Rabbi Dov Begonis Head of Jerusalem's Yeshivat Machon Meir
This week, on the 3rd of Elul, we will mark ninety years since the ascent to Heaven of the noble and radiant soul of Rabbi Kook, of blessed memory, the visionary and faithful shepherd of the nation in the generation of Israel’s revival, may it continue to completion in our time.
While in the past several decades we have been fortunate to witness a great awakening in the baal t’shuva movement, a large number of our brothers and sisters have abandoned religious practice. We have also been confronted with the need to unite the nation and bring it closer to its roots - to discover a path to disentangle the conflict between the religious and the non-religious.
To accomplish these undertakings, Rabbi Kook teaches us that, first and foremost, one must more deeply clarify the essence of Israel, the unique quality of the Israelite spirit and national soul. The special nature of Israel comes from the heritage of the Patriarchs and from the fact that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, chose us from all the nations, as it is written in our portion: “You are children of the Lord your God… for you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a treasured people for Himself, above all the nations on the face of the earth” (Devorim 14:1-2). And as Rashi explains: “For you are a holy people” - your holiness is from your ancestors; and moreover, ‘the Lord has chosen you.’”
We must recognize that “within every single Jew, from the greatest to the smallest, the light of the living God burns and shines in holy splendor” (Rabbi Kook, “Orot Yisrael” 9:4). And in the words of Rabbi Meir: “’You are children of the Lord your God’ - you are still called children, even when you behave foolishly, or are unbelieving, or even idolaters, God forbid. As the prophet said: ‘And it shall be, in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ it shall be said to them, ‘You are children of the living God’” (see Hosea 2, Kiddushin 36a).
The Jewish People have an innate inner holiness. Whether we perform good deeds or not, our inner holiness remains constantly pure. Indeed, throughout our history, from generation to generation, our religious behavior has fluctuated but we always remain God’s Chosen Nation. Our periods of straying do not change in the slightest the fact that we are children of the Lord our God, and that He chooses us at all times and in every place with love, as we daily say: “Who chooses His people Israel with love” (Blessings of the Shema).
At present, in our generation of national rebirth, the generation of the “footsteps of the Messiah,” the strength of our innate holiness is increasing dramatically. More and more, the covenant of the Patriarchs, which never ceases, is being revealed. The content of the prayer, “Who remembers the kindnesses of the Patriarchs and brings redemption to their children’s children, for His Name’s sake with love,” is literally being fulfilled before our very eyes in the ingathering of exiles and in the building of our State, which continues to grow and advance by great strides (see “Letter of Rabbi Kook” 595).
True, in the realm of choice, there are those with deficiencies in deeds, in character, and in opinions. But their orientation to Torah will change, and they will return to choose the good, God willing. There is no good but Torah.
As Rabbi Kook wrote: “The love of Israel is a result of faith in the divine light of Knesset Yisrael, which is an essential holiness that can never be removed, through all the changes of time. Most of all, this exalted love must be aroused within people of outstanding heart and spirit at a time when the nation descends in religious adherence, when desecration of the sacred and disdain for religion appear in full force and vigor. These men of lofty spirit discern that despite all this, the strength of Israel is intact and eternally bonded to its God They look into the inner light that penetrates the spirit of the collective, where it dwells also in every individual Jewish soul, whether revealed or hidden, even in a soul that has turned far away from the path of God” (Orot Yisrael 4:2).
Guided by this exalted teaching, we must strive to increase love within Israel. Thusly, we will all merit that “A new light will shine upon Zion” - speedily in our days, Amen.