Shavuot
„The supreme greatness of a person, which rises above all grandeur and loftiness, is the readiness to heed the voice of God. Not to innovate on his own, not to establish a vision, not to strengthen himself in the self of the limited powers that belong to man and to every creature, but to receive.”From Olat Re'iyah II, p. 159
On the eve of the festival of Shavuot, let us remember that the Torah was not given on the Temple Mount. Nor was it given on the lawns of the Garden of Eden or in a magnificent cultural center. The Torah of Israel was given in the desert, in a place where there is nothing, on a small, bare mountain, and seemingly without distinction. In a world of symbols and endless noise, the giving of the Torah comes and reminds us of the importance of receiving in humility. To understand that the great story of reality is our own private ability to absorb the light of God and of the world, even before the desire and the ability to influence and to give forth. And so too the image of Moses our teacher, who was the most humble of all people. For the Torah is received in humility, in our ability to be a vessel that contains immense power.
From the community archive of Mishpetei HaRav Kook — studying Rav Kook's teachings since 2011.