Abraham Isaac Kook
This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(March 2023) |
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook אברהם יצחק הכהן קוק | |
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![]() Abraham Isaac Kook in 1924 | |
Title | FirstChief Rabbiof BritishMandatory Palestine |
Personal | |
Born | |
Died | 1 September 1935 | (aged 69)
Religion | Judaism |
Denomination | Orthodox |
Buried | Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery,Israel |
Abraham Isaac Kook(Hebrew:אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק הַכֹּהֵן קוּק;7 September 1865 – 1 September 1935), known asHaRav Kook,[1]and also known by the Hebrew-languageacronymHara'ayah[2](הראי״ה),[3]was anOrthodoxrabbi, and the firstAshkenaziChief Rabbiof BritishMandatory Palestine.He is considered to be one of the fathers ofreligious Zionismand is known for founding theMercaz HaRav Yeshiva.[4]
Biography
[edit]Childhood
[edit]Kook was born inGriva(also spelled Geriva)[5]in theCourland Governorateof theRussian Empirein 1865, today a part ofDaugavpils,Latvia,the eldest of eight children. His father, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Ha-Cohen Kook, was a student of theVolozhin yeshiva,the "mother of theLithuanianyeshivas",[6]whereas his maternal grandfather was a follower of theKapustbranch of theHasidic movement,founded by the son of the thirdrebbeofChabad,RabbiMenachem Mendel Schneersohn.[7]His mother's name was Zlata Perl.[5]: p.56
He entered theVolozhin Yeshivain 1884 at the age of 18, where he became close to therosh yeshiva,RabbiNaftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin(theNetziv). During his time in the yeshiva, he studied under RabbiEliyahu David Rabinowitz-Teomim(also known as theAderet), the rabbi ofPonevezh(today'sPanevėžys,Lithuania) and later Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi ofJerusalem.In 1886 Kook married Rabinowitz-Teomim's daughter, Batsheva.[8][9][10]
Early career
[edit]In 1887, at the age of 23,[11]Kook entered his first rabbinical position as rabbi ofZaumel,Lithuania.[5]: 18 [12]In 1888, his wife died, and his father-in-law convinced him to marry her cousin, Raize-Rivka, the daughter of the Aderet's twin brother. Kook's only son,Zvi Yehuda Kook,was born in 1891 to Kook and his second wife.[13]In 1895, Kook became the rabbi ofBauska.[5]: 22 [14][15]
Between 1901 and 1904, he published three articles which anticipate the philosophy that he later more fully developed in the Land of Israel. Kook personally refrained from eating meat except on the Sabbath and Festivals, and a compilation of extracts from his writing, compiled by his discipleDavid Cohen,known as "Rav HaNazir" (or "the Nazir of Jerusalem" )[16]and titled by him "A Vision of Vegetarianism and Peace," depicts a progression, guided by Torah law, towards a vegetarian society.[17][18]
Jaffa
[edit]In 1904,[19]Kook was invited to become Rabbi inJaffa,Ottoman Palestine,and he arrived there in 1905. During these years he wrote a number of works, mostly published posthumously, notably a lengthy commentary on theAggadotof TractatesBerakhotandShabbat,titledEyn Ayah,and a brief book on morality and spirituality, titledMussar Avicha.
It was in 1911 that Kook also maintained a correspondence with theJews of Yemen,addressing some twenty-six questions to "the honorable shepherds of God's congregation" (Heb.כבוד רועי עדת ד) and sending his letter via the known Zionist emissary, Shemuel Yavneʼeli. Their reply was later printed in a book published by Yavneʼeli.[20][21]Kook's influence on people in different walks of life was already noticeable, as he engaged inkiruv( "Jewish outreach" ), thereby creating a greater role forTorahandHalakhain the life of the city and the nearby settlements. In 1913 Kook led a delegation of rabbis, including several leading rabbinic figures such asRabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld,to the many newly established secular "moshavot" (settlements) inSamariaandGalilee.Known as the "Journey of the Rabbis" the rabbis' goal was to strengthen Shabbat observance, Torah education, and other religious observances, with an emphasis on the giving of 'terumot and ma'asrot' (agriculturaltithes) as these were farming settlements.[22]
London and World War I
[edit]When theFirst World Warbegan, Kook was in Germany, where he was interned as an alien.[23]He escaped toLondonviaSwitzerland,but the ongoing conflict forced him to stay in the UK for the remainder of the war. In 1916, he became rabbi of the Spitalfields Great Synagogue (Machzike Hadath,"upholders of the law" ), an immigrant Orthodox community located inBrick Lane,Spitalfields,London,and Kook lived at 9 Princelet Street, Spitalfields.[24][25]
Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Rabbinic_Proclamation_In_Support_of_Rav_Kook.jpg/220px-Rabbinic_Proclamation_In_Support_of_Rav_Kook.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Abraham_Isaac_Kook_with_the_mayor_of_New_York.jpg/220px-Abraham_Isaac_Kook_with_the_mayor_of_New_York.jpg)
Upon returning from Europe in 1919,[5]: 44 he was appointed theAshkenaziChief RabbiofJerusalem,and soon after, as first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Palestine in 1921.[26]
In March 1924, in an effort to raise funds for Torah institutions in Palestine and Europe, Kook travelled to America with RabbiMoshe Mordechai Epsteinof theSlabodka Yeshivaand the Rabbi of Kaunas,Avraham Dov Baer Kahana Shapiro.In the same year, Kook founded theMercaz HaRavyeshiva inJerusalem.
Kook died in Jerusalem in 1935 and his funeral was attended by an estimated 20,000 mourners.[27]
Thought
[edit]![]() | This sectioncontainstoo many or overly lengthy quotations.(January 2024) |
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Kook wrote prolifically on both Halakha and Jewish thought.
In line with many orthodox interpreters of the Jewish religion, Kook believed that there was a fundamental difference between Jews and Gentiles. The difference between a Jewish and a Gentile soul was greater than the difference between the soul of a Gentile and an animal.
“The difference between the Israelite neshama [spiritual soul]...and the neshama of all the nations, in their various grades, is greater and deeper than the difference between the nefesh [biological soul]... of man and the nefesh of animals. For between the latter there is only a quantitative difference, while between the former there exists a qualitative, essential difference.”[28]
Kook maintained communication and political alliances with various Jewish sectors, including the secular JewishZionistleadership, the Religious Zionists, and more traditional non-ZionistOrthodox Jews.
Inauguration of Hebrew University
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Picture_of_Rav_Kook_and_his_Yeshiva_Faculty_and_Students.jpg/220px-Picture_of_Rav_Kook_and_his_Yeshiva_Faculty_and_Students.jpg)
In 1928, Kook wrote a letter to RabbiJoseph Messas(Chief Rabbi inAlgeria), addressing certain misquotes which were erroneously being repeated in his name regarding a speech he gave at the inauguration ofHebrew University.The following are translated excerpts from the letter Kook wrote to Messas:
...from the time that I came to the Holy Land, it has been my goal to the best of my ability to draw also those who are estranged and speak to their heart, so that they will come close to Torah and mitzvot – including even those young people who want to develop their physical health so that they will have the strength to protect our holy nation in times of violence, Heaven forbid, at a time when vicious enemies rise up against us...in regard to Hebrew University, Heaven forbid that I should say regarding secular studies that 'From Zion will come forth Torah.'
To the contrary, I told them explicitly that I am afraid lest there come forth, Heaven forbid, a stumbling block from their hands if they reject the Torah and the fear of G-d and 'please themselves in the brood of aliens' [i.e., studies antithetical to Torah such as Biblical Criticism]. I brought them examples of this from the past, from the incidents that took place due to people's sins [during the Berlin Enlightenment], from which came forth groups that turned away from G-d and abandoned the source of living waters. But they must guard the holiness of Israel, teachers and students alike, and not follow foreign ideas nor turn aside from the Torah and the mitzvos. And even then, it is not from secular subjects that Torah will come forth, but rather when we support the holy yeshivas, which are dedicated solely to the holiness of the Torah.
Together with this, [I told them that] they should elevate the power of the tzaddikim and Torah giants who fear G-d. And the Central Yeshiva [Mercaz HaRav] in our holy and beautiful city, which we are toiling to establish and expand with G-d's help, will stand in its great glory. Then, upon the foundation of the holy yeshivas, I said that the verse 'From Zion will come forth Torah' will be fulfilled.
These words are explicit in my speech that I spoke at that time before the people, before all of the important officials who came to the celebration, and to the entire great crowd of thousands who came from the far ends of the Holy Land and from the lands of the Diaspora. So how can malicious people come to distort the words of the living G-d in a way that is so filled with wickedness and folly?...
Theodor Herzl eulogy
[edit]In 1904, Kook wrote a letter to hisfather-in-law,addressing certain misquotes which were erroneously being repeated in his name regarding a speech he gave afterTheodor Herzl's passing:
...Now, two gentlemen came to me… and requested me… since they were planning to gather in the bank building here to honor the memory ofDr. Herzland it was their finding that even those opposed to Zionism would not deny that there were in his heart thoughts concerning the betterment of Israel. Although unfortunately [Herzl] did not find the straight path, nevertheless, 'The Holy One does not withhold credit for even good talk.' It would be poor manners not to arrange a memorial in his honor in a public meeting place, such as theAnglo-Palestine Bankhere. Therefore I promised them I would attend.
Understandably, once I agreed to come, I did not want to refuse to speak some words. I assessed that, God willing, benefit would derive from my words, inasmuch as the other speakers would not have the audacity to belittle God, His Torah, and the sages of Israel.
Thank God, this assessment proved correct. Of course, I spoke pleasantly and politely, but I did reveal the fundamental failure of their [the Zionists'] entire enterprise, namely the fact that they do not place at the top of their list of priorities the sanctity of God and His great name, which is the power that enables Israel to survive... In my remarks, I offered no homage to Dr. Herzl per se.
What I did say was that such a thought of improving the situation of Israel inEretz Israelwould be worthwhile if we would rise to the occasion. It would require a return to God by observing and honoring the Torah, and a consensus that the foundation of all must be the power of Torah. Repenting of baseless hatred, and wholehearted peace-seeking as obligated [by Torah] would result in success because it would be close to God's will. We must make amends toward the future that the power of the sanctity of Torah be at the top of our list of priorities, that "the son of Yishai lead." If the will to improve materially will rest on Torah – then God will shine His face upon us and crown our every deed with success. At first, the salvation will be gradual, as our holy Rabbis remarked upon witnessing daybreak over the valley of Arbel, but after it will gain momentum, appearing as a great and wondrous light, as in the days of our Exodus from Egypt.
After [the address], others came to me and reported that some people read into my words ideas that I never intended...
His empathy towards the non-religious elements aroused the suspicions of many opponents,[29]particularly that of the traditional rabbinical establishment that had functioned from the time ofTurkey's control of greater Palestine, whose paramount leader was RabbiYosef Chaim Sonnenfeld.However, Sonnenfeld and Kook deeply revered each other, evidenced by their respectful way of addressing each other in correspondence.
Kook remarked that he was fully capable of rejecting, but since there were enough practicing rejection, he preferred to fill the role of one who embraces. However, Kook was critical of the secularists on certain occasions when they violated Halacha (Jewish law), for instance, by not observing theSabbathorkosherlaws, or ascending theTemple Mount.
Kook wrote rulings presenting his strong opposition to people ascending the Temple Mount, due to the Jewish Laws of impurity. He felt that Jews should wait until the coming of the Messiah when it will be encouraged to enter the Temple Mount. However, he was very careful to express the fact that theKoteland the Temple Mount were holy sites that belong to the Jewish people.
Kook also opposed the secular spirit of theHatikvahanthem and penned another anthem with a more religious theme entitledhaEmunah.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Rav-kook-letter-03.jpg/220px-Rav-kook-letter-03.jpg)
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Attitude toward Zionism
[edit]While Kook is considered one of the most important thinkers in modernReligious Zionism,his attitude towards the "Zionism" of his time was complex.
Kook enthusiastically supported the settlement of the land which Zionists of his time were carrying out. In addition, his philosophy "la[id] a theological foundation for marrying Torah study to Zionism, and for an ethos of traditional Judaism engaged with Zionism and with modernity".[30]: 234 And unlike many of his religious peers, he showed respect towards secular Zionists, and willingly engaged in joint projects with them (for instance, his participation in the Chief Rabbinate).
At the same time, he was critical of the religious-ZionistMizrachimovement of his time for "tamping down religious fervor and willingly accepting secondary status within the Zionist movement".[30]: 150 In 1917 he issued a proclamation entitledDegel Yerushalayim,where he distinguished between "Zion" (representing political sovereignty) and "Jerusalem" (representing holiness), and arguing that Zion (i.e. Zionism) must take a cooperative but eventually subservient role in relation to Jerusalem.[30]: 150 He then went on to found a "Degel Yerushalayim" movement separate from the Zionist movement, though this initiative had little success.[30]: 149–152
Legacy
[edit]TheIsraelimoshavKfar Haroeh,a settlement founded in 1933, was named after Kook, "Haroah" being a Hebrew acronym for "HaRav Avraham HaCohen". His sonZvi Yehuda Kook,who was also his most prominent student, took over teaching duties at Mercaz HaRav after his death, and dedicated his life to disseminating his father's writings. Many students of Kook's writings and philosophy eventually formedHardalReligious Zionistmovement which is today led by rabbis who studied under Kook's son at Mercaz HaRav.
In 1937,Yehuda Leib MaimonestablishedMossad Harav Kook,a religious research foundation and notable publishing house, based in Jerusalem. It is named after Kook.[31]
Controversy
[edit]Criticism from rabbinic scholars
[edit]In formulating religious Zionism, Kook broke with most other Orthodox rabbis. Most Orthodox rabbis saw nothing but evil in the early Zionist pioneers who were hostile to religion, and in their belief that their labor rather than God would save the Jewish people.[32]Kook on the other hand, defended their behaviour in theological terms, and even hailed them as playing a role, by their labors, in hastening the messianic deliverance. His stance was deemed heretical by the traditional religious establishment.[33]
Although Kook was a very learned man, he was never accepted by the Haredi leadership.[34] In 1921 his detractors bought up the whole edition of his newly publishedOrotto prevent its circulation, plastering the offending passages on the walls ofMeah Shearim.[35]Later, an anonymous pamphlet entitledKol Ha-Shofarappeared containing a declaration signed by rabbis Sonnenfeld, Diskin and others saying: "We were astonished to see and hear gross things, foreign to the entire Torah, and we see that which we feared before his coming here, that he will introduce new forms of deviance that our rabbis and ancestors could not have imagined…. It is to be deemed a sorcerer's book? If so, let it be known that it is forbidden to study [let alone] rely on all his nonsense and dreams."[36]It also quotedAharon RokeachofBelzwho stated "And know that the rabbi from Jerusalem, Kook -may his name be blotted out- is completely wicked and has already ruined many of our youth, entrapping them with his guileful tongue and impure books. "[37]Returning to Poland after a visit to Palestine in 1921, RabbiAvraham Mordechai AlterofGerwrote that he endeavoured to calm the situation by getting Kook to renounce any expressions which may have unwittingly resulted in aprofanation of God's name.He then approached the elder rabbis of the Yishuv asking them to withdraw their denunciation. The rabbis claimed that their intention had been to reach a consensus on whether Kook's writings were acceptable, but their letter had been surreptitiously inserted by Kook's critics in to their inflammatory booklet without their knowledge.[citation needed]
In 1926 a harsh proclamation was issued against Kook that contained letters from three European rabbis in whichYosef Rosinreferred to him as an "ignorant bore", Shaul Brach intimated that his Hebrew initials spelt the word "vomit" and likened him toKing Jeroboamknown forseducing the masses to idolatry,andEliezer David Greenwalddeclared him an untrustworthy authority on Jewish law adding that his books were full of heresy and should be burnt.[38]
When Jewish prayers at theWestern Wallwerebroken up by the British in 1928,Kook called for a fast day, but the ultra-Orthodox community ignored his calls.[39]
In response to a letter from Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky of Eidah Hachareidit on whether they could partner with the Chief Rabbinate led by Kook,Rabbi Elchonon Bunim Wassermanwrote: "I have heard that there was a suggestion that there should be a partnership between the Eidah Hachareidis and the Chief Rabinate... It is well known that the monies from that fund go to raise deliberate heretics, and therefore someone who encourages people to support such a fund is amachti es harabim(causes the public to sin) on the most frightful level... thus, besides the prohibition of befriending a wicked person, since we see that he praisesresha'im(evil doers), there would also be an issue of an enormouschillum Hashem(desecration of G-ds name) throughout the world... "[40]
Rabbi Yitzchak Zelig Morgenstern,the Rebbe of Sokolov also wrote against Kook, saying, "Rav Kook, although he is a full and robusttalmid chachamas well as an excellent orator, cannot be considered among the successors and perpetuators of thegeonim(genius rabbinic scholars) andtzaddikim(righteous leaders) of the past generations. Rav Kook is already connected with the spirit of the time, and speaks greatly about thetechiyas umaseinu(our national rebirth). And despite the moral and religious decline of our generation, he sees in his mind's eye thetechiyas hale'um(nationalistic rebirth) and the like, and he assigns to the Chief Rabbinate an important role in that process. "[41]
It was claimed that RabbiSolomon Eliezer Alfandariattributed the Chofetz Chaim's failed move to the land due to the disputes surrounding Rabbi Kook.[42]
Support from rabbinic scholars
[edit]Although it seems that a majority of Orthodox rabbis opposed Kook,[32][33][34]there were some who spoke out in his support. In a letter to Kook,Isser Zalman MeltzerandMoshe Mordechai Epsteingreeted Kook with "Our honored friend, the great gaon and glory of the generation, our master and teacher, Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen, shlita". Meltzer was also quoted as saying "Let them, any of us, pray on Yom Kippur the way Rav Kook prays on an average weekday."[43]
There are also some rabbis who spoke very highly of Kook in greetings of the letters they sent to him.
Chaim Ozer Grodzinski:"Our friend, the gaon, our master and teacher, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, shlita" and "The Glory of Honor, My Dear Friend, Ha-Rav Ha-Gaon, Ha-Gadol, the Famous One... The Prince of Torah, Our Teacher, Ha-Rav Avraham Yitzchak Ha-Cohen Kook Shlita..."[44]
Boruch Ber Leibowitz:"The true gaon, the beauty, and glory of the generation, the tzaddik, his holiness, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak, may his light shine, may he live for length of good days and years amen, the righteous Cohen, head of the beis din [court] in Jerusalem, the holy city, may it soon be built and established."
Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohnof Lubavitch: "The Gaon who is renowned with splendor among the Geonim of Ya'akov, Amud HaYemini, Patish HaChazak..."[citation needed]
Chatzkel Abramsky:"The honored man, beloved of Hashem and his nation, the rabbi, the gaon, great and well-known, with breadth of knowledge, the glory of the generation, etc., etc., our master Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen Kook, shlita, Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel and the head of the Beis Din in the holy city of Jerusalem"[citation needed]
Yitzchak Hutner:"The glorious honor of our master, our teacher and rabbi, the great gaon, the crown and sanctity of Israel, Maran [our master] Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen Kook, shlita!"[citation needed]
Additionally, although theChofetz Chaimnever spoke in praise of Kook, he did condemn the pamphlet that was put out against him.[45]
Resources
[edit]Writings
[edit]Orot ( "Lights" ) books
[edit]- Orot– organized and published by RabbiZvi Yehuda Kook,1920. English translation by Bezalel Naor (Jason Aronson, 1993).ISBN1-56821-017-5
- Orot HaTeshuvah– English translation by Ben-Zion Metzger (Bloch Pub. Co., 1968). ASIN B0006DXU94
- Orot HaEmuna
- Orot HaKodesh- four volumes, organized and published by RabbiDavid Cohen
- Orot HaTorah- organized and published by RabbiZvi Yehuda Kook,1940.
Jewish thought
[edit]- Chavosh Pe'er– on the mitzvah oftefillin.First printed in Warsaw, 1890.
- Eder HaYakarandIkvei HaTzon- essays about the new generation and a philosophical understanding of God. First printed in Jaffa in 1906.
- Ein Ayah– commentary onEin YaakovtheAggadicsections of the Talmud. Printed in Jerusalem, 1995.
- Ma'amarei HaRe'iyah(two volumes) – a collection of articles and lectures, many originally published in various periodicals. Printed in Jerusalem, 1984.
- Midbar Shur– sermons written by Rav Kook while serving as a rabbi in Zaumel and Boisk in 1894–1896.
- Reish Millin– Kabbalistic discussion of the Hebrew Alpha bet and punctuation. Printed in London, 1917.[46][47]
Halakha
[edit]- Be'er Eliyahu– on Hilchos Dayanim
- Orach Mishpat– Shu "t onOrach Chayim
- Ezrat Cohen– Shu "t onEven HaEzer
- Mishpat Kohen– Shu "t on issues relating to Eretz Yisrael
- Zivchei R'Iyah- Shu "t and Chidushim on Zvachim and Avodat Beit HaBchira
- Shabbat Haaretzhilchot shevi'it (shemittah)
Unedited and other
[edit]- Shmoneh Kvatzim– volume 2 of which was republished asArpilei Tohar[48]
- Olat Raiyah– Commentary on theSiddur
- Igrot HaRaiyah– Collected letters of Rav Kook
Translation and commentary
[edit]- (translation),Abraham Isaac Kook: The Lights of Penitence, The Moral Principles, Lights of Holiness, Essays, Letters, and Poems,Ben Zion Bokser, Paulist Press 1978.ISBN0-8091-2159-X[Includes complete English translations of Orot ha-Teshuva ( "The Lights of Penitence" ), Musar Avicha ( "The Moral Principles" ), as well as selected translations from Orot ha-Kodesh ( "The Lights of Holiness" ) and miscellaneous essays, letters, and poems.]
- Samson, David;Tzvi Fishman (1996).Lights Of Orot.Jerusalem: Torat Eretz Yisrael Publications.ISBN965-90114-0-7.
- Samson, David;Tzvi Fishman (1997).War and Peace.Jerusalem: Torat Eretz Yisrael Publications.ISBN965-90114-2-3.
- Samson, David;Tzvi Fishman (1999).The Art of T'Shuva.Jerusalem: Beit Orot Publications.ISBN965-90114-3-1.Online edition.
- (translation),The Essential Writings of Abraham Isaac Kook,Ben Yehuda Press 2006 (reprint).ISBN0-9769862-3-X
- Rabbi Chanan Morrison,Gold from the Land of Israel: A New Light on the Weekly Torah Portion From the Writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook,Urim Publications 2006.ISBN965-7108-92-6.
- Rabbi Chanan Morrison,Silver from the Land of Israel: A New Light on the Sabbath and Holidays From the Writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook,Urim Publications 2010.ISBN965-524-042-8.
- Rabbi Chanan Morrison,The Splendor of Tefillin: Insights into the Mitzvah of Tefillin from the Writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook,CreateSpace 2012.ISBN148-001-997-6.
- Rabbi Chanan Morrison,Sapphire from the Land of Israel: A New Light on the Weekly Torah Portion From the Writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook,CreateSpace 2013.ISBN149-090-936-2.
- Rabbi Gideon Weitzman,Sparks of Light: Essays on the Weekly Torah Portions Based on the Philosophy of Rav Kook,Jason Aronson.ISBN0-7657-6080-0ISBN978-0765760807.
- Rabbi Gideon Weitzman,Light of Redemption: A Passover Haggadah Based on the Writings of Rav Kook,Urim Publications.ISBN978-965-7108-71-0.
Also there is now a musical project that presents Kook's poetry with musical accompaniment. HA'OROT-THE LIGHTS OF RAV KOOK by Greg Wall's Later Prophets Featuring Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein – released on Tzadik Records, April 2009.[49][50][51]
Analysis
[edit]- The Philosophy of Rabbi Kook,Zvi Yaron, Eliner Library, 1992.
- Essays on the Thought and Philosophy of Rabbi Kook,ed. Ezra Gellman, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1991.ISBN0-8386-3452-4
- The World of Rav Kook's Thought,Shalom Carmy,Avi-Chai Publishers, 1991.ISBN0-9623723-2-3
- Rav Avraham Itzhak HaCohen Kook: Between Rationalism and Mysticism,Benjamin Ish-Shalom, translation Ora Wiskind Elper, SUNY Press, 1993.ISBN0-7914-1369-1
- Religious Zionism of Rav KookPinchas Polonsky,Machanaim,2009,ISBN978-965-91446-0-0
- Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and Jewish Spirituality,Lawrence J. Kaplan &David Shatz,NYU Press,1994,ISBN978-0814746530
- Ghila Amati, "Discovering the Depths Within: Kook’s Zionism and the Philosophy of Life of Henri Bergson,"Religions2023, 14(2), 261;https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020261
- Ephraim Chamiel, The Dual Truth - Studies in Nineteenth-Century Modern Religious Thought and its Influence on Twentiest-Century Jewish Philosophy, Academic Studies Press, Boston 2019, Vol II, pp. 449–499.
- Ephraim Chamiel, Between Religion and Reason - The Dialectic Position in Contemporary Jewish Thought, Academic Studies Press, Boston 2020, part I, pp. 7–15.
Biography
[edit]- Simcha Raz,Angel Among Men: Impressions from the Life of Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook Zt "" L,translated (from Hebrew) Moshe D. Lichtman, Urim Publications 2003.ISBN965-7108-53-5ISBN978-9657108536
- Dov Peretz Elkins,Shepherd of Jerusalem: A Biography of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook,2005.ISBN978-1420872613
- Yehudah Mirsky,"An Intellectual and Spiritual Biography of Rabbi Avraham Yitzhaq Ha-Cohen Kook from 1865 to 1904,"Ph.D. Dissertation, Harvard University, 2007.
- Yehudah Mirsky,"Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution (Jewish Lives)",Yale University Press, 2014,ISBN978-0300164244
Quotes
[edit]- Therefore, the pure righteous do not complain of the dark, but increase the light; they do not complain of evil, but increase justice; they do not complain of heresy, but increase faith; they do not complain of ignorance, but increase wisdom.[52]
- There could be a freeman with the spirit of the slave, and there could be a slave with a spirit full of freedom; whoever is faithful to himself – he is a freeman, and whoever fills his life only with what is good and beautiful in the eyes of others – he is a slave.[53]
Gallery
[edit]-
Kooks funeral, Jerusalem 1935
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Kook and Sonnenfeld
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Kook and Frank
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Letter of Boruch Ber Leibowitz about Kook
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Letter of Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky about Kook
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Badatz Eidah Chareidis writing In support and Defense of Kook
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Main entrance of Kook's house in Jerusalem, Israel
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Stone carving above door where Kook lived when he was the Chief Rabbi in the 1920s and 30s.
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Interior view of the part of Kook's house used for Yeshiva Mercaz HaRav as well as synagogue.
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Rabbi Kook in 1920
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Memorial Plaque inDaugavpils,Latvia
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Singer, David (1996)."Rav Kook's Contested Legacy".Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought.30(3): 6–20.JSTOR23261279.
- ^And by his followers, simply asHaRav.
- ^from הַרַב אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק הַכֹּהֵןhaRavʾAvrāhāmYīṣḥāqhaKōhēn
- ^Rozenaḳ, Avinoʻam (1 January 2007)."Hidden Diaries and New Discoveries: The Life and Thought of Rabbi A. I. Kook".Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies.25(3): 111–147.doi:10.1353/sho.2007.0085.ISSN1534-5165.S2CID170098496.
- ^abcdeFriedman, Masha (1988).Stories From the Life of Rav Kook.Beit Shamai Publications.ISBN0-944921-00-0.
- ^William B. Helmreich (February 2000).The World of the Yeshiva: An Intimate Portrait of Orthodox Jewry.KTAV Publishing House, Inc. pp. 6–8.ISBN978-0-88125-641-3.Retrieved21 September2011.
- ^"Chazon Hageulah," p. 11, Jerusalem 1941 (Hebrew)
- ^"Rabbi Eliyahu David Rabinowitz-Teomim •" The Aderet "".hevratpinto.org.Retrieved12 September2018.
- ^"The Hasidism of Rav Kook | The Lehrhaus".thelehrhaus.25 December 2017.Retrieved12 September2018.
- ^"Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook (1865-1935)".ravkooktorah.org.Retrieved12 September2018.
- ^Fendel, Hillel (25 August 2017)."Rav Kook, From The Pages Of The Jewish Press In 1961".The Jewish Press.,citingFeldman, Yaakov Moshe (1961).The Jewish Press.
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(help) - ^also spelled Zoimel, described in the book as a village
- ^Melamed, Avraham Levi (4 July 2005)."Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook: A Biographical Overview".yeshiva.co.
- ^
Janovsky, S.; Rosenthal, Herman (1902)."BAUSK or BAUSKE".InSinger, Isidore;et al. (eds.).The Jewish Encyclopedia.Vol. 2. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. pp. 601–602.
- ^also spelled Boisk; described as a city
- ^Morrison, Chanan (29 May 2015)."The Nazir of Jerusalem".Israel National News.Retrieved2 October2023.
- ^Kook, Avraham Yitzhak Hacoben (20 April 1985) [1961]. Cohen, David (ed.).A Vision of Vegetarianism and Peace.Translated by Rubenstein, Jonathan L.Translated to English as an appendix toRubenstein, Jonathan L. (1986).None shall hurt or destroy: a translation of A vision of vegetarianism and peace by Rav Avraham Yitzhak Hacohen Cook(Doctoral dissertation). Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati.
- ^Kuk, Avraham Yitzchak. Kohen, David (ed.)."Selections from" A Vision of Vegetarianism and Peace "".Translated by Sears, David. Jewish Vegetarians of North America. Archived fromthe originalon 5 March 2016.Retrieved28 December2018.
- ^"After serving as rabbi in the small town of Zoimel and later in the city of Boisk (Bauska), Latvia, in 1904 Rabbi Kook accepted the invitation of the port city of Jaffa...""Rav Kook - Orot".orot.
- ^Aharon Gaimani, "Scholars of Yemen Answer Questions of Rabbi A.I. Kook", in:Ascending the Palm Tree – An Anthology of the Yemenite Jewish Heritage,Rachel Yedid & Danny Bar-Maoz (ed.), E'ele BeTamar: Rehovot 2018, pp. 88–125OCLC1041776317
- ^"Masa le-Teiman," by Shmuel Yavne'eli, pp. 187–188; 196–199, Tel-Aviv 1952 (Hebrew)
- ^"1913: Rabbi Kook Leads Rabbis' Tour of the Moshavot".Israel National News.3 December 2011.Retrieved12 September2018.
- ^"Abraham Isaac Kook | chief rabbi of Palestine | Britannica".January 2024.
- ^"Blog Archive » Rav Kook in London".OzTorah.22 December 2013.Retrieved7 January2016.
- ^"Rav Kook on Psalm 43: The London Bomb Shelter".Ravkooktorah.org.19 January 1915.Retrieved7 January2016.
- ^The following "Public Notice" appeared in the Palestine Gazette on April 1, 1921:
"The Rabbinical Assembly held in Jerusalem on February 24th, 1921, Adar-Rishon 16th 5681 elected the following Rabbis as the Rabbinical Council for Palestine: RabbiJacob Meirand Rabbi Abraham Isaac Cohen Kook as Chief Rabbis, and Rabbis Benjamin Alkosser, Benzion Koenka, and Abraham Pilosoph as Sephardic members, and Rabbis Zevi Pesah Frank, Yonah Raam and Fischel Bernstein as Ashkenazic members of the Council. Doctor M. Eliash, Mr. M. Levanon, and Mr. J. H. Panigel were elected as lay councillors to the Rabbinical Council. The Government of Palestine will recognize the Council and any Beth-Din sanctioned by it as the sole authorities in matters of Jewish Law. It will execute through the Civil Courts judgments given by the Beth-Din of the Council in first instance or on appeal as well as the judgments given by any Beth-Din in Palestine sanctioned by the Council. The appointment ofHaham Bashino longer exists in Palestine; and no person is recognized by the Government as a Chief-Rabbi of Palestine except the Rabbis elected by the Assembly. W. H. DEEDES, Civil Secretary, Government House, March 18th, 1921. "[End Quote] - ^Jewish Affairs, inReport by His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Council of the League of Nations on the Administration of Palestine and Trans-Jordan for the year 1935by His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Council of the League of Nations on the administration of Palestine and Trans-Jordan for the year 1935, The Office of High Commissioner for Palestine and Trans-Jordan, Jerusalem, 1935
- ^Dishon, David (Fall 2008).""The Beauty of Yefet in the Tents of Shem" - Gentiles and Jews in the Thought of Rav Kook "(PDF).Havruta: A Journal of Jewish Conversation.1(2). Shalom Hartman Institute: 80–89.Retrieved2 October2023.
- ^"אזמרך בלאמים - התיחסות גדולי ישראל לראיה קוק ולספרואורות".Yoel-ab.19 June 1996. Archived fromthe originalon 8 December 2015.Retrieved7 January2016.
- ^abcdYehudah Mirsky,Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution
- ^"מוסד הרב קוק | בית היוצר הגדול לספר התורני".Mosadharavkook.Retrieved7 January2016.
- ^abYudelson, Larry (29 December 2016)."Concentrating on Kook".Jewish Standard.Retrieved2 May2023.
In formulating religious Zionism, Kook broke with most other Orthodox rabbis, who saw nothing but evil in the early Zionist pioneers, with their atheism, their Sabbath desecration, and their belief that their labor rather than God would save the Jewish people.
- ^abBen Zion Bokser (1981). "A letter by the Gerer Rebbe".Conservative Judaism.Vol. 35 (1-3 ed.). Rabbinical Assembly. pp. 26–30.
Many of them were not ritually observant; some were openly hostile to religion. Despite this, Rabbi Kook defended them, and even hailed them as playing a role, by their labors, in hastening the messianic deliverance. For the religious establishment of the old yishuv this was a heretical distortion which imperiled everything holy in Judaism, and they denounced Rabbi Kook as a misleader of his people.
- ^abShapiro, Rabbi Yaakov (2018).The Empty Wagon.pp. 488–608.ISBN978-1647647926.
- ^Shalom Carmy (1995)."Dialectic, Doubters, and a Self-Erasing Letter (Notes)".In Lawrence J. Kaplan; David Shatz; Kayann Short; Abouali Farmanfarmaian (eds.).Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and Jewish Spirituality.NYU Press. p. 227.ISBN978-0-8147-4653-0.
- ^Yehudah Mirsky (11 February 2014).Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution.Yale University Press. p. 168.ISBN978-0-300-16424-4.
There quickly followed a pamphlet banning Orot, which included frontal attacks on Kook and Charlap, and a declaration signed by Zonnenfeld, Diskin, and others: "We were astonished to see and hear gross things, foreign to the entire Torah, and we see that which we feared before his coming here, that he will introduce new forms of deviance that our rabbis and ancestors could not have imagined… He turns light to darkness, and darkness to light... It is to be deemed a sorcerer's book, and let it be known that it is forbidden to study [let alone] rely on all his nonsense and dreams.
- ^Rivka Schatz Uffenheimer(2005).הרעיון המשיחי מאז גירוש ספרד(in Hebrew). Magnes Press. p. 234.ISBN9789654931830.
בקונטרס זה מופיע בפעם הראשונה דימויו של הרב קוק לשבתי צבי "וקאי באיסורא כיחידאי דאיהו נמי שיטתיה כיחידאי הש״ץ״. ולפני שהוא מביא ממאמרי הרב באות ׳תעודות׳ כגון מכתב בנו של הרבי מבלז, המזכיר את דברי הרבי:" וידוע דהרב דשם מירושלים ושמו קוק ימ "ש הוא רשע גמור וכבר טימא כמה צעירי עמנו ע" י מצודתו של חלקות לשונו ובספרים הטמאים, וד' יזכנו ויעביר רוח הטומאה מכל נפוצות עמו, ונזכה לעלות לציון ברנה, וכשנזכה שיהי' עת רצון מהש "י ולא עתה על ידיהם
- ^פסק דין של גאוני ארץ על אותו האיש
- ^Yehudah Mirsky (11 February 2014).Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution.Yale University Press. p. 197.ISBN978-0-300-16555-5.
When Rav Kook called for public fasts on October 22, 1928, to protest the indignities at the Kotel, the ultra-Orthodox ignored him, as they studiously ignored every prayer meeting and fast day that he called.
- ^Wasserman, Rabbi Elchonon.Kovetz Maamrim vol. 1(in Hebrew). p. 153.
- ^Sonnenfeld, Shlomo Zalman.B'Dor Tahafuchos(in Hebrew). p. 358.
- ^Testimony of R Asher Zelig Margolis, quoted in Hamodia Inyan xxxiv no 1177, p.67. "The Saba explained that in Heaven it had been decreed that the Chafetz Chaim's seforim would be accepted by the entire Jewish people. If he was to come to Eretz Yisrael, he would visit R. Kook, which would cause R. Kooks rivals to reject him. He would also visit R. Sonnenfeld, which would cause R. Sonnenfelds rivals to reject him."
- ^Yehudah Mirsky (11 February 2014).Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution.Yale University Press. p. 202.ISBN978-0-300-16555-5.
A major scholar of impeccable ultra-Orthodox credentials, Meltzer resolutely defended Kook against attackers on the right. He was wont to say, "Let them, any of us, pray on Yom Kippur the way Rav Kook prays on an average weekday."
- ^Bisdeh Ha-Re'eiyah p. 236, Chayei Ha-Re'eiyah pp. 388-389, Igrot Le-Re'eiyah #316 and Melachim Kivnei Adam pp. 106-107. Maran Ha-Rav's response is found in Shut Da'at Cohain #223
- ^Anna Szalai; Rita Horváth; Gábor Balázs (2007).Previously unexplored sources on the Holocaust in Hungary: a selection from Jewish periodicals, 1930-1944.International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem. p. 32.ISBN978-965-308-300-4.
According to the report, Chofetz-Chaim condemned the pamphlet against Kook as well.
- ^he:כתבי הראי "ה
- ^Morrison, Chanan (2006).Gold from the Land of Israel: A New Light on the Weekly Torah Portion - From the Writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook'.Urim Publications. pp. 353–356.ISBN965-7108-92-6.
- ^[1][dead link]
- ^"HA'OROT - Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos".Myspace.
- ^"Mỹ cơ になるために".haorot.org.Archived fromthe originalon 30 December 2017.Retrieved30 September2018.
- ^"HAOROTRAVKOOK".YouTube.
- ^From "Arpilei Tohar", p. 27–28. Hebrew: על-כן הצדיקים הטהורים אינם קובלים על החושך, אלא מוסיפים אור; אינם קובלים על הרשעה, אלא מוסיפים צדק; אינם קובלים על הכפירה, אלא מוסיפים אמונה; אינם קובלים על הבערות, אלא מוסיפים חכמה.
- ^From "Olat Reiyah". Hebrew: יש בן חורין שרוחו רוח של עבד, ויש עבד שרוחו מלאה חירות; הנאמן לעצמיותו – בן חורין הוא, ומי שכל חייו הם רק במה שטוב ויפה בעיני אחרים – הוא עבד.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- Video Lectures on the Teachings of Rabbi KookArchived30 August 2016 at theWayback Machine,MachonMeir.net
- Introduction to the Thought of Rav KookArchived28 February 2008 at theWayback Machine,vbm-torah.org
- Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1865–1935),Prof. Eliezer Segal
- Teachings of Rav Kook on Torah, Holidays, and Psalms,ravkooktorah.org
- Abraham Isaac Kook
- 1865 births
- 1935 deaths
- 19th-century Jewish theologians
- 20th-century Jewish theologians
- 20th-century rabbis from the Ottoman Empire
- Burials at the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives
- Chardal
- Chief rabbis of Jerusalem
- Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the Ottoman Empire
- Kabbalists
- Kohanim writers of Rabbinic literature
- Kook family
- People from Courland Governorate
- People from Daugavpils
- Philosophers of Judaism
- Rabbis in Mandatory Palestine
- Religious Zionist Orthodox rabbis
- Jewish ethicists
- Deaths from cancer in Israel
- Volozhin Yeshiva alumni
- Immigrants of the Second Aliyah