Rav Kook's answer to the Zohan

Let us try to answer the questions I asked in the previous post.

All the questions asked in the previous post, signalling a weakness in the current state of the Secular Zionist ideology, become much more powerful in the context of Rav Kook’s ideology. Rav Kook wrote at length about the great zchut his generation had, even in the secular world. With biblical, Talmudic and kabbalistic sources at hand, he expounded an ideology deeply rooted in the eternal truths of torah through which he explains that the secular Jews of his generation were not like the secular people of other generations.

Historically, people became secular to appease their desires. They wanted to be with girls but were not allowed – so they stepped away from religion. They wanted to make money but it was hard as a Jew – so they became non-Jewish etc... However, this rule did not apply to the early Zionists. These early Zionists left religion in order to adopt an extremely difficult lifestyle which was based on very positive principles. They left the individualism found in religious growth in order to fight for the collective. On top of that, becoming a Zionist and draining swamps, building the land, leaving the comfort of Europe, was nothing simple. It was extremely difficult! Those among us honest enough will admit that they left religion for an even harder life!Rav Kook explained that those Jews had a positive motivation but were misguided. They were looking for the deeper message of the world which is not about yourself, not even about your connection to God, but about the collective – about Klal Israel’s connection to its land, Klal Israel’s connection to God and, eventually, humanity’s connection to God.

While the best expression of this ideology is found in Torah, the religious Jews of the time did not properly integrate those values in their lives – thousands of years of exile made them forgot what it meant to be a nation. They now felt like any religion which focuses mostly on an individual’s connection to God. No one was running out to build an army, to risk their lives for Klal Israel, to rebuild our land. Therefore, those secular Jews were asking for a more collective message and they attempted to find that message through Zionism.

Today, we see that all the idealism of the secular Zionist movement is fading. Some people, even within the circle of students of Rav Kook, therefore question whether or not his message is still relevant to today’s secular Jews who are showing all the signs of disillusion which we mentioned.

How are we to interpret Rav Kook's Torah in today's reality?



Rav Kook himself answered this question. Rav Kook, in the book Orot, wrote that one day, the Secular Zionists will leave their ideology because they will realize that it is not the source of this ultimate truth which they were seeking. At that time, which I believe is definitely our time, we should not be surprised! We never thought the source of ultimate truth was in secular Zionism!

The ultimate truth is within Torah, and any ideology which rejects Torah is an ideology which will not pass the test of time. Secular Zionism was the movement which helped bring out some of the neglected truths of Torah – Nationalism, love of the land of Israel, etc... The fact that secular Zionists reject their ideology is natural – it is not the answer to the thirst they first had. The real answer for this thirst for the ultimate truth, is through a powerful approach to Torah which is not only about personal truth, but rather also about national renewal, universal good, and the resurrection of the Jewish Nation on its land.

Today, as these facts which I mentioned above can seem very troubling to some, they are for me a source of great hope. This rejection of Secular Zionism hides, in my eyes, and even deeper thirst for the ultimate truth. This rejection of Secular Zionism signals that it is time for the splendour of Torah to be re-instated in our nation building – it is time for Religious Zionism to take a central place in the leadership of the Jewish People.

Mashiach Ben Yossef, which was compared Rav Kook and his students to the State of Israel since it is not necessary for him to be an individual, is supposed to die before Mashiach Ben David (who will be an individual) comes to take its place. They once asked Rav Tzvi Yehudah what it meant for Mashiach Ben Yossef to die. Will the State of Israel disappear?

Rav Tzvi Yehudah, in his characteristic succinct answers, answered two words: “Yored Kzat” – The state of Israel will go down a bit, it will go through times of crises, through a time where its identity will not be clear anymore, through a time where Secular Zionism will start looking elsewhere for the ultimate truth. At this precise time, at the time where Mashiach Ben Yossef dies, that is when Mashiach Ben David can start to take the lead. That is when an ideology, which combines the deepest religious message with the most powerful national pride and the deepest love for the land of Israel with the most universal love for humanity – This is when this ideology will be able to take hold.

In the darkness of our times, I see a big light starting to shine. May we merit to see it shine fully, speedily in our times.