29 January 2025 · A sentence from the teachings of Rav Kook

Humanness

„One should not be alarmed by the fact that the heart is sometimes drawn toward some desire or some unbecoming trait, and because of this to conclude that every supreme manifestation of holy wisdom does not suit him.”From Shemonah Kevatzim, II 224

This passage is very bold, and all the more so given that the one who wrote it about a hundred years ago is a divine kabbalist. Rav Kook explains that the fact that we are flesh and blood, that we have desires and wants and imperfect character traits, does not make us unworthy of holiness. “A person is always caught in the tangle of physical life.” Our life's mission is to guard ourselves and to understand the meaning of halachah and observance and good character traits for our lives, but the very desire or the challenging trait is not a fall, but humanness.

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