The Optimism of Rav Kook
Rabbi Avraham Isaac Kook (1865-1935) is one of the most prominent rabbis of the 20 th century. His prominence is not only due to his genius as a Talmudic scholar. What made him distinctive (and in some circles despised) was his optimism. Rabbi Kook viewed the nascent Zionist movement as a harbinger of a new era in Jewish history. Rabbi Kook embraced a secular and even anti-Halachic movement as being part of a necessary renaissance of the Jewish people.
In this series with Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman explore some of Rabbi Kook’s writings which expresses this sense of optimism and of living through a seismic change in the history of our people.
The Optimism of Rav Kook: The Optimism of Rav Kook
Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen Kook zt”l (1865-1935) is perhaps the most polarizing figure in the Jewish people since the Rambam. There are those who see him as the great visionary and there are those who see him as the source of all the disasters that befell us in the twentieth century. There is also a large group “in the middle.” This group does not agree with many of Rav Kook’s decisions but out of respect for his scholarship they will not condemn him so they ignore him. That is the reason why his writings are studied in only certain yeshivot.
A course on Rav Kook could be focused on his biography and what he achieved in Israel. It could also focus on the ideology that he created. But, in my opinion these subjects are best taught by academic historians. When it was suggested that I talk about Rav Kook I said that I would like to talk about, through his writings, the impression that Rav Kook made on me. Rav Kook was an optimist. Rav Kook embraced the nascent Zionist movement when Zionism was not much more than a dream led by people whom, to put it mildly, did not share Rav Kook’s religious values. Rav Kook saw the good in the secular pioneers and by aligning himself with them he brought upon himself the wrath of many of his greatest colleagues.
As I said, Rav Kook was an optimist. Where others saw disaster, he saw opportunity for growth and he welcomed and looked forward to change.
In these sessions we will see some of the writings of Rav Kook which I find inspiring.
I hope that everyone will find something positive in these sessions.
The Optimism of Rav Kook: The Optimism of Rav Kook
Hello Everyone,
Last week we began our series on the optimism of Rav Kook. In order to demonstrate the originality of Rav Kook’s thought I structured last week’s meeting as a debate between Rav Kook and one of his most famous opponents, the Rebbe of Satmar.
Today we will see one of Rav Kook’s earliest writings ( which isthe first one that I ever saw), the introduction to Rav Kook’s book on the subject of Shmittah, שבת הארץ . In this introduction Rav Kook spells out his perspective on exile and redemption. This essay of Rav Kook’s made an impression on me that remains with me after 43 years.
The Optimism of Rav Kook: The Optimism of Rav Kook
Hello Everyone,
The optimism of Rav Kook , his willingness to see in the nascent Zionist movement something positive was an expression of something fundamental in his perception of life. Rav Kook was a great scholar. His absolute devotion to the Torah was unassailable. Yet, despite this devotion to the Torah, he differed from his contemporaries. What made him unique? I think that Rav Kook explained his difference in a very early pamphlet of his titled אדר היקר. Rav Kook wrote the pamphlet in memory of his father-in-law, Rav Eliyahu David Rabinowitz-Teomim. In this pamphlet Rav Kook portrays his late father-in-law ( who was a rabbi in Europe and in his later years was the rabbi of Jerusalem) as being different from the other rabbis of his time. His difference was expressed in his happiness and love of life. Rav Kook goes on to express his criticism of Jewish life. He describes Jewish society as having suffered from its centuries-long exposure to Christianity. Rav Kook says that Christianity preaches a dichotomy , the material world cannot coexist with the spiritual world. This dichotomy leads to what Rav Kook calls “fanatical negativism” which destroys the spirit. Rav Kook says that the greatest need of Jewish society is to free itself from this sort of religious thought.
In today’s session we will study this critique of Jewish society which led to his embracing the Zionist movement.
The Optimism of Rav Kook: The Optimism of Rav Kook
Hello Everyone,
We have been studying the works of Rav Kook zt”l for the past few weeks. We have seen his optimism regarding both the time during which he lived and the future of the Jewish people.
Today I hope to share with you some of his reflective writing. Rav Kook was neither naive nor oblivious. He was well aware that his approach to finding a way to work with the secular Zionists was revolutionary. Today we will see some of his writing which presents his ideas on accommodating competing ideas within the Jewish people.
Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman graduated from Yeshiva University in 1980 and the dental school of Columbia University in 1985. In 1989 he began studying and teaching at Yeshivat Hamivtar and now studies and teaches at Yeshivat Machanaim in Efrat. He has rabbinic ordination from Rav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg.