Torah Study

An acquaintance of mine asked me why I have not yet begun to dispose of my library? After he left, I gave the matter some thought.

One of the major innovations of Rav Kook and his yeshiva is not only to learn the Talmud but to learn the broader Torah, including Aggada and Kabbala, as well. In many yeshivas they skip or learn the stories and aggadata in the gemara very superficially, and in doing so, are unfortunately missing out on one of the most beautiful, appealing and attractive parts of Torah. Similarly Kabbala and Hassidut are becoming more and more popular, and Rav Kook, already 100 years ago, writes that this "broad Torah" is what will keep Judaism's appeal in the modern and post-modern world, and can even help "return" those who left the derech, who are searching for something deep, emotional and intellectual.