Shabbat Parashat Acharei Mot 5784

Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook: Update for His Father – #212

Date and Place:  4 Menachem Av 5669 (1909), Rechovot 

Recipient: Rav Shlomo Zalman Hakohen Kook, Rav Kook’s father 

Body: My son wrote to you, especially about some craftsmen, who based on the agitation of one of them, planned to upset me. Thank G-d, I am interested in the peace of all, young and old, wise and ignorant. I will not relinquish my naiveté, to judge everyone in the most positive light and treat everyone with kindness. The fact that I showed a little resentment is just in comparison to what people might think that I would not take note of them at all because they are poor or simple. Heaven forbid that a child of yours would think that way.

Thank G-d, this matter is not having an impact, even in the city, and certainly not in the moshavot. In general, my only desire since coming to the Holy Land has been, with Hashem’s help, to work for the welfare of the Holy Land and members of Hashem’s Nation who live in it. I have no interest or concern for my personal undertakings, which are of no importance in comparison to the whole nation’s welfare. Therefore, there is no reason to be upset by what happened. Rather, we should just increase hope for Hashem’s kindness to His nation and His lot, as we are seeing wonders in the budding of His salvation, with His trustworthy counsel from a distance.

It is so important now to increase the pervasiveness of complete belief in Hashem, regarding all the occurrences He arranges. [I refer to His control over nations], especially the Kingdom of Turkey, which is Hashem’s doing, [for the welfare of] the "Land of the Deer" that is under their control until the time of the redemption. Matters are taking form secretly, “under the ground” to speed up the process, whose time has come. This awakening of consolation is truly the cure for the doldrums of the collective and the individual. We must thank Hashem for giving light to this dark, lowly generation, with a flashing of salvation for the Holy Land in a manner unprecedented since our exile. He has done so for His sake, with our only spiritual preparation being Bnei Yisrael’s intention to move in the direction of returning to Hashem’s Land like doves flying to their nests, even though many of us do not even know the significance and content of this return. It will not take much longer for the true light to be revealed; the Arm of Hashem, outstretched since the Exodus from Egypt, and from the beginning of history and forever, will be seen and revealed for all spirits and souls to experience.

[Rav Kook’s then inquires about his father’s health and encourages him to move to Israel, where he might see health benefits from the blessed Land.]

Here, in the moshava (Rechovot), there is a new, positive development, brought on by the echo of the sound of the ingathering of exiles to the Holy Land, which arrived from Yemen. This has brought many of our brethren, who live in Yemen under great pressure in a very terrible exile, to the Holy Land. These are people who suffice with very little. Most of them are connected to Torah; almost none among them are ignorant, and they are all very G-d fearing. Some became workers in the moshava. It is very good that they take the place of the problematic Jews coming from Russia, the worst of whom are not capable of having a place in Eretz Yisrael. Hashem should grasp the edges of the Land and shake the evil from it (see Iyov 38:13).

These Yemenites are healthy people, who like to work. They pray publicly three times a day, with intention, in a special room prepared for them by the main synagogue. They act as is customary in their place, which is much closer to the original customs of Israel. We are glad to see the ingathering – these from the North and these from the South, all of whom have turned to the Desired Land with love and joy that they were fortunate that Hashem brought them to the Holy Land. They do their agricultural work with love. Some guard the fields, while also studying Torah with diligence and fear of Hashem. There are no disputes in their neighborhood. Even though some of them have more than one wife (up to four), they live quiet lives. We expect many more to come to work in the moshavot, may their numbers increase along with other members of the lost flock.

Top of page

Print this page

Send to friend