLATION
“Ascend toward the heights, because you are of mighty prowess, you have wings to soar with, wings of mighty eagles.” -Rav Kook
The Inner Spark
The inner essence of the soul, which reflects, which lives the true spiritual life, must have absolute inner freedom. It experiences its freedom, which is life, through its originality in thought, which is its inner spark that can be fanned to a flame through study and concentration.
Nation
RAV KOOK ON MISHPATIM: THE ISRAELITE WAY OF LIVING LAWFULLY
“These are the laws of the higher moral Torah that is engaged in the quest for universal good.” Rav Kook ZT’L
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT YITRO: BECOMING A HOLY NATION BY ESTABLISHING A HOLY GOVERNMENT
“We are obligated not only to be holy individuals, but also, and especially to be ‘a kingdom of priests and a holy nation’. We should aspire to establish a government worthy of the task.” -Rav Kook ZT’L
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYECHI-WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THESE END OF DAYS?
“We are called to a new future, full of the highest illumination, to a new era that will surpass in strength all the great eras that preceded it.”
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYETZEH: THE home OF JACOB’S UNIVERSAL MISSION
“The descendants of Yaakov Avinu must help humankind emerge from terrible spiritual and physical suffering and to bring it to a life of freedom full of splendor and bliss.”
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT CHAYEI SARAH: BECOMING HEROES OF KINDNESS
“We must become powerfully heroic forces to ensure that kindness rules the world.” Rav Kook TZ’L
RAV KOOK ON LECH LECHA: THE UNIVERSAL AVRAHAM -the father of ISRAEL
“The children of Avraham must give voice to the the vast realm of the divine calling to existence to become illuminated.” Rav Kook ZT’L
Humanity
RAV KOOK ON MISHPATIM: THE ISRAELITE WAY OF LIVING LAWFULLY
“These are the laws of the higher moral Torah that is engaged in the quest for universal good.” Rav Kook ZT’L
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYESHEV: THE DIVINE COINCIDENCES THAT MOVE HISTORY TO ABSOLUTE GOOD
“We must recognize that even the most distant and seemingly unrelated actions and events are part of the precise-Divine Providence bringing existence to its highest good.”
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYETZEH: THE home OF JACOB’S UNIVERSAL MISSION
“The descendants of Yaakov Avinu must help humankind emerge from terrible spiritual and physical suffering and to bring it to a life of freedom full of splendor and bliss.”
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYERA: PERFECTING THE WORLD DOING RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE
“We must bring humankind out of its physical and spiritual suffering to a life of freedom full of splendor and delight.”
RAV KOOK ON NOACH: HOW TO BE A COMPLETE TZADIK IN OUR GENERATION
“Noach was the complete tzadik of his generation because he fully integrated his emotions and intellect and was thus able to walk with Elohim.”
RAV KOOK ON BREISHIT: BEGINNING NOW AND AGAIN AND BETTER THAN EVER
“The Torah of Israel clarifies how the state of the world and human ethics are dependent on each other. It is clear that the improvement of the world is dependent on ethical improvement. This is the essence of the Israelite understanding of the Creator. ”
Existence
RAV KOOK ON BREISHIT: BEGINNING NOW AND AGAIN AND BETTER THAN EVER
“The Torah of Israel clarifies how the state of the world and human ethics are dependent on each other. It is clear that the improvement of the world is dependent on ethical improvement. This is the essence of the Israelite understanding of the Creator. ”
HARAV HA’NAZIR ZT’L:THE SCROLL OF WAR AND PEACE
“The leaders of all the nations, their ministers, advisors and parliaments must legislate that the law ‘Do not murder” includes the prohibition of the mass murder of war. They must forbid war, not declare it…”
TU BE’AV- FIFTEENTH OF AV-THE HOLY DAY OF LOVE : Torat HaKabbala and Torat HaRav Kook
Rav Kook gave expression to the Torah of Love transforming from the the Torah of Yirah-Awe/Fear that characterized the Torah during our long exile from Israel.
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT TETZAVEH: HOW TO ILLUMINATE LIFE
“We must kindle the light of eternal freedom and loving unification for all existence.”
RAV KOOK ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF HUMANKIND AND THE ENVIRONMENT
“We must recognize our covenant with the stones and animals of the field”
WHAT RAV KOOK SAYS WE MUST DO IMMEDIATELY TO FIX THE WORLD: Step 1- OBEY THE LAWS OF NATURE
“We must act in harmony with the laws of life and protect the laws of nature, morality and the Torah. Thus we will repair and renew life’s vitality.”
Parshat Hashavua – Weekly TOrah Portion
RAV KOOK ON MISHPATIM: THE ISRAELITE WAY OF LIVING LAWFULLY
“These are the laws of the higher moral Torah that is engaged in the quest for universal good.” Rav Kook ZT’L
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT YITRO: BECOMING A HOLY NATION BY ESTABLISHING A HOLY GOVERNMENT
“We are obligated not only to be holy individuals, but also, and especially to be ‘a kingdom of priests and a holy nation’. We should aspire to establish a government worthy of the task.” -Rav Kook ZT’L
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYECHI-WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THESE END OF DAYS?
“We are called to a new future, full of the highest illumination, to a new era that will surpass in strength all the great eras that preceded it.”
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYESHEV: THE DIVINE COINCIDENCES THAT MOVE HISTORY TO ABSOLUTE GOOD
“We must recognize that even the most distant and seemingly unrelated actions and events are part of the precise-Divine Providence bringing existence to its highest good.”
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYETZEH: THE home OF JACOB’S UNIVERSAL MISSION
“The descendants of Yaakov Avinu must help humankind emerge from terrible spiritual and physical suffering and to bring it to a life of freedom full of splendor and bliss.”
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT CHAYEI SARAH: BECOMING HEROES OF KINDNESS
“We must become powerfully heroic forces to ensure that kindness rules the world.” Rav Kook TZ’L
Holy Days
The Cruse Of Oil – Rav Kook on Chanukah
“When the kingdom of the Hasmoneans was victorious, they searched and found only one cruse of oil with the seal of the high priest intact. It had enough oil to light the candelabrum for one day, but amiracle occurred and they lit [the candelabrum] with it for eight days.” Tractate Shabbat 21b
THE LAMP OF CHANUKAH
Rav Kook wrote this essay in 1935 aware of the “evil winds carrying unbridled hatred toward Israel...”: It is a mitzvah to place the Chanukah lamp on the outside of one’s doorway, but during times of danger, it is sufficient to place it upon one’s table. -Tractate...
RAV KOOK ON CHANUKAH: KINDLING THE INDIVIDUAL AND UNIVERSAL LIGHT
“Each of us is required to kindle our unique light in order to help fully illuminate the world.”
THE LIGHTS OF RAV KOOK: SUKKOT JOY AND UNIVERSALITY
“The firmer our vision of universality- the greater the joy we will experience and the more we merit the grace of divine illumination.”
RAV KOOK ON YOM HAKIPPURIM:THE DAY OF AT-ONE-MENT
“On the holy day of Yom HaKippurim- we eat and drink from our holy inner voices of understanding.”
RAV KOOK ON ROSH HASHANA: RENEWING THE POWER OF RENEWAL
“As the year is renewed the power of renewal elevates the human will and adds holiness to all.”
Rav Kook/History
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT YITRO: BECOMING A HOLY NATION BY ESTABLISHING A HOLY GOVERNMENT
“We are obligated not only to be holy individuals, but also, and especially to be ‘a kingdom of priests and a holy nation’. We should aspire to establish a government worthy of the task.” -Rav Kook ZT’L
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYECHI-WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THESE END OF DAYS?
“We are called to a new future, full of the highest illumination, to a new era that will surpass in strength all the great eras that preceded it.”
RAV KOOK ON CHANUKAH: KINDLING THE INDIVIDUAL AND UNIVERSAL LIGHT
“Each of us is required to kindle our unique light in order to help fully illuminate the world.”
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYESHEV: THE DIVINE COINCIDENCES THAT MOVE HISTORY TO ABSOLUTE GOOD
“We must recognize that even the most distant and seemingly unrelated actions and events are part of the precise-Divine Providence bringing existence to its highest good.”
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT VAYETZEH: THE home OF JACOB’S UNIVERSAL MISSION
“The descendants of Yaakov Avinu must help humankind emerge from terrible spiritual and physical suffering and to bring it to a life of freedom full of splendor and bliss.”
RAV KOOK ZT”L-MY JOURNEY WITH BA’AL HA’OROT-THE MASTER OF THE LIGHTS
“All our endeavors must be directed toward disclosing the the light of universal harmony, which derives not from suppressing any power, any thought, any tendency, but bringing each of them within the vast ocean of infinite light, where all things find their unity, where all is ennobled and exalted, all is hallowed.”
