YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Bo
translated by Hillel Fendel
This week's Torah portion, Parashat Bo, tells us of Israel's final preparations for the Exodus from Egypt, and also discusses outlines in some detail the laws of Pesach and chametz. Rav Kook, in his commentary on the Haggadah for Passover, highlights the fact that the topic of freedom takes up a very central place in both the principles and laws of the holiday.
It is important to note the historical background of Rav Kook's writings. During his period, the idea of "freedom" was fairly controversial. On the one hand, there were the national and individual freedoms to which the Zionist, socialist and democratic movements aspired. But also very prevalent were, unfortunately, those Jews who called themselves "free thinkers" – the forerunners of today's secular Jews, but even more proactive in throwing off the yoke of the Torah and its commandments.
As opposed to many hareidi Jews at the time who instinctively opposed these ideas of freedom, Rav Kook wrote that the Torah very much identifies with the aspirations for independence and for national and individual freedom. Freedom is even a Divine characteristic, for G-d is totally free, and we strive to imitate Him. The Torah releases and frees us mortals from our debased instincts, and from our ego, laziness, and negative social pressure, and actually grants us our longed-for freedom to rise up and activate our Divinely-granted truly free will.
As we learn in Pirkei Avot (6,2): "There is no truly free person other than one who engages in Torah."
Many people today are looking for their true selves, their true "I," but they get confused by its dual nature. Sometimes their "I" is idealistic and values-based, while sometimes it is egotistical and lazy. But if we identify ourselves not with our transient, heavy, and selfish bodies, which change and erode with time, but rather with our idealistic and eternal souls – our "Divine portion" – we will easily identify within us that which Rav Kook calls our "inner desire," that which we truly want, as opposed to sufficing with what we simply feel like doing, our "external desire." (See Orot HaKodesh 3, p. 140)
Rav Kook mentions in this connection the following prayer, based on the Talmud (B'rachot 17a): "Master of the worlds! It is clear to You that we wish to do Your will, but what is impeding us? It is the se'or ba'isah, the 'yeast in the dough,' the evil inclination that is within every person – as well as the Subjugation of the Kingdoms that we face."
Rav Kook explains that yeast in the dough causes a flour-and-water mixture to ferment and rise, transforming it from its basic natural state to something more complex (see Maharal's commentary to the Haggadah, and Sefer HaChinukh, mitzvah 117). The yeast leaven (chametz) is parallel to our Evil Inclination, which causes "fermentation" in our soul; it takes us far from our natural, positive "I," and tricks us based on what we "feel like" rather than what we "truly want."
Aiding the chametz in causing us to sin is the Jewish People's subjugation to the gentiles [which continues today to some extent]. It makes it very hard for Am Yisrael to live in accordance with our traditional natural freedom, via the Torah and its mitzvot, which is how we lived for generations in the Land of Israel. The goyim influenced us, either by force or via assimilation, to live like them.
In short, our physical urges and our lack of freedom prevent our true "I" from actualizing its true potential in terms of behavior and values.
On Passover, the time of our freedom and our national birthday, we commemorate and celebrate our true freedom: the Israelite "I", the freedom to be our ideal selves.
In order to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox every week, subscribe to the Israel National Torah newsletter here.
This week's Torah portion, Parashat Bo, tells us of Israel's final preparations for the Exodus from Egypt, and also discusses outlines in some detail the laws of Pesach and chametz. Rav Kook, in his commentary on the Haggadah for Passover, highlights the fact that the topic of freedom takes up a very central place in both the principles and laws of the holiday.
It is important to note the historical background of Rav Kook's writings. During his period, the idea of "freedom" was fairly controversial. On the one hand, there were the national and individual freedoms to which the Zionist, socialist and democratic movements aspired. But also very prevalent were, unfortunately, those Jews who called themselves "free thinkers" – the forerunners of today's secular Jews, but even more proactive in throwing off the yoke of the Torah and its commandments.
As opposed to many hareidi Jews at the time who instinctively opposed these ideas of freedom, Rav Kook wrote that the Torah very much identifies with the aspirations for independence and for national and individual freedom. Freedom is even a Divine characteristic, for G-d is totally free, and we strive to imitate Him. The Torah releases and frees us mortals from our debased instincts, and from our ego, laziness, and negative social pressure, and actually grants us our longed-for freedom to rise up and activate our Divinely-granted truly free will.
As we learn in Pirkei Avot (6,2): "There is no truly free person other than one who engages in Torah."
Many people today are looking for their true selves, their true "I," but they get confused by its dual nature. Sometimes their "I" is idealistic and values-based, while sometimes it is egotistical and lazy. But if we identify ourselves not with our transient, heavy, and selfish bodies, which change and erode with time, but rather with our idealistic and eternal souls – our "Divine portion" – we will easily identify within us that which Rav Kook calls our "inner desire," that which we truly want, as opposed to sufficing with what we simply feel like doing, our "external desire." (See Orot HaKodesh 3, p. 140)
Rav Kook mentions in this connection the following prayer, based on the Talmud (B'rachot 17a): "Master of the worlds! It is clear to You that we wish to do Your will, but what is impeding us? It is the se'or ba'isah, the 'yeast in the dough,' the evil inclination that is within every person – as well as the Subjugation of the Kingdoms that we face."
Rav Kook explains that yeast in the dough causes a flour-and-water mixture to ferment and rise, transforming it from its basic natural state to something more complex (see Maharal's commentary to the Haggadah, and Sefer HaChinukh, mitzvah 117). The yeast leaven (chametz) is parallel to our Evil Inclination, which causes "fermentation" in our soul; it takes us far from our natural, positive "I," and tricks us based on what we "feel like" rather than what we "truly want."
Aiding the chametz in causing us to sin is the Jewish People's subjugation to the gentiles [which continues today to some extent]. It makes it very hard for Am Yisrael to live in accordance with our traditional natural freedom, via the Torah and its mitzvot, which is how we lived for generations in the Land of Israel. The goyim influenced us, either by force or via assimilation, to live like them.
In short, our physical urges and our lack of freedom prevent our true "I" from actualizing its true potential in terms of behavior and values.
On Passover, the time of our freedom and our national birthday, we commemorate and celebrate our true freedom: the Israelite "I", the freedom to be our ideal selves.
In order to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox every week, subscribe to the Israel National Torah newsletter here.
Rabbis in Midrash
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
