On the third day of the Hebrew month of Elul, Jews worldwide marked the passing of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook. Rabbi Kook was one of the great rabbis of the twentieth century, the first Chief Rabbi in pre-state Israel, and the spiritual father of modern religious Zionism.

Rabbi Kook was born in Latvia in 1865. By the age of 23 he was already well known for his Torah knowledge, and had taken on the role of community rabbi.

In 1904 he moved to pre-state Israel to serve as the rabbi of Yafo (Jaffa). He went on to serve as the Ashkenazi Rabbi of Jerusalem and the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel in modern (pre-state) times, and to found the Jerusalem yeshiva that is named in his honor – Mercaz Harav.

Rabbi Kook was known for his unique religious philosophy, which blended Torah, Zionism, and love of the Jewish people. He believed that the Jewish return to the land of Israel signified a national and spiritual rebirth, and called to connect ancient Jewish traditions to the modern process of creating a state, “so that the new will become holy, and the ancient will be renewed.”

The rabbi died in Jerusalem in 1935, after suffering a mysterious illness for several months.

Raz: He Stuck to Principle

Author Simcha Raz, who has researched Rabbi Kook's life extensively for a biography on his life, spoke with Arutz Sheva on the rabbi's yartzheit (day of death), and recalled his dedication to principle.

At one point during Rabbi Kook's term as Rabbi of Jerusalem, the British rulers of pre-state Israel set up a committee to determine whether Jews or Muslims would be considered the owners of the Kotel (Western Wall), and what rights would be granted to each religious group. Rabbi Kook explained that the Kotel is entirely Jewish, and when asked if he had anything to add off the record, said, “The truth is not a coward. What I have to say, I will say openly.”

After that incident, the rabbi was approached by two senior Zionist officials, who warned him that his firm stance could lead to a loss of Jewish freedom to worship at the holy site. The two suggested that the Jewish community recognize Muslim sovereignty at the Kotel, but ask for rights as the current possessors of the site.

"May my hand wither if I ever sign such a document,” Rabbi Kook responded.