„It is a grievous ill when the moral sense becomes overly refined, to…”
„It is a grievous ill when the moral sense becomes overly refined, to the point that it is not enough for it to serve as a restraining force when the time of action comes—so that no hand be sent forth to do evil—but rather it constantly threatens with the fear of the iniquities that surround a person, in deed and in thought. The exaggerated dread of every sin destroys a person's good, and makes him into a kind of lowly creature that does nothing...”From Shemonah Kevatzim, I, 231
The path in the service of God is built upon fear and upon love. The fear aspect is the aspect of reward and punishment that causes a person to be more careful and to refrain from doing evil. But this path cannot constitute the sole foundation in the service of God. When all our faith is founded only on fear, we erase ourselves entirely and lose the ability to advance and to develop. Frightened and trembling from evil, we will not be able to advance the world toward good.
Further in the passage Rav Kook explains upon what faith must be founded. In the next post we will bring the continuation of his words.
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Dedicated with love to those stuck in traffic jams, and for the recovery of the State of Israel...
From the community archive of Mishpetei HaRav Kook — studying Rav Kook's teachings since 2011.