Date and Place: 11 Shevat 5670 (1910), Yafo <> Recipient : Rav Pinchas Hakohen Lintop, the rabbi of a Chassidic community in Lithuania. He had learned Kabbala with Rav Kook in Boisk. The two were very deep and like-minded thinkers. We have seen a letter between them (#184), written a year earlier.
Body : [ This last section rounds out the discussion and some level of disagreement between the two. ]
I do not see the vision of completeness coming about without the drawing together of the pieces of goodness, which made an impact from all of the various angles, from way back in history and up to and including the present generation. This requires a holy service of Hashem by means of the paving of paths and building of bridges over the great chasms that separate [the different spiritual/intellectual groups]. This is the service that I would desire to be beloved in the eyes of all who deal with the soul of the Torah (i.e., kabbalistic ideas), as it is beloved to me to the fullest extent.
In the most recent generations, it has been wonderful for us that there have been discussions between the disciples of the Vilna Gaon (Mitnagdim) and the disciples of the Ba’al Shem Tov (Chasidim). These are two camps that occupied totally opposing positions at the time [the intellectual/spiritual divide between them began]. With hard work, a full set of literature prepared the groundwork to mend the tears between the fabric [of these spiritual parts of the nation]. The final result that will come from the work in bringing about these steps is very dear to us, as it will mend the tears of the fabric of the nation from a practical perspective. The clear main purpose [of these efforts] is the return of the strength of the nation in its Land at its highest level.
Regarding the purest souls, which are so full of love for their nation at its broadest levels, they should not be held accountable for certain occasional expressions or the phraseology that accompanies certain rulings. All of these [lackings in accuracy] will get straightened out when things progress to the practical stage. Even more so will matters straighten out when things come to the point where leadership acts in these matters on a national level.
I have one more point to make. [This is apparently in response to what Rav Lintop must have written in his letter about Rav Kook’s article – apparently about hating sinners.] All the instances of hating, with their strict laws, apply only to one who we are sure was rebuked as the Torah requires. We are in a situation whereby in our generation and several generations previously, we do not have anyone who knows how to rebuke, a fact that Rabbi Akiva already attested to. Therefore, all of the halachot of anger and hatred of our brethren are inapplicable, but are theoretical halachot . We find such a precedent regarding the wayward son, the city that was dedicated to idol worship, and the house with leprosy, according to the opinions that these situations never did and never will exist, but rather they were written by the Torah in order that we should study them and receive reward for it. Indeed, the reward for engaging in this study is very great, for it is the “salt” (the preservative of pre-modern times) that makes goodness last by strengthening the hatred of evil in all its forms. When these concepts have their impact on the educational level, it does not allow destructive evil to take true root at all.
I am compelled to end at this point my short words, a letter that I have written in an unorderly manner and without explaining all of the dear comments you made in your letter of 22 Adar 5769 (almost a year previously). As I explained, my purpose at this point was more as a friendly letter than a give and take in philosophy.