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Friday 7 Tishrei 5787

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PURSUIT is PERFECTION - p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva Rav Kook (Orot HaTshuva 5, 6) deals with the question of the seemingly hopelessness of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook answers that precisely because of this problem, the answer (literally: tshuva) is natural, that the world has a "built-in" push towards evolution, to constantly drive to improve, continuously advancing even if we know we will never "arrive". Perfection (shlemut) itself is in fact impossible for except by Him, there's always room to improve (even Moshe Rabbenu only rose to the 49 th level, Rosh HaShana 21b). The SINCERE STRIVE for perfection (hishtalmut) for us is the best we can ever do. Both we and obviously G-d know if we are GENUINE or not, so one can't "cop-out" and not try his hardest, but we also both know when we are giving our best. Regarding mitzvot where we hurt others, this obviously includes asking their forgiveness (Rambam Tshuva 2, 9), as we've written previously from R. Yisrael Salanter, at least on Yom Kippur where we all ask forgiveness from all, thus not needing to detail our offence and consequently hurt that person again. This paragraph in Orot HaTshuva, is undoubtedly what R. Hanan Porat (the super-impressive halutzic & religious-kibbutz leader, Torah scholar and one of the closest students of R. Zvi Yehuda Kook) had in mind, when he famously answered in his final TV interview, "I'm not scared at all of death, for I can honestly say that I sincerely tried to be good". This is what R. Zusia of Anipole meant when he said, "they won't ask me why I wasn't Moshe Rabbenu, but "why I wasn't Zusia?" This is precisely what we mean in Shema every day, that we love G-d "b'chol m'odecha" (literally: "with all of our very"). V'erastich li l'olam (Hoshea 2, 21, "and I will BETROTH you to Me forever") recognizes that we can never consummate our love for Hashem, like a couple who are not yet married, but their love is constantly growing. The Rambam (ibid, 10, 3), explains that this is what all Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) is about, that the lovers (we and Hashem) never get married, but eternally increase/improve our love for each other. "Tzama licha nafshi" (Tehilim 63, 2, "my soul thirsts for You"), with that desire which can NEVER be quenched. Our other relationship with G-d is that of a reassuring Father, not wanting us to be quaking, miserable and nervous wrecks (Midot haReiya, HaKavod 3), but rather constantly encouraging and cheering us to get the most out of the outstanding never-ending potential He gave us. The Talmud (Shabbat 89b) deals with the famous pasuk we mention many times during the Yom Kippur prayer, "Im y'hiyu cha'teichem kashanim kasheleg yalbinu" ("if your sins will be like reds, they will be whitened like snow," Yishayahu 1, 18). Our sages ask, why is it written kashanim (literally: like "reds"), not k'shani (like red)? And answer that "shanim" also has the connotation of the Hebrew word for "years". Rav Kook (Ein Aya 9, 131) explains their intention, that this whitening evolutionary process of improvement is not an answer to incidental unfortunate sins, but rather is "built-in" to mankind for YEARS since the beginning. It's just up to us to decide how apparent that improvement will be, whether hopefully, that arrow will climb steeply and steadily towards our perfect G-d, or whether the pace will be slower and less vertical. So Rav Kook explains (5, 6*) that "tshuva preceded the world" (Psachim 54a), for it's "built-in" as part of the plan. In short, not perfection (shlemut) but the strive for perfection (hishtalmut) is our perfection. As soon as we sincerely choose to "hop onto the train" of teshuva, that's as perfect as we are going to get in this world, even if there are inevitable ups and downs along the way. So "just do it"! Gmar Chatima Tova, Rav Ari Shvat (Chwat)
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Rabbi Ari Shvat

Lectures at various yeshivot, michlalot and midrashot. Has published many books & Torani articles and is in charge of Rav Kook’s archives.
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    The Coronavirus Pandemic

    What Should We "Take Home" from the Corona Crisis?

    Iyar 16 5780
  • Practical Tricks How Not to Accept Gossip by Giving the Benefit of the Doubt
    50 min
    Ein Aya

    Practical Tricks How Not to Accept Gossip by Giving the Benefit of the Doubt

    Ayn Aya, Shabbat v, 65

    27 Tevet 5784
  • Answering Accusations of Israeli-Occupation
    35 min
    Additional Lessons

    Answering Accusations of Israeli-Occupation

    & Why the Moral Mitzvot are Geared Only to Jews- Not Gentiles?

    Iyar 24 5780
  • Serving Israel is Serving G-d and the Universe
    35 min
    Ein Aya

    Serving Israel is Serving G-d and the Universe

    Ein Aya Shabat Chapter B Paragraph 45

    Kislev 8 5775
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