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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
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.
PARSHAT SHLACH: RAV KOOK ON “OVERCOMING SPYFULNESS”
“Often many obstacles can prevent one from fulfilling their own life path fully…One must overcome these with all one’s might…All the obstacles in the world cannot prevent one from living their lives fully.”
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
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
PESACH FREEDOM AND LIBERATION
“The foundational essence of freedom is that elevated spirit by which a human being and a nation rises to be loyal to their inner being-to the Tzelem Elokim-The Divine Image within.”
Humanity
RAV KOOK ON ‘MILCHAMA/WAR’: Part 2: ISRAEL MUST FIX THE WORLD
“Knesset Israel/The Community of Israel aspires to tikkun olam/repair the world in all its fullness and to effect purifying and original forgiveness. This comes not merely from the salvation of a human’s soul and improvement of their will….but rather from a comprehensive correction of the very cause of sins.” Rav Kook
RAV KOOK ON ‘MILCHAMA’:Part 1-WAR! WHY?
“We see that the spiritual and practical fabric of civilization in its present state can not prevent, despite all its glorious wisdom, wholesale slaughter and fearful world-destruction.”-Rav Kook
RAV KOOK ON VAYAKHEL: BUILDING THE 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’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 ON TETZAVEH: HOW TO ILLUMINATE EXISTENCE
“We must kindle and shine the light of eternal freedom and loving unification for all existence.” -Rav Kook
WHAT RAV KOOK SAYS WE NEED TO DO IMMEDIATELY TO FIX THE WORLD: STEP 4- GROW LOVE, ERASE HATE
“The heart must be filled with love for all.
The love of all creation comes first, then comes the love for all humankind, and then follows the love for Israel. It is the destiny of Israel to serve toward the perfection of all things. The objective of the entire Torah is to remove the roadblocks so that universal love will spread and extend to all realms of life.” Rav Kook
Existence
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
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.
PARSHAT KORACH: RAV KOOK ON ‘KORACH INTERNATIONAL’
“The world must recognize that one syllable, a statement of theoretical belief, is insufficient for anyone to fly to Paradise, while the entire gamut of evil, murder and abomination, -which is tucked away in the chambers of the spirit, in the person’s blood and flesh- is allowed to remain intact.”
PARSHAT SHLACH: RAV KOOK ON “OVERCOMING SPYFULNESS”
“Often many obstacles can prevent one from fulfilling their own life path fully…One must overcome these with all one’s might…All the obstacles in the world cannot prevent one from living their lives fully.”
RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT KEDOSHIM: HOW TO CREATE A WORLD OF UNIVERSAL LOVE
“The objective of the entire Torah is to remove the roadblocks so that universal love will spread and extend to all realms of life.” (Rav Kook)
Holy Days
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 ON THE SHOA: THE SOUND OF THE MONSTER SHOFAR
“The shofar of the impure animal is transformed into the shofar of Messiach. Amalek…Hitler and their ilk are awakening redemption.” -Rav Kook ZT”L in 1934
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
PESACH FREEDOM AND LIBERATION
“The foundational essence of freedom is that elevated spirit by which a human being and a nation rises to be loyal to their inner being-to the Tzelem Elokim-The Divine Image within.”
Rav Kook/History
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.”
Torat HaRav Kook in 200 words
The heart must be filled with love for all. The uniqueness of the inner soul, in its own authenticity, is the highest expression of the seed of divine light from which will bud and blossom the fruit of the tree of life.
RAV KOOK ON THE SHOA: THE SOUND OF THE MONSTER SHOFAR
“The shofar of the impure animal is transformed into the shofar of Messiach. Amalek…Hitler and their ilk are awakening redemption.” -Rav Kook ZT”L in 1934
WHAT RAV KOOK SAYS WE NEED TO DO IMMEDIATELY TO FIX THE WORLD: STEP 4- GROW LOVE, ERASE HATE
“The heart must be filled with love for all.
The love of all creation comes first, then comes the love for all humankind, and then follows the love for Israel. It is the destiny of Israel to serve toward the perfection of all things. The objective of the entire Torah is to remove the roadblocks so that universal love will spread and extend to all realms of life.” Rav Kook
WHAT RAV KOOK SAYS WE MUST DO IMMEDIATELY TO FIX THE WORLD: STEP 3-DEVELOP UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS
“All our thoughts must be directed to disclose the lights of the higher general harmony….When we confront the human scene and find divisions among, nations, religions, parties, with goals in conflict, we must endeavor with all our might to bring all together, to mend and to unite. We must preserve and develop every particular and our collective whole must be united and abounding in shalom-peace.”
WHAT RAV KOOK SAYS WE MUST DO IMMEDIATELY TO FIX THE WORLD: Step 2- FIX FAITH, REFINE RELIGION
“Atheism has a temporary legitimacy in order to purge away the aberrations that have attached themselves to religious faith because of a deficiency in perception and in the divine service….If religious faith is to be revitalized, a great effort is needed to deepen our knowledge of God.”- Rav Kook
