Unity and Counterfeit
„Unity that comes from seeking the good of each individual, for the sake of each individual's love of himself, is an incidental unity, whose foundation is self-love of the particular; and it will not endure in the end, for it has no true center. And even when the unity seemingly grows, its end is a flame of hatred and civil war, since each individual draws toward his own benefit.”From Olat Re'iyah, 257
Unity is a holy and lofty concept, but not every partnership of interests is unity. There is a connection that looks perfect on the outside, but beneath the surface an entirely different truth operates. When everyone tries to push himself forward, and each one remains only as long as it serves him – this is not unity, but temporary dependence. And so, when 'the matter ceases, the love ceases' – the moment it stops serving is the moment it begins to fall apart. Thus a unity born of self-love does not end merely in dissolution; it ends in hatred. True unity begins when there is a center that is not 'me.' Truth, a calling, a mission, something that places a person within a story greater than himself. And when there is such a great aspiration to truth, that unity will endure in the end.
From the community archive of Mishpetei HaRav Kook — studying Rav Kook's teachings since 2011.