27 June 2024 · A sentence from the teachings of Rav Kook

To Forget the Evil

„There are times when it is good to forget one's sins, and by doing so for the sake of Heaven, in order to strive in one's service with joy and with an expansive mind in Torah and wisdom... they become before the Holy One [as merits].”From Orot HaKodesh III, 'Shikhecha veSimcha' (Forgetting and Joy)

At times, the human mechanisms of repression contribute to our lives, and the forgetting that empties our vessels of guilt and sorrow is refilled anew with good things. The deeper reading of this passage, in my humble opinion, is not to try to deceive ourselves and the world and be hypocrites, God forbid, but to seek ways by which we can advance. And if forgetting sins brings us joy and leads to repair, then it holds advantages and power.

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From the community archive of Mishpetei HaRav Kook — studying Rav Kook's teachings since 2011.