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Haorot Blog Articles
Self
Know Yourself
From his own inner tendencies,
a person must come to know what he content he must actualize [in the world].
And let him always be happy with his portion in life, and embrace it energetically.
Returning to Your True Self
When we forget our personal soul,
when we distract our mind away from looking into the inner life of the unique self,
everything becomes blurry and uncertain.
Nation
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT RE’EH:HOW TO BE BLESSEDLY HAPPY
“We can thus fully actualize the exalted ideals of life.
The Torah of Israel is outstanding in crystallizing the idealism that will spread across all of the configurations of life.” (Rav Kook)
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT EKEV: HOW TO FEAR HASHEM FEARLESSLY
“Let us fear God in ways that bear love and inner delight and elevate and vitalize all the potentialities of our soul.” -Rav Kook
PARSHAT VAETCHANAN: RAV KOOK ON ‘UNITING EXISTENCE’
“All of life’s endeavors must be directed to disclose the light of the higher general harmony.”
PARSHAT PINCHAS: RAV KOOK ON HOW TO BE A HOLY ZEALOT.
“Divine zealotry will become an active force that spreads love to the entire expanse of life.” -Rav Kook
Parshat Balak: Rav Kook Prophesies That Israel Will Illuminate The World.
“Our nation will be built and established. It will return to its strength, to all its foundations of life through its faithfulness and reverence. [Israel’s] exalted Godly sanctification will expand, become courageous, perfect and grow strong….The hidden secret will become clear to all the nations and kingdoms that the world’s future depends on the revival of the community of Israel.”
PARSHAT CHUKAT: RAV KOOK ON MOSES’S FATAL ANGRY ERROR AT THE WATERS OF DISPUTATION AND WHAT WE MUST DO TO FIX IT
The Torah of Chesed/Kindness is the elevated Torah. The highest holiness can [only] come to the world in a peaceful way, with guidance that is full of calmness, tranquility and honor.
Humanity
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 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 ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF HUMANKIND AND THE ENVIRONMENT
“We must recognize our covenant with the stones and animals of the field”
HARAV KOOK ON TISHA B’AV: REPAIRING THE WORLD WITH THE POWER OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
“If we [the second Temple] were destroyed, and the world with us, through needless hatred, we will be re-built and the world with us, through unconditional love.” (Rav Kook)
PARSHAT MASEI: RAV KOOK ON ISRAEL’S RESPONSIBILITY TO UNITE THE WORLD
The Israelite understanding of the world and life is at its foundation about the dominance of the unified world perspective over the separated world perspective….
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.”
Existence
Radiant is the World Soul
The higher expression of tshuva comes about as a flash of illumination of the all-good, the divine, the light of the One who abides in eternity. The universal soul, the spiritual essence is revealed to us in all its majesty and holiness, to the extent that the human heart can absorb it.
A Summons to Higher Contemplation
Contemplate the wonders of creation, the divine dimension of their being, not as a dim configuration that is presented to you from the distance but as the reality in which you live.
Teshuva Emerges From the Depths of Being
Teshuva Emerges From the Depths of Being “Teshuva emerges from the depths of being, from such great depths in which the individual stands not as a separate entity, but rather as a continuation of the vastness of universal existence
The 5 Foundations of Existence
Rav Kook’s primary student, HaRav David Cohen-HaRav HaNazir -after many years of deep immersion in Rav Kook’s writings- explained that Rav Kook’s understanding and presentation of existence is based on 5 foundational principles.
Parshat Hashavua – Weekly TOrah Portion
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 LECH LECHA: THE UNIVERSAL AVRAHAM AND 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
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. ”
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT KI TAVO: CREATING A WORLD ‘FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY’
“The highest sensibility in the soul of the people of Israel is the quest for universal justice and morality.”
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT SHOFTIM: HOW TO CREATE A DIVINE SOCIETY
“The true purpose of societal life is to enable human beings to fill life with light and good, with justice and knowledge of the Divine.”
Holy Days
RAV KOOK ON ELUL- ‘TSHUVA-RETURNING TO OUR TRUE BEING ‘
“Within our yearning for Tshuva is a hidden life-force for overcoming every factor that limits and weakens existence.”
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.
HARAV KOOK ON TISHA B’AV: REPAIRING THE WORLD WITH THE POWER OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
“If we [the second Temple] were destroyed, and the world with us, through needless hatred, we will be re-built and the world with us, through unconditional love.” (Rav Kook)
In Honor Of Shavuot: Rav Kook On Why The Creator Spoke To Israel
“Knesset Yisrael/The Community of Israel aspires to the tikkun/repair of the world in all its fullness.”
RAV KOOK ON JERUSALEM AS THE GATEWAY TO EDEN:
“Yerushalayim, and Zion in particular, is a teaching about the return of humankind to its highest status -to the point that all the nations who divided into many streams in the past will return to form one pure and good unit”. -Rav Kook, TZ”L
RAV KOOK IN HONOR OF YOM HA’ATZMAUT: THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND NATIONALISM
“Our state, the State of Israel, is the foundation of God’s throne in the world- her whole desire is that God will be one and God’s Name one.” -Rav Kook
Rav Kook/History
SHIR HASHIRIM ASHER LE’SHLOMO: RAV KOOK AND RABBI SHLOMO CARLEBACH:
“Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach was perhaps the most profound exemplar of Rav Kook’s teachings in our time.”
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 LECH LECHA: THE UNIVERSAL AVRAHAM AND 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
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.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RAV KOOK: THE POETIC MASTER OF LIGHT ZT”L
“To raise ourselves beyond the divisions For the greatness of the nation To expand our consciousness As broad as the ocean.”
RAV KOOK ON ELUL- ‘TSHUVA-RETURNING TO OUR TRUE BEING ‘
“Within our yearning for Tshuva is a hidden life-force for overcoming every factor that limits and weakens existence.”
