Yisrael Medad is a Research Fellow at the Menachem Begin Center where he was Director of Information Resources and is among the most prolific writers in the Jewish media. He is currently editing a multi-volume collection of Ze'ev Jabotinsky's writings to be published in English by Koren Publishing.
The “Torat Eretz Yisrael Anthology,” edited by Rabbi David Samson and Tzvi Fishman, is not only monumental in terms of content but it is truly a one-of-a-kind in English. A collection of articles and book excerpts written by a plethora of Torah Scholars of outstanding stature over many centuries, including Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi, the Maharal, Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak HaKohen Kook, Rabbi Moshe Yaacov Harlop, Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook, Rabbi Shlomo Teichtel, Rabbi Chaim Drukman, Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, Rabbi Mordechai Eliahu, Rabbi Yaacov Filber, Rabbi Dov Begun, among many more, stretching over the last 1000 years of Jewish scholarship and outlook.
The 700-page anthology, whose editors have collaborated on several popular commentaries of Rabbi Avraham Yittzhak HaKohen Kook in the past, devote many pages to the teachings of Rabbi Kook who emphasized the vital importance of learning Torat Eretz Yisrael in our time of National Rebirth in the Land of Israel. As Rav Kook boldly asserted, in the era of Revival when Diaspora Jews begin to return to Zion in large numbers, the truncated Torah of Exile must be replaced with a Redemption-filled Torah of Light, what Rabbi Kook’s son, HaRav Tzvi Yehuda, termed the “Redeeming Torah“ and the “new light on Zion” which we long for in our daily prayers.
The book spans a wide range of subjects such as: Learning Emunah, Exile, Redemption, Zionism, Settlement of the Land; Medinat Yisrael, War, National T’shuva, Prophecy, Mashiach, Beit HaMikdash, Secrets of Torah, and other fundamental themes. Each subject is seen in the light of Torah from the peak of Mount Sinai - that is, before Torah understandings became obscured in the darkness of Galut.
I cannot admit to having read the entire opus work, but having been sent the manuscript prior to publication, I was able to read a good many chapters and it is truly an impressive compilation. Precisely because of the book’s many-faceted categories, a reader can learn about mystical insights during one sitting and browse through the chapter covering normative questions and answers during the next.
Speaking about his prolific body of writings, Rabbi Kook is quoted, saying: “Studying my philosophical works, such as Orot, requires great effort and hard work. They cannot be read on the sofa like a newspaper” (Shivḥei HaRe’iyah, Jerusalem, p.246). When asked why he does not write in a simpler, more popular style, Rav Kook responded, “In the future, others will popularize my writings, and they will be widely understood and accepted. But I do not think that I am the one to do this” (ibid., p.233).
The assembly of Torah Scholars who Fishman and Rabbi Samson included in the anthology have succeeded in doing just that. In total, the book presents a transformative understanding of Torah, far more than the history of our forefathers and a list of commandments incumbent on the individual Jew.
First and foremost, Torat Eretz Yisrael is seen as a dynamic force shaping the collective destiny of the Jewish People. It is our national blueprint and the constitution of the Israelite Nation - to be lived in the Land of Israel. Regarding Redemption, the writings articulate a two-stage process of physical independence followed by spiritual elevation, framing the establishment of the State of Israel as a prelude to its ultimate mission of “morphing” into the Kingdom of Hashem in the world.
The writings stress the sanctity of Medinat Yisrael as the Divinely-chosen vehicle which gradually metamorphoses into the Torah State visualized by the Prophets, slowly, step-after-step, like the dawning of day, culminating with the arrival of Mashiach - may it be soon.
Another theme stressed throughout the anthology is the unity of Torah, Nation, and Land. Writings of Rabbi Kook illustrate this unity in his exalted language while other articles explain this essential matter in a more down-to-earth fashion. It is noteworthy to mention that throughout the book the reader hears a clear call to action. The writings challenge readers to embrace aliyah, settle the Land, and actively contribute to the unfolding process of nation building. In this regard, the Torah of Eretz Yisrael differs sharply from the Torah of Galut which, sadly to say, often leaves its practitioners wallowing in the enticing material comforts of the Exile.
One of the most profound revelations of the book, and one of the changes brought about by Rabbi Kook, is the contention that Emunah (faith) must be learned like all other branches of Torah. At the Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva in Jerusalem, HaRav Tzvi Yehuda Kook told students that there exists what he called “true Emunah” and “half Emunah” like that of the Spies in the Wilderness who “believed in the Torah in a general fashion but not in Hashem’s command to establish the Israelite Nation in the Promised Land.”
In the anthology, this insight is explained in depth by Rabbi Moshe Bleicher who co-founded the Shavei Hevron Yeshiva in the City of the Patriarchs. Quoting from the writings of Rabbi Kook, he describes Emunah as the driving force behind the Jewish People’s spiritual and national revival. Emunah is not merely “belief” in the Creator’s existence but the deepest wisdom, the “knowledge of G-d,” which means to see with open eyes and understand how Hashem manifests Himself in the world. This study encompasses all aspects of existence and requires systematic study alongside Torah, Gemara, and Halakha.
Following the writings of Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi in “HaKuzari,” the teachings of the Gra (Vilna Gaon), and the philosophical writings of Rabbi Kook, Rabbi Bleicher emphasizes that the learning of Emunah is essential for recognizing G-d’s Providence in the unfolding process of Redemption, including the revival of the Jewish People in Eretz Yisrael and the establishment of the State of Israel.
This focus on learning the secrets of Emunah is one of the distinguishing features of Torat Eretz Yisrael. The practical implications of learning Emunah, as explained by Rabbi Kook's son, Rav Tzvi Yehuda, demand implementation in life. They impact both individual and collective aspects of Jewish existence, inspiring concrete action in “working alongside Hashem” to propel the Redemption forward.
Its learning enriches Torah study by integrating its inner dimensions, such as Aggadah, Kabbalah, and Mussar, connecting intellectual study with practical application. A life of Emunah sanctifies mundane activities, inspires ethical living, and aligns everyday actions with G-d’s will.
Enlightened levels of Emunah raise a Jew to an all-encompassing worldview of Divine Oneness, instilling trust that the Redemption is constantly progressing, even during seeming setbacks and periods of confusion, like those we often experience today. Emunah anticipates the restoration of prophetic vision while fostering patience and faith during struggles.
A person imbued with true Emunah experiences no contradiction between spirituality and practical realities. It transforms individuals, strengthens the Jewish Nation, and sanctifies earthly endeavor.
A word of warning. The discovery of Torat Eretz Yisrael can totally uplift a person’s understanding of Judaism or, in constrast, trigger reactions of staunch resistance and the unwillingness to depart from dogmas previously learned. From my personal experience, there is a world of difference between the Torah learned in galut and Torat Eretz Yisrael which uplifts the private, individual focus of exile Judaism to the higher service of the Clal, the entire Jewish Nation, and to the centrality of Eretz Yisrael in Jewish life.
While much of Rabbi Kook’s writings are theological and philosophical wonders abounding in Divine Inspiration, the Rabbis presented in the anthology who follow in his teachings ground his lofty ideas in the down-to-earth reality of rebuilding the Nation in Zion, the one place in the world uniquely fashioned to reveal the Divine Presence, enabling the Jewish People to live a life of holiness and Torah in its entirety. Thus we learn that the Torah is not only a personal guidebook to life, but also the guidebook for the Israelite Nation. In this all-encompassing perspective, Eretz Yisrael is the Divinely-chosen place for the Jewish People to fulfill their mission as a "Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation," spreading G-d’s light and morality to the world.
Overall, the anthology provides a transformative perspective on Judaism, for the individual and the Nation, emphasizing the holistic and national dimensions of Torah, the necessary vanquishing of Galut, the centrality of Eretz Yisrael to Torah, and the active role of the Jewish People in bringing Redemption to mankind. Readers can dip into the various essays or delve into them, as they wish. The editors are to be congratulated.
In Israel, the “Torat Eretz Yisrael Anthology” is available in bookstores and via link: Torat Eretz Yisrael Anthology - ספריית חוה
Or via Amazon Books divided into 2 volumes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G324RXNH
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G3M4747T