Shabbat Parashat Vayechi 5784

Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook: Excitement about Receiving a Sefer of Kabbala – #181

Date and Place: 29 Tevet 5669 (1909), Yafo 

Recipient: Rav Shlomo Elyashov (Rav Kook used his name’s Yiddish spelling; it is also pronounced Elyashiv). He was from and in Lithuania. Rav Elyashov, one of the greatest kabbalists of his era, wrote several sefarim, including Leshem Shvo V’achlama (he was often called “The Leshem”).  Rav Kook and the Leshem enjoyed a long relationship. When Rav Kook was the rabbi in Biosk, Rav Elyashov taught him Kabbala. As we see here, the two continued a relationship at a distance. In 1922, Rav Elyashov moved to Eretz Yisrael with Rav Kook’s help. Through his daughter, the Leshem was the grandfather of Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the great Talmudist and leader, who, along with his parents, moved to Eretz Yisrael with the Leshem and adopted his last name. 

Body: [The basic content of this letter is simple (thanks for receiving the author’s sefer) and the flowery language (which I lowered and sometimes turned from third person to second person, for reading ease) and double meanings of some phrases makes this difficult to translate. The opportunity to focus on the interaction of the two great Kabbalists and friends is worth the effort.] 

The house was filled with light, when the holy sefer (Hakdamot U’shearim), with the grandeur of the crown of his Torah’s brilliance, came to my hands. I will not use the strength needed to withhold from the honor of the sanctity of my master, who is so dear to my soul, the emotion of my internal joy, from the light that was good (see Bereishit 1:4). I thank Hashem, Who shall show us His light and salvation, on the one hand by means of a clear sign of the End of Days (Sanhedrin 98a) – the settlement of the Desired Land. On the other hand, may He show us the proliferation of the internal light of the holy Torah (deep Kabbalistic ideas). The latter is more beloved.

At this time, as your holy book is still in my hand, I devoured several pages, even before the pages were bound, out of my great love of its sanctity. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, may it and its taste be blessed. So too, may Hashem, Who adds on from the source of life to give people long life and years of goodness, good health, and wonderful light, add on these blessings to my dear and honored master, a good and long life. May you bring to fruition all that the spirit of Hashem that is within you shall strive for, and let these matters be elevated one rung after another, as they enter Hashem’s sanctum and His portion, as the Chatam Sofer writes in his responsum (Yoreh Deah 233). If this is so for the straightforward ideas of the Torah, all the more so that this is true of holy Torah secrets.

My soul has such a strong desire to see the secrets of the holy manuscripts of his holy brilliance. If it would be possible to arrange for me that a scribe will copy your wonderful pamphlets, I would be joyously willing to pay all expenses, just so that I could receive the light beams earlier (before they are published), which would refresh my heart in this great Land.

My exhausting activities from bearing the burden of the Nation of Hashem who are in the process of returning [to the Land], may the Exalted one bless them, are great. Therefore, I am compelled to be brief in the place that my heart tells me to write at length. [Just the process of writing to you] allows me to gaze at the beauty of the glow of the honor and sanctity of your Torah in my imagination, as I concentrate on having my words reach opposite the light of the holy candelabrum of pure gold, referring to you, my honored master. Indeed, I have become intertwined with you with a divine bond, through the depths of the heart.

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