YESHIVAT HAR ETZION VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH PROJECT(VBM)
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INTRODUCTION TO THE THOUGHT OF RAV KOOK
by Rav Hillel Rachmani
LECTURE 3: THE HOLY AND THE SECULAR
Rav Kook discusses the relationship between the holy and
the secular throughout his writings. In order to gain an
understanding of Rav Kook's approach to this important topic,
we will attempt to do two things: to compare the various and
multi-faceted descriptions of the holy and the secular in Rav
Kook's writings and attempt to synthesize and understand them,
and then to incorporate our conclusions into the context of
our discussion until now.
Let us quickly summarize our previous discussions. In
the past two classes, we have developed two models which
appear in Rav Kook's writings, that of the tree and the fruit,
and that of the light centre and the dark surroundings. Both
of these models relate to the ends and the means, the
instruments used and ultimate goal, or in other words, the
holy and the secular.
This topic is of the utmost importance in Rav Kook's
teachings. During Rav Kook's lifetime, a Jewish societal
framework not based on holiness appeared for the first time.
A world of tremendous strength and of stimulating vitality,
characterized entirely by secular values and concerns,
suddenly emerged into existence.
Rav Kook's approach to this phenomenon stood in contra-
distinction to the position adopted by various leaders in
Jerusalem at the time. These leaders completely turned their
backs on the secular and all that it encompassed, closing
themselves within the walls of the Bet-Midrash. Rav Kook, on
the other hand, saw a clash between the world of the Zionist
pioneer and the world of classical Judaism, and felt compelled
to react.
(At this time, we will not deal with the historical
aspect of this issue - rather we will attempt to analyze the
relationship between the holy and the secular on a purely
conceptual and spiritual plane.)
Jewish thought has dealt with the relationship between
the holy and the secular throughout the ages. The discussion,
however, was always limited to the question of how to relate
to the problems posed by those daily activities that are not
in and of themselves holy. Even the Chassidim did not speak
of "the secular," but rather, they provided an approach which
allowed man to relate his individual mundane activities to the
encompassing world of holiness.
Rav Kook, on the other hand, wished to analyze the world
of the holy and of the secular separately, attempting to
confront and understand the role of the secular in itself. In
this respect, Rav Kook innovated an approach to the secular
world. (I heard this point from Rav Yosef Avivi.)
While Rav Kook wrote many, many articles on this subject,
we will only be able to focus on a few. In the following
passage, taken from Ma'amarei Ha-Reiya, Rav Kook speaks of
three conceptual categories: the secular, the holy, and the
holy of holies.
"There is a world of the secular, and a world of the holy,
worlds of secularity and worlds of holiness. These worlds
contradict each other. Obviously, the contradiction between
them is relative: Man, in his limited comprehension, is
unable to harmonize secularity and holiness, and is unable to
neutralize their contradictions. They are, however,
reconciled in the higher world, in the place of the holy of
holies." (p. 400)
We have here three strata, the secular, the holy, and the
holy of holies. As we take a closer look at this passage, we
notice that these three concepts are not presented as building
blocks, one placed upon the other, with the holy placed upon
the secular. Rather, they form a pyramid in which the secular
and the holy form the base, with the holy of holies as the
pinnacle, binding the other two aspects (the secular and the
holy) together.
Here we have an incredibly innovative idea - the secular
is placed on the same plane as the holy, and it is only the
holy of holies that stands above them.
Rav Kook spoke about the secular, the ordinary holiness,
and the holy of holies. We live in a world in which our
experiences seem to emerge from two different realities
(secularity and holiness), both in an ideological sense and in
an existential sense. However, the tension that often results
is not due to the inherent reality of these two different
worlds, but rather from a limited understanding which has
difficulty forging a synthesized existence.
"One of the purposes of the disclosure of the esoteric
mysteries of the Torah in this world - is to view the secular
from the vantage point of the holy, to realize that in truth,
there is nothing totally secular in this world. On the other
hand, all of the dimensions of holiness are themselves secular
in comparison to the exalted light of holiness which emanates
from the Ein Sof (the Infinite). The result is that these
concepts come together, and the unity of these worlds stands
out, and the spirit of man grows greater and greater, and his
actions grow and become glorified in the foundation of an
upper existance." (pg. 399)
Revealing the "mysteries of the Torah" creates a world
that is not merely black and white; rather, it is a world
comprised of a myriad of colors. If until now we have spoken
about the secular, the holy, and the holy of holies, we now
speak of the secular, the revealed holiness, and the holy of
holies that attaches itself to the world of mysteries - of
eternity.
The world in which we live defines life in simple terms:
the holy and the secular. Each is placed against the other:
the secular is empty because the holy is full, and the result
is that there is no connection between them. Rav Kook
stressed that we cannot view life in such simplistic terms.
We must look deep and penetrate beneath the surface, and find
holiness in existence. Much of it may be hidden within the
secular. And even within the holy, aspects of the secular may
be found.
It is in this way that we may perceive the connection
between them. In other words, while we see things that may
appear to be secular, in truth they do not necessarily
contradict the world of the holy. It is a superficial
understanding that cannot reveal the essence of what life is
all about; a broad and penetrating vision, however, allows one
to understand the inner, secret world - that of various
aspects and evolving mysteries.
Slowly, as we progress in future lectures, we will find
that a full grasp of the inner nature of God, that is, from
the perspective of the "holy of holies," becomes much deeper
and broader, to the extent that Rav Kook was able to write the
following astonishing sentence: "There are times when we may
find a heretic who possesses a powerful, inner enlightening
faith which emanates from the holy, elevated source [note -
which is parallel to the 'holy of holies' discussed above] who
is greater than thousands of 'believers of weak faith.'"
("Believers of weak faith" refers to people whose only concept
of holiness is holiness in its regular sense, as opposed to
the idea of the "holy of holies." We will elaborate on this
point in the future.)
"In all paths of life, it is the secular which awakens first,
and then the holy is compelled to awaken, to complete the
renewal of the secular, to beautify it and to redeem it from
dirtiness and filth. Woe unto the secular if it considers
using its power of the first-born, the power of the fact that
it was born first into the light of the world and activity,
and to say because of this 'I, and there is no other' - if it
has no desire to know anything about holiness, about its
precious brightness and its radiant appearance. And woe unto
the holy if it says 'Since the secular came to the world
first, it is infringing on my boundaries. Therefore I must
know only to fight against it, to destroy what it builds, to
uproot what it sows.' The content of life, and a clear
perspective of existence, will teach us otherwise, completely
otherwise. Thus is destiny: the secular will march first on
the platform of life. It is true that in its innerness, it
draws from the elevated holiness, the holy of holies, also in
these first steps. But the values of the holy are not at all
recognized in clarity and understanding in the beginning of
the appearance of the secular, and after the first strides of
the secular, the holy must inevitably come, to radiate its
light and to appear in its glory." (pp. 403-404)
The secular is that which is created first;
chronologically, it precedes the holy. The tree grows before
the fruit, and only afterward does the holy come and perfect
the secular, giving it meaning, and preventing it from
degenerating into ugliness and confusion.
Ideally, Rav Kook maintains, the holy should prevent the
secular from believing that since it came first, it is the
reason for the world's existence. On the other hand, the very
existence of a relationship between the holy and the secular
ought to ensure that holiness will not view secularity as
limiting its own expression.
Unfortunately, it is those very sparks of holiness within
the secular that give the secular the false impression that it
does not need holiness. The problem of the secular world is
that its hidden, inner holiness only realizes its potential
upon contact with other, revealed sources of holiness. Left
alone, not only do those sparks of holiness within the secular
remain hidden, but the entire entity may even be spoiled by
the external, negative aspects of secularity. Furthermore,
because the holiness cannot see what is hidden inside the
secular, the holy denies legitimacy to the secular. In return
the secular becomes aggressive and violent, and a battle
ensues.
Rav Kook considers this war between the holy and the
secular to be dangerous and wrong. Secularity without
holiness is brazen and empty. And, just as we need air to
breathe, holiness needs secularity to act upon. When the holy
rejects the secular, it becomes dry and arid. Therefore we
need to place ourselves in both worlds, to penetrate into
their inner depths and elevate them both. Thus we will
prevent the fall of both worlds.
(This lecture was adapted by: Jonty Blackman)
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