Shabbat Parashat Balak 5783

Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook: Jewish Art – The Positive and Halachic Care – #158 – part II

Recipient: The heads of the Betzalel organization for Jewish art. The head of Betzalel, Boris Shatz, had been a yeshiva student before studying sculpture, which puts the style of the letter in perspective.

Body: Last time, we saw Rav Kook’s remarks about the reawakening of the Jewish spirit in Eretz Yisrael. He started to compare the people to a sick young girl whose emergence from deep illness began with asking for a doll.

Beloved Yerushalayim, the shoshana (rose) of the lowlands (see Shir Hashirim 2;1), the dear daughter of Zion, this is the dear daughter, who has been sick with the disease of the bitter exile, which has been both long and degrading. Her sons forgot her, and many gave up on hoping and living for her due to a weakened heart. Now, a flow of life has made their tormented and sick bones tremble in a pleasant way. She demands beauty, art, and craftsmanship (parallel to the doll).

Those who calculate may say that the timing is inappropriate, as there are more pressing needs to attend to first. This may be, but the demand comes from the heart of Yerushalayim’s sons, from her spirit which she poured onto them. These demands are themselves a sign of life, hope, salvation, and consolation.

It is important to know that this sign of life is not devoid of actual content; it also has a productive benefit. The important field of the art of beauty can bring blessing and open the gates of a healthy livelihood for many families among our brothers who live on the holy soil. Thereby, “its fruit shall be for eating, and its leaves for medicine” (see Yechezkel 47:12).

It will also open the feeling for beauty and purity, in which the dear Sons of Zion are very talented. Art will uplift afflicted souls and provide them with a clearer outlook that is more full of light about the grandeur of life, nature, craftsmanship, and the honor of work and diligence. These are lofty principles that fill every Jew’s spirit with feelings of joy and grandeur.

These positive hopes, which we focus on due to your new, honorable movement, give me enough bravery to speak in your ears, respected sirs and beloved brothers. I refer to a different matter and realm, ostensibly very far from the field of beauty and art – rabbinics. However, I hope that what I will say will be beneficial. Simple information can remove a multitude of terrible stumbling blocks from our path. Then we can turn to the path of benefit and embellishing our spirit’s desires, for the glow of splendor and beauty, to overcome and appear on our nation in our Land and our holy city.

Regarding the general love of artistic beauty, which finds expression in actual human-made works, our nation always relates positively, but with limitations. We carefully avoid intoxication and exaggeration, even in the loftiest matters. Justice guides our path. Our holy sources say, “Do not be overly pious” (Kohelet 7:16). Wisdom is the light of our lives, and yet we say, “Do not be overly smart” (ibid.). “Eating an abundance of honey is not good” (Mishlei 25:27). This is the rule that encompasses all elements of our nation’s life. We will never be addicted to a specific idea to an extent that we will drown in its depths to the degree that we will be unable to give a boundary; we do not allow its hold to broaden endlessly.

When the limitations come to rein in good, innately lofty things, the limitations are gentle and soft, like a fence of roses (see Shir Hashirim 7:3), which suffices to prevent breaches (Sanhedrin 37a). Drawing a significant line is enough for Am Yisrael. This line holds the insignia of barriers for the honorable idea, considering that which is above it. It is sometimes enough that it reaches its desired spirit with one clear point without blemishing the special storehouse of the human spirit by applying metal chains.

We continue next time with details on the limitations.

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