The Nation of Israel

Should Orthodox Jewry relate to the Reform movement as a threat or as Jewish partners and brothers? Understanding the roots of the Reform movement and its evolution will help us understand the proper approach today.

What is the definition of "Kedusha" in general, and in particular, how should we understand the holiness of the Jewish Nation and the Land of Israel? Is kedusha (translated: holiness) essentially inherent, or is it acquired through Torah and mitzvot? Rav Kook's harmonic approach, based upon Tanachic and rabbinic sources, helps us make sense of these most basic issues.

Much has been written on the cause of Anti-Semitism, but, as usual, Rav Kook has an innovative take on the issue. The she'ur deals with this unique historic phenomenon of hate, but also sees the light, regarding the optimistic, but inevitable solution. Am Yisrael, as the conscience of mankind, inevitably is going to be hated until the world matures, but maturation is just an issue of time.

The State of Israel with her Jewish army, is clearly the national answer to the Holocaust, but Rav Kook sees it also as the moral answer, to bring morality not only to individuals, but also to the masses and the nations, as the Or LaGoyim, Light for the Nations. In short, Yom HaAtzma'ut should be the answer to Yom haShoah, in both security and ethics.

Rav Kook's classic "Ma'amar HaDor" is summarized here in one lecture, explaining the animosity between the factions in Israel. We return to the roots of the rebellious Zionist youth movements and the conservative reaction of the religious leadership in Europe. Rav Kook suggests that the rebellious sons in their idealism and Zionist revival, are even more religious than their parents on these issues. Their rebellion isn't against religion but against galut, and that's a revolution whose time has come: the redemption. The solution is to return to the original Torah which 1) is religious-Zionist and 2) includes learning the entire & broad Torah, including Tanach, Emuna, philosophy, hassidut, mussar, and Zionism, and not exclusively Talmud. We also deal with the question why these appealing aspects of Torah, were neglected for so long.