Emuna

Rav Kook’s creative thinking sees childhood not just as a preparation for life, but probably the most important and idealistic period of life itself. Accordingly, education shouldn't be geared for learning a profession but to develop the fresh and Godly unadulterated soul. Education must be suited for the individual, and also for the nation, and how much more so regarding the Chosen Nation.

Rav Kook examines why young people are especially idealistic, and how the goal is not to become “adulterated” and lose that idealism with age. Every society has a measuring stick: primitive man measured by one’s strength, western man- by his money or prestige. Accordingly, women and children are second-class. Judaism measures by one’s Godliness, and accordingly women and children rate especially high.

Rav Kook creatively points out that it can’t be a coincidence, that of the little we know about most of the heroes in the Bible, God feels it important to stress that almost all are physically strong and military heroes. Just over the exile, the picture of the ideal Jew changed. Why are these traits so important?

Additional reasons why physical and military strength are considered virtuous in the ideal Jew, and how serving in the Israeli army, actually make us more Godly, like the Bible heroes of yesterday.

Even before Israel’s Wars of Independence, of Six Days, of Yom Kippur, etc, Rav Kook explains why the prophets tell us that wars are part of the national and universal redemption. Written during WWI, but even truer today, Rav Kook points out the important traits of altruism, unity and much more, that are brought out davka during war.