28 January 2026 · A sentence from the teachings of Rav Kook

The Power of Envy

„Only from the envy of scholars will a person come to engage in fields toward which he has no inner pull, and through this wisdom increases.”From Shemonah Kevatzim, IV 84

Every person has a special light and a unique talent from which he acts, creates, and thinks. This light is usually the safe place from which we operate - what we are good at. Envy causes us to leave the comfortable place; this drive pushes us to touch worlds we would not otherwise have touched. Out of this envy a person turns to engage in fields toward which he has no natural inclination, learns languages foreign to his soul, and experiments in realms that do not stem from his unique talent. Thus wisdom increases in the world, and the world is enriched by this encounter between different lights.

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