13 September 2012 · A sentence from the teachings of Rav Kook
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„The honor of God and the honor of man, the honor of the world and of…”
„The honor of God and the honor of man, the honor of the world and of all existence — all are one. We lift up the spirit of man to that very exaltation, by which he already senses that he has dealings with the honor of the supreme God. Only the lowliness that leads to slumber makes a person despair of concerning himself with the honor of God; but the pride of spirit, which must be expressed at the full height of its function, will not let a person rest, stand alone, and draw up exalted ideals from a lair of savage beasts. And the human greatness will be filled in all its splendor, until one senses that there is a standing for man when he honors the King of Glory, and his honor is an honor of truth, it is the honor of God. For "those who honor Me I will honor."”
On Rosh Hashanah we crown the Holy One, blessed be He, over the whole world: "Reign over the whole world in Your glory."
How can one crown the King of Glory? Rav Kook says that when a person knows how to relate to himself and to his fellow with honor, he can crown the Holy One, blessed be He.
All of existence was created in the image of God. When we honor existence, our friends, and those around us, we are in effect saying to the Holy One, blessed be He: We love Your children, we are moved and rejoice to see them, because we know that they are part of You.
Have a pleasant rest of the day, everyone.
For the recovery of Malachit Mazal bat Rachel.
From the community archive of Mishpetei HaRav Kook — studying Rav Kook's teachings since 2011.