„One must always purify one's thought concerning the Divine, so that i…”
„One must always purify one's thought concerning the Divine, so that it be clear, free of the dross of false imaginings, of baseless fears, of evil traits, of privations and deficiencies. And in proportion to the greatness of this purification of the foundation of all foundations within the depths of the soul, so much greater will be the effect wrought by cleaving to God—by the feeling and the stirring of the heart—to guide the entire course of life along an upright path.”From Shemonah Kevatzim, I, 106
The ability to "play games" with God is something that has always existed in reality and in every religion: turning the Holy One, blessed be He, on the one hand into a lovable grandfather, and on the other into a menacing sorcerer. Threats and unbacked promises, and so on and so forth, cause faith to be shattered. God does not need us to sell Him with fairy tales. The nature pulsing around us, the study of Torah and the words of the sages, and the observance of the commandments—in all of these there are true lessons of faith and action whose purpose is to strengthen us, to advance us, and to make us and the world around us better and more pleasant. Without any need for lies and exaggerations.
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From the community archive of Mishpetei HaRav Kook — studying Rav Kook's teachings since 2011.