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| THE EIGHT FILES OF RABBI KOOK |
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The Eight Files of Rabbi Kook (שמונה קבצים) have created a revolution in the study of the Rav's teaching by presenting the original material created by the Rav, before they were edited and distributed among various anthologies.
As part of its general policy of establishing a Tora bridge among Jews everywhere, Orvishua has began an English translation of this monumental work.
The following texts provide English Speakers with a chance to become acquainted at first hand with the brilliance, creativity and Tora depth of the Rav's teaching. |
| Below are translations of the few chapters of this monumental work, translated and commented on by E.S. Pelled. |
Hebrew Text:
א. חיים אנו עם הציורים הרוחניים שבהשאיפה של נשמת האומה. בכל מקום שהניצוצות של אור הללו גנוזים הם שם, הננו מקושרים בקשר של נשמה, של חיים, של כל הוייתנו, אליו. בין שיהיה מקום זה מקום ממשי, מדת ארץ, בין שיהיו מעשים, שאלו הציורים כמוסים ביסודם, בין שיהיו מחשבות ורעיונות, מאיזה מין שיהיו. | English Translation:
1. We live with the spiritual images arising from the hopes and aspirations of the nation?s soul. Our connection to every place where these sparks are hidden, is a bond of the soul, of life, of our entire being. Whether this place is some tangible location, a stretch of land, or deeds, at the root of which one finds these hidden images, or thoughts and ideas, of whatever kind. | Comments:
It is with the very depth of his organic vision of existence that the Rav begins his notebook. The Hebrew nation has an aspiration, a desire, a hope, a striving ? and this inner drive gives rise to images, images that are part of this aspiration. Our connection to these images is not that of a subject and object, or even a subject and subject (the vaunted I-Thou relationship) but rather the relationship we have with our one lives.
These images are embedded in our existence and in our entire world in such away that wherever we find them we feel a kinship that arises from their being an expression of the deep aspirations of the nation?s soul. Thus, whether it is a stretch of land, some special action or a thought that encapsulate such an image ? we are connected to it with our entire being, with our lives ? as part of a single organic unfolding whole.
This is the very essence of the Hebrew vision. A life lived out in all its aspects in total connection with the deep mission of the nation. |
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Hebrew Text:
ב. מי שבא לקוץ סעיפים הללו, מי שממעט את חילם, את כבודם וחשיבותם אצלנו, הרי הוא ממעט את לשד חיינו, ולנגדו אנו מתקוממים בכל מלא כחנו. | English Translation:
2. Anyone who would sever these branches, who would diminish their power, their honor and their importance for us, is diminishing the very essence of our lives, and we rise up against him with all our force. | Comments:
Who is this who would sever the branches. Who would diminish the power, honor and importance of those special places, those tangible tracts of land, those special actions and unique thoughts that carry within them the images of the nation?s innermost desire?
Anyone who would diminish the depth and breadth of the Hebrew existence ? all who would on just a single footing ? just on Judaism, just on nationality, just on ethics, just on faith, just on the commandments, just on Torah, just on cultural identity, etc. ? or any combination that does not encompass the whole ?
the eternal minimizers, who, overwhelmed by the totality of the claim that nation?s aspirations imposes on them ? strive to dim the brightness of the light ? and are thus diminishing the very essence of our lives ? for all are sacred images arising from the core aspiration of the nation as expressed in all tiers of existence.
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Hebrew Text:
ג. בכללותה של התורה, הכתובה והמסורה, ובהשתרגות כל פרטיה, ספון הציור הרוחני היותר עליון ומקורי של חפץ האומה, מצד מגמת חייה היותר עליונים, בצורה מאירה, בכלל הבנתה והרחבתה, בהגיונותיה, בסגנוני הרצאותיה, בתוצאות השקפותיה על ההויה, על האלהות, על העולם, על האדם, על היחיד, על החברה, על הטוב ועל הרע, על החיים ועל המוות. כל מה שההבנה וההכרה התוריית יותר מתגלה באומה, מתבססת יותר ויותר נשמתה בקרבה, וכח החיים שלה מתעלה ומתאדר. | English Translation:
3. It is within the totality of Torah, both written and transmitted by tradition, and in the interlacing of all its details, that the highest and most original spiritual image of the nation?s aspirations is secreted, from the perspective of the highest purpose of the nation?s life. This image shines forth from the totality of the Torah?s comprehension and expansion, from its thoughts, the styles of its expositions, the consequences of its views on existence, on God, on the world, on man, on the individual, on society, on good and evil, on life and death. The more Torah comprehension and cognizance reveals itself in the nation, the more the nation?s soul becomes established within it, and the more elevated and great the nation?s life force becomes. | Comments:
The Rav now explains where said spiritual images of the nation?s soul and desire may be found: both in the totality of the Torah, in its study and comprehension ? but also in the implication of its visions for the world. This discussion of the consequences of Torah for the world, is a central point ? for it is Torah views that generate that special reality unique to Israel, just as we have seen other perspectives on such issues as God, society, the nature of good and evil, etc., give rise to other kinds of realities, other kinds of consequences, such as the demonology that gave rise to the European Witch persecutions, which was deeply rooted in Protestant ideas of predestination and providence, as described by Clark: ?Witchcraft theory was not... written in isolation and ought not to be read in that way....it soon became apparent... that witchcraft beliefs at this level were sustained by a whole range of other intellectual commitments. This is because the theoretical arguments clustered around particular issues: whether it was possible or not for witchcraft to happen as a real phenomenon in the natural world, why it was afflicing Europe at a particular time, what kinds of sins it involved and how clergymen should counteract them, and why rulers and magistrates should act to rid the world of the threat. In effect, demonology was a composite subject consisting of discussions about the workings of nature, the processes of history, the maintenance of religious purity, and the natural of political authority and order... So seamlessly does demonology merge with these other debates ? so much do they cease to be other debates ? that I would like to propose, not the death of the author, but the dissolution of the ?demonologist?.? |
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Hebrew Text:
ד. והמעשים הם הבסיסים, החמרים, הנושא הממשי, שהתיאוריה הגדולה הזאת מנחת בם את אוצרותיה. וכפי אותה המדה שתתגדל ההבנה התיאורית בגדולת ערכה, כן יוסף להתנוצץ בקרב האומה כולה האור החבוי אשר במעשים כולם, ותתגלה מדת התפארת שביהדות המעשית בכחה לאלהים. | English Translation:
4. And the deeds are the bases, the materials, the tangible carrier, in which this great theory places its treasures. And in the same measure that the theoretical understanding of the greatness of the nation?s worth increases, so the light secreted within all deeds will shine more within the entire nation, and the measure of the glory of practical Judaism will be revealed in its powerful devotion to God. | Comments:
The mitsvot are the vessel that holds the light of this great theory. Indeed, unlike Christianity or the various secular philosophies that spring from it ? that assign deeds and actions a lowly and damned status ? as they assign a debased status to all of worldly existence ? the Rav emphasize how it is the deeds that contain the treasure of the most elevated ideals ? and the more we comprehend the theory ? the way in which the Torah holds the greatest ideal aspirations of the nation - so it will be seen how this light fills the deeds and actions of the Jewish nation. |
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Hebrew Text:
ה. יש אשר יכשלו החיים במהלכם, ולא יעצרו כח ללכת עם הציורים הרוחניים, וייעף אז הרוח השואף להגשימם במעשה. אז תולד מבוכה, והדעות יתפלגו. אמיצי הרוח יאמרו, החיים הם עלולי מחלה, אבל גם עלולים לשוב את הבריאות השלמה, וכל אשר יחובר אל החיים יש בטחון. על כן לא נעזוב את הדגל, האידיאלים היקרים הגנוזים בחביוני המעשים מחוייבים הם לצאת אל האור דוקא על ידי התגלמותם במעשים, והם עוד לא נגמרו, לא באו המעשים עד כה לתעודתם, עד שנוכל לומר עליהם שכבר גמרו את מלאכתם. הם צריכים להאיר את כל חשכת החיים, והחושך עדנה גדול הוא ורב מאד, על כן לא נעזוב את הדגל, נשא ונסבול, נגלם בפועל המעשים את המחשבה הגדולה של הנשמה הישראלית, כאשר החלה האומה לעשות מאז התחילה לראות חיים כלליים שלה, ואם הסבל כבד עתה יותר משכבר הימים, כדאית היא המגמה לשאת עבורה עול. יצאנו כבר מהחוג של עמים ילדים קלי דעת, הקצים בפעולות רציניות שאין הנאתן בצדן. הננו מבוכרים בדעת ורגש אישי מלא, היודעים איך לחיות, ואיך לישא במנוחת לב וחפץ כביר את עול החיים בשביל מטרה נכבדה, אף על פי שהיא עודנה כמוסה, סופה להגלות. | English Translation:
5. Sometimes life falters in its course, and lacks the power to follow the spiritual images, and the spirit that aspires to realize them in deed grows tired.
Confusion then is born and opinions split in disagreement.
The brave of heart will say: indeed life is vulnerable to illness, but is also prone to restore full health, and all that is connected to life is safe.
For this reason, we will not forsake the banner. The cherished ideals hidden within the secret depths of deeds and actions are bound to come to light by their very realization in action, and they are not finished yet, the deeds have not yet come to their conclusion, that we may say of them that they have completed their task.
They have to illuminate all of life?s darkness, and that darkness is still great and plentiful. Therefore, we shall not forsake the banner, we shall bear it and suffer, we shall realize in the actuality of deeds the grewat thought of the Israeli soul, as the nation has began doing since it began living its general life. And if the suffering is heavier than it was in bygone days, the purpose is worthy of bearing the burden for it. We have already left the circle of childish and frivolous nations who loathe and reject serious acts that do not yield immediate satisfaction. Our personal thoughts and emotions are fully matured. We know how to live, and how to bear, in peace and with an immense aspiration, the burden of life for an important purpose, which even though it is still hidden, will ultimately be revealed. | Comments:
The Rav describes an etiological course of failure:
A. Life falters; leading to
B. Lack of power; leading to
C. Lassitude in the aspiration to realize ideas in deeds; leading to
D. Confusion and differences of opinion.
Then the Rav prescribes the medicine: The assurance that life is full of vigor, and the knowledge that lassitude and illness are also part of life ? but life always springs back to perfect health ? and this knowledge allows us to persevere in realizing the nation?s aspirations through our actions and deeds, even when we feel tired and sick and surrounded by confusion and disagreements. |
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Young Jewish high school students from France visit the Yeshiva in early December. The students heard lectures in their own language, met their Israeli peers and enjoyed a sumptuous lunch. |
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