The Advantage of Ordinary People
„The righteous, who are far from sin, cannot depict the depth of the disgrace of sin as can the middling people, who are close to it and require excellent guarding from it.”From Shemonah Kevatzim III, 342
The ability to see an advantage in every situation in which we find ourselves is a great gift. And this is one of the primary lessons Rav Kook teaches us. The gift of the righteous and of perfected people is known to all. It is wondrous and good, and there is no doubt that we would all wish to taste of its light. In this passage Rav Kook explains the advantage of the middling ones, those who fall and rise. 'In the place where masters of repentance stand, the wholly righteous cannot stand.' It is precisely the struggle that often grants us the ability to understand how to lift another in a time of distress, and likewise how to contend with evil. A struggling person is not perfect, but his ability to teach others from his falls is many times greater and better than that of one who is unacquainted with struggle and difficulty.
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From the community archive of Mishpetei HaRav Kook — studying Rav Kook's teachings since 2011.