Teachings of Rav Kook

It Is Impossible Not To Love Hashem

2008-07-25T17:51:00.001+03:00

It is completely impossible not to love Hashem.

And it is completely impossible that this power of sweet, necessary love will not blossom into action, into a love of engaging in deeds that relate to goodness, in terms of attaining the light of Hashem.

It is impossible not to love the Torah and the commandments, which are so connected to the goodness of Hashem.

It is impossible not to love that which is honest and just, that good and excellent order which brings good to all, which is well-connected to the truth of existence and to the thought of the heart, with an excellent connection that is so great and splendor that we call it “the desire of Hashem.”

But higher than all this and unique beyond all this, bringing pleasantness to the soul of all, beyond the plane to which any thought can rise, it is impossible not to be filled with love for every creature, because the flow of the light of Hashem shines in everything, so that everything is a revelation of the dearness of the pleasantness of Hashem.

“The kindness of Hashem has filled the earth.”

Orot Hakodesh IV, p. 390

The Essence of Learning Torah

2008-07-12T22:20:00.000+03:00

The essence of learning Torah “for its own sake” can only come about via this preparation of understanding accompanied by feeling of how all of the details of the Torah are beloved with a holy love, and how the universal light, which is filled with life and which brings life to the world, penetrates all of [the Torah’s] details.

Orot Hatorah 2:7

Learning Torah

2008-07-11T15:22:00.001+03:00

The foundation of learning Torah “for its own sake” depends upon the enhancement of the strength of the Congregation of Israel, which is concealed within us.

The more we draw forth from [the Congregation of Israel and] into actuality branches of perceptions and breadth of feelings, the more do we enhance its power and cause it to shine.

And in so doing, we enhance the Torah itself, which is the spiritual aspect of the true life of the Congregation of Israel, which is concealed within us and hidden within the entire Torah and in each of its details.

Orot Hatorah 2:6

The Good of the Entire World

2008-05-10T22:08:00.001+03:00

There are some tzaddikim who are so great and mighty that they are unable to restrict themselves to the Congregation of Israel, but are constantly worried and concerned about the good of the entire world.

Nevertheless, they too are connected at their inner core to the Congregation of Israel, because the Congregation of Israel is the essence of the good and the most elevated of the entire world. And when the Congregation of Israel receives love and goodness, it surrounds all creation.

Such tzaddikim cannot be “nationalistic” in the external sense of the world, for they cannot tolerate any hatred and any injustice, any constriction or limitation of goodness and kindness. Instead, they are good to all, in accordance with the traits of the Holy One, blessed be He, Who is good to all and Whose compassion extends to all of His creatures.

Nevertheless they are mighty as they gaze toward salvation, for they know clearly and believe with the entirety of their pure being that the salvation of Israel, the salvation of Hashem, is the salvation of the entire world and everything in it, from the highest heights to the lowest depths.

And these supernal tzaddikim, these supernal pious people, who are connected to the ropes of lovingkindness and the light of truly supernal love, hold onto their great trait, the trait of a supernal lovingkindness, and they seek constantly the good of every individual and all creation.

And in the midst of that drive, they involve themselves devotedly and with a wondrous soul connection to the needs of Israel, in all generations and in all seasons, in all ways, in all frameworks and in all avenues.

And it is they who tend toward lovingkindness, who love to justify people and have no desire to condemn them, who love justice and hate evil, who cling to the trait of our patriarch Abraham.

And in the midst of a broad love of all creation, a wondrous love of Israel enters their heart. And since it is constricted into a concentrated place, after having been greatly spread out in an immense breadth, it is exceedingly mighty and powerful, and causes great waves to pass through the soul, until it has the power to warm many souls and to place the holy fire of the love of Israel into the depths of their heart and soul, in a great and mighty measure that leads to deed—even without any action on their part.

Their soul streams forth a wondrous love of Israel. And out of the great flame of their spiritual light comes the life power of all the good deeds of the nationalists, those who are truly dedicated to the affairs of the nation. This is because the root of all life and all goodness is to be found in the soul of the supernal tzaddikim, who stand beyond all the trivial matters that regularly fill the heart of most people.

And in the concealed place of their spirit, the seeds of ideals grow. And from their aristocratic spirit these spread in every direction. And each seed takes root in its proper place, where it sprouts. “And the sprout of Hashem will be a thing of pride and beauty for the remainder of His nation.”

Orot Hakodesh III pp. 349-350

I Am Filled with Love for God

2008-04-16T02:43:00.000+03:00

I am filled with love for God. I know that what I seek, what I love, is called by no name. How can that which is greater than everything, greater than goodness, greater than quality, greater than being, be called by any name?

And I love, and I say: I love God.

The light of the Infinite One dwells within the expression of the Name, in the expression of the divine, and in all of the names and cognomens that the heart of a man teaches and expresses when his soul is lifted ever upwards.

I cannot satisfy my soul with the love that comes from chains of logic, from the search for the light of God via the world, via an existence that penetrates into the eyes.

In our soul are born divine lights—from the perspective of our spirit, many gods.

There is one true God—and higher than one, in the depth of His truth.

God is revealed, He rules over us, He conquers all of our spirits, the spirit of all existence.

Wherever there is idea, feeling, thought and will, wherever there is noble, spiritual life, the divine light rules, governs, conquers, scintillates, is magnificent, gives forth splendor and beauty, vivifies, elevates—all of it out of a clarity of the light of being. It rules—and it dies.

That rule is limited as long as it comes from the world, from being.

At times the light waxes. One desires a light that is more refined, more inward, more true, which is in its very essence more energetic.

The light overwhelms the vessel, thought overwhelms being. The structure cannot hold, the inner content is not congruent, the vessels shatter, the kings die, the gods die, their soul rises, soars to the heavens. The bodies descend to the world of separation, existence stands bare, isolated, torn away, scattered.

It contains within itself, hidden and concealed, an eternal desire for the supernal light.

The eternal love has placed within the shattered vessels its light, its sparks.

In every movement, in every content of life, in every quality is being. There is a spark, a spark of a spark, faint, exceedingly faint, the inner light, the light of the supernal God, building and setting a foundation, gathering the scattered, rectifying forever, organizing and joining together.

The eternal sovereignty is revealed from the light of the Infinite One that is within the soul. From God to the world a new light is born: the light of the radiance of the glory of the face of God.

Chadarav

A Holy Fire, Burning and Blazing in My Soul

2008-04-15T02:40:00.000+03:00

Is this great distress that I am not permitted to pronounce God’s Name as it is written an empty thing? Is it not a holy fire, burning and blazing in my soul, which indicates the depth of the hidden longings within it for the light of the true God, the God of Israel, Who makes the precious light of the truth of His manifestation shine only with the holy Name as it is written?

All the holy Names are general— they express a concept of divinity that anyone with intelligence in his mind and with feeling in his heart can express and yearn: to desire Him and to be connected to His being.

But “who is like Your nation Israel, a unique nation upon the earth”— connected to the truth of divinity, which is revealed only in a miraculous, wondrous fashion, in a way of total truth coming from the supernal holy spirit of the “clear lens”?

The verse, “This is My name forever,” is actually written, “This is My name: to be concealed.”

It is impossible for us to pronounce it within this darkened world as long as the light of Israel has not manifested itself in its holy location, in the House of its life: in the eternal Temple.

A thirst for truth flares up, and the longing for that essential expression to be impressed into this world is great. “I have been silenced, quiet. I have been silent, lacking good, and my pain is stirred up.”

Chadarav

My Spirit Yearns Passionately

2008-04-14T02:30:00.001+03:00

My spirit yearns passionately for the supreme light, the infinite light, the light of the God of truth, the God of my life, the living God, the Life-force of all universes.

This passionate yearning consumes my physical and spiritual strength. I have neither the ability nor the proper training to satisfy the totality of this great, passionate yearning.

I am filled with utter self-abnegation before the Monarch of all universes, Who opens His hand and satisfies the desire of every living being.

Satiate my desire. Satiate me in the light of Your manifestation, and fill my thirst for Your light.

“Make Your face shine, and we will be saved.”

Chadarav

Who Can Know Me?

2008-04-13T02:29:00.000+03:00

I Myself Do Not Know Myself

Who can know me, who knows the fervor of my heart, which burns in truth with the fire of a supernal love of God?

“My spirit expires for You; my heart and my flesh sing to the living God.”

Who can realize that I am unable to take interest in any limited matter because of my great yearning for the eternal delight of the infinite expanses—that I am sick with love?

And not only do others not know me, but I myself do not know myself.

How much must I battle against myself, to keep hold of an inner faith in the greatness of my soul? And that greatness has nothing to do with deeds; it is intrinsically great, because of what it is. It is a supernal freedom, and all teachings and mitzvot only serve to make a measure of its worth clear to it.

Chadarav

The Holy Fire

2008-04-11T01:51:00.008+03:00

I must recognize the holy fire that blazes in my heart—my yearning that burns ceaselessly within it for the living God—as a great and mighty ability.

I am obligated to honor that holy illumination, which constantly appears to me and at times gains in strength, all in accordance with the amount of deed and learning and in accordance with the amount of the depth of thought, freedom of mind and health of body—and the joy of the heart that is dependent on all of these.

Chadarav

The Crucial Point of the Inner Quest

2008-04-10T08:41:00.000+03:00

Is it possible that I will not find what I seek, at the time that my search wells from the depths of truth?

And what do I seek if not myself, my true essence—not my physical or spiritual garments, all of which are acquisitions, which come and serve the essence? If my essence, my essential being, is beyond me, how will any of these devices help?

That is the crucial point of the inner quest, which requires true might so that a person may be strong as he engages in it.

And that constant endeavor to find my essence is also at the root of finding the existence of the entire Jewish people and of humanity in its broad sense, and of finding all existence in its inner sense and in its breadth.

And that is the gate of Hashem to finding the eternally sought: the God of the universe, the Source of all quests, for Whom every spirit yearns, and without Whom there is nothing to seek.

Behold, that search is the purest and most wholehearted quality. It harasses the spirit and seizes all inner spiritual proclivities, making them unable to find their path as long as the fundamental position of what one is essentially seeking is not based upon the spiritual foundation that incorporates all the movements of life.

To this end comes the entire wealth of Torah learning, all intelligent activity, and all spiritual awakening in its multitudinous movements in life—in a human being and in the world.

“Fortunate are all those who wait for Him.”

The Speech of Creation

2008-04-10T08:34:00.001+03:00

I have subjugated myself to teachings, to deeds, to relationships, to a variety of different obligations—and as a result, no thought of mine is finished and mature.

Supernal illuminations fall away like blossoms that drop after having appeared, before their time to ripen has arrived, because of a storm wind.

And so the time has come to break the chains that my own hands placed upon all the limbs of my soul, upon all the parts of my spirit. I have no obligation to focus on obstacles outside myself. Salvation is firmly placed within me, within my heart.

The wellspring of tranquility pours forth and flows unceasingly. The kindness of Hashem fills the world.

All that I have to do is to attend to that autonomous awareness, to listen to the secret of the speech of creation in its inner chambers.

I will hear, and my spirit will live.

Chadarav

My Inner Gaze

2008-04-10T08:30:00.000+03:00

I have no need to reject my inner demand to gaze at everything from the essence of my spirit.

At the same time, I am summoned to strengthen myself and broaden my perspectives, expressed in spirit and in deed, in accordance with the understanding that comes from outside myself: from friendship, mingling with others, reading books and other life experiences.

And afterwards, everything returns so as to be mixed into my very spirit, and I return to my inner gaze.

Chadarav

My Spirit Yearns

2008-04-10T08:29:00.000+03:00

My spirit yearns to burrow into its inner chambers.

I struggle to draw matters forth from the light of the Torah and from the light of the world.

But I find that all the roots of these pure objects that I seek must be found in the depths of my own spirit, whose light is taken from the light of the Torah and from the radiance of the world.

If I return from the midst of Torah and from the midst of the world to my spirit, I increase my life-force when I then re-enter the chambers of the Torah and the chambers of the treasuries of the world.

And so every bright revelation is divided into three: that of the spirit, that of the Torah and that of the world.

“Speak, my tongue, your words, for all of [God’s] commandments are righteousness.”

Chadarav

How Can I Have Anything to Say to Others?

2008-04-06T21:21:00.002+03:00

How can I have anything to say to others if I say nothing to my own spirit?

How can I express an opinion about the spiritual and physical world without first seeking a key to the treasures gathered within me?

“Gates, swing open,” I shall say to the chambers of my spirit, to my heart and to my “kidneys,” my source of counsel.

Chadarav

I Must Speak of Myself

2008-04-06T21:20:00.001+03:00

I must speak of myself a great deal.

Matters of my essential being must become extremely clear to me.

When I understand myself, I will understand everything—the world and life—until my understanding will reach the Source of life.

Chadarav

I Constantly Seek

2008-04-06T21:19:00.002+03:00

I constantly seek that which is in the midst of my soul.

Outer servitude distracts my mind from that inner search, bringing me to seek in vain at the far-flung corners of the earth for that which has not been found in the depths of my spirit.

Chadarav

The Hidden Treasures

2008-04-04T03:33:00.000+03:00

From within myself, from my wellsprings, I must always take the hidden treasures.

I am always connected to a holy suffering that results from my search for supernal perfection.

That search is never fulfilled. Indeed, it has no need to be fulfilled.

This is the nature of such ever-lasting yearning: its foundation is divine thirst. Nothing in the world can slake that thirst except that which it seeks: the on-going revelation and ever-growing experience of the thirst itself.

That itself is transformed into the source of all pleasure, into the platform for all spiritual delights, into the radiance of the Almighty.

Chadarav

Hatred of Evil

2008-03-24T23:33:00.000+02:00

At its inception, a profound and great hatred of evil must involve a hatred of evil people.

Afterwards, it is mitigated by the power of one’s intellect and it is clarified, until it attains a rarefied state of purity: until it becomes solely a hatred of evil.

And as for those people who possess evil—i.e., evil people—one is filled with compassion for them. “May sins be wiped out, not sinners” (Talmud).

But if from its inception this attitude is already in its ideal form, so that it is directed solely into a hatred of abstract evil, it will never truly become a hatred of evil. The lack of hatred for evil people will weaken that hatred against evil. And then the entire treasury of goodness is placed in great danger.

This has been the stumbling block of many great people. They fell because from the very beginning they made use of hatred of evil in its rarefied state. As a result, their lack of hatred for evil people was afterwards transformed into a love for them. And then, as a result of loving evil people, they fell into loving evil itself.

Thus, a person’s initial thought must possess the content of the trait of judgment. Only afterwards may the trait of compassion come and mitigate it by becoming its partner.

Otzrot Harayah, pp. 1240-1241

The Righteous Toil

2008-03-19T16:55:00.001+02:00

The righteous toil with a spiritual toil when their faith in themselves is diminished, and then they believe that they are like the masses of people.

And even if they imagine themselves to be the most refined and learned of them, they will not escape an inner lowliness.

But they must know that the quality of their soul is an entirely different, supernal quality, that yearning for the light of holiness and clinging to the divine is demanded of them at every moment.

And they must constantly influence all souls that draw sustenance from their great and encompassing soul.

Included in the definition of such righteous people are all those whose inner yearning for the secrets of Torah and for the reasoning of holy wisdom in its totality clings to them by their nature.

At times their light is diminished and at times they fall into all sorts of trivial pursuits. But regarding that, the verse states that “the righteous person falls seven times but rises” (Ecclesiastes).

After whatever such a person may go through, he may not remove his faith in the essence of he holiness of his soul, but say with complete conviction, “Know that Hashem has set aside the pious one for Him, Hashem will listen to those who call Him.”

A person who is fit for true fear of heaven, for piety and holiness, must know that it is utterly impossible to be like the average man.

Instead, he must toil to keep hold of his unique character.

Orot Hakodesh III p. 214

Grab Whatever Comes to Hand

2008-03-16T08:27:00.000+02:00

A person has to begin with purity of deed, then purify his feelings and personality traits, and then rise from that to purify his mind. In that case, matters proceed in proper order. Fortunate is the person who can attain that.

But sometimes it isn’t possible for a person to bring about these rectifications in the proper order. And in such a case, he is forbidden to consider proceeding in this order.

Rather, he must grab whatever comes to hand. When his spirit is ready for an elevation of awareness, he must rise, purify it and broaden it—“make the Torah great and more mighty.”

Even though he may have many demands on himself [for self-improvement] from matters that have not yet been rectified and clarified in regard to the nature of his feelings and deeds (even if these are of the most serious kind—i.e., matters between man and man), he should not abandon his self-elevation and his activity to attain goodness and rise upward in anything that he can achieve.

And that is the case even if there exists an impediment in any area, whether due to a lack of ability or, even, to a lack of desire—for at times a lack of a desire is itself close to being something that is beyond a person’s ability to change.

It is true that we should never use the heretics’ self-rationalization [minimizing] free will, for that is a degenerate viewpoint. Still and all, at times there are purifications that come from that viewpoint, that bring healing to difficult illnesses of the soul. This is related to the principle expressed in three biblical verses [that imply our helplessness in the presence of the evil inclination and mitigate the sins of the Jews, without which] “the feet of Israel would have tottered” (Berachot 32a).

And so the general principle is that in accordance with a person’s greatness in attainment and in his desire for the increase of good, he must increase and broaden his deeds, and not be upset or frightened by any impediment, whether spiritual or physical.

And when people are strengthened and filled with might, the holy power from above begins to pulse in their soul, which proceeds successfully upon all its path.

Orot Hakodesh III, p. 238

The Spiritual Greatness That A Person Feels

2008-03-11T06:07:00.001+02:00

The spiritual greatness that a person feels while he is serving God is arranged in various levels of gradation.

The level that is appropriate for an intermediate service of God is considered to lack exultation when compared to a higher level of serving God.

And contrarily, that greatness that refines the soul and crowns it with glory when it is involved in a supernal worship of God is like foolish pride during a time of a lower service of God. That pride in Hashem, which is unique to those who gaze upon the chariot, which is the true humility, is in the realm of egotism that arouses the pollution of the coarseness of the spirit when it appears in its measure during normal Torah learning.

And so “the heart of the wise person knows a time and a decision,” of how to take hold of the measure of his spirit, in its elevation and descent.

A person who must draw sustenance from the supernal source cannot draw sustenance from a lower source. Simple ethical instruction cannot stand by those who are fit for a supernal outlook. Rather, when they are involved with deep contemplation and a way of life that is appropriate for their measure they must bring their bread specifically from afar, for that from a nearby and small place will not give them spiritual nutrition.

Orot Hakodesh III p. 220

Great Souls Have No Rest

2008-03-08T22:39:00.000+02:00

Great souls have no rest from fear and depression until they reach that level for which they are destined from the essence of their nature and the root from which they are hewn: to be absorbed entirely, constantly, into the divine light, with a great radiance of a lucid consciousness and mighty desire of an exceedingly powerful will.

And whatever is lower than that does not satisfy their hunger, and does not calm their spirit.

**

Such great people must leap [over levels,] in order to enter into great thoughts.

A person must recognize his inner ability, and he must know whether he has been created for great things. He should not be taken aback by the sin of pride insofar as he recognizes the level of his consciousness, and the quality of the direction of his desire. To the contrary, a person must be much more careful about an unacceptable modesty, which oppresses the soul and occludes the divine light in the spirit.

When great people rise in their consciousness, the entire world rises with them—in terms of feeling, in terms of the joined nature of all human spirits.

But in the greatest measure of all, the nature of that joined spirit is active within the Jewish people, who from the aspect of the soul possess an absolute unity.
Orot Hakodesh III, p. 216

If You Have An Aptitude for Spirituality

2008-02-28T06:00:00.001+02:00

If you have an aptitude for spirituality, for clinging to God, and for elevated, abstract, spiritual wisdoms, you must know: it is for this that you were created. If you slacken in your supernal work, something that only a rare few can do, who will fill that great cavity?

So be happy in your portion and do not look at it in a negative way.

And do not look down on the portion of others, even if they are very far from this, because they certainly have other fields of goodness and usefulness, which are far from you.

Always be wealthy in your mind, with a good eye. Honor others. Love them all. And strive for their good and their elevation.

Even if you have no more than a small inclination for supernal spiritual sights, even if you do not really have intelligence and wisdom, but your imagination is elevated somewhat more than the usual, you are entirely responsibility to act in a supernally holy way.

You must proceed on your own, on your holy path. With good traits and elevated qualities, rise beyond the masses. And make an effort to learn from everyone—in particular from the simple-hearted masses, and from every individual who has any good quality.

If you will attempt to go on the usual path of the masses with their usual leaders, you will by no means be able to do so. Instead, make an effort to acquire excellent traits and a clear reckoning of the world.

And do not set aside the constant yearning to be close to God, which is deep in your soul, for any obstacle in the world.

Do not chase after honor—nor should you be confused when you find people heaping honors on you. And of course, do not be upset if people insult you or are disrespectful to you.

Orot Hakodesh III, p. 207

Joyfully

2008-02-20T04:57:00.000+02:00

We must perform all of the commandments joyfully, because they develop our feeling of pleasure and of divine love, which is hidden in the very nature of our soul.

And separating ourselves from all sin is also good for helping us connect with this holy goal. Sin dims the illumination of the soul because of the turbidity of the sinful deed, which mixes into our spiritual lucidity, which blocks expansion of the light of the divine pleasantness.

And our consciousness has to expand—in its connections to deed and in its spiritual connections—until the power of our soul will expands so greatly that it will find the strength to organize all of life, in general and in detail, into a fitting form, so that the supernal blossom of life, which is the universal delight (which contains all ever-lasting delights and from which all time-bound delights flow), which is the delight of the pleasure of Hashem, will constantly blossom with success and greatness.

Orot Hakodesh III, p. 186

To Burrow Into The Smallest Details

2008-02-17T05:30:00.001+02:00

The greatness of soul that yearns for supernal holiness and for great and exalted things must necessarily also deal with the rectification of traits and deeds, and at times descend into the depths of the life of deed and burrow into the smallest details, in order to rectify them and direct them in accordance with righteousness and straightness, in accordance with the Torah and halachah, and to penetrate into the depths of the traits of the spirit so as to remove from them all evil and all perversion.

But if the heart is directed only an elevated reality and not to the lower plain of purification and holiness, then all of that supernal light can shatter and turn into a stumbling block. The greatness of the soul can be transformed into an alien egotism, and the yearning for knowledge of the mighty mysteries into an illusion characterized a wealth of hues.

The might of the spirit, which elevates the phenomenon of life, can also bring to the fore stormy physical desires. The desire for illicit gain, for honor, and for sensory delights can break through all of their boundaries. And from the height of a powerful angelic, supernal yearning can come the most terrible fall.

And the hidden world is the trait of Leah, whose eyes are weak. She sits at the crossroads and prays not to fall into the hands of Esau. And because of her greatness and her weeping, she attained the foundation of prophecy and royalty, and the portion of Israel.

Orot Hakodesh III, p. 125

People Who Do Not Believe In Themselves

2008-02-15T09:09:00.001+02:00

How much goodness do some people hold back with their own hands because of their lowly consciousness—people in whose heart the spirit of Hashem is fit to beat, but who grasp smallness and do not believe in themselves, in the greatness of their soul.

Neither environment nor [one’s] actions in particular are the foundations upon which the happiness of the soul is built in its inner treasury. Rather, the foundations are greatness of the spirit, inner holiness and purity, strength of will and might of thought. A person’s environment and deeds are subjugated as he grows more intense, as his spiritual might rises.

Therefore, great, righteous people involve themselves in particular in their inner greatness. Of course, they are very careful in their deeds, they make an effort in regard to the purity of the environment—but all of this comes from the inner factor of the supernal light, which streams in their souls with its entire unique splendor, from the greatest and most fully-flowing conduit. And they do not lower themselves to cling constantly to the reality within the smallness of individual details with no end, which fill the spirit that rises upward.

And in general it is not the sensory world with the details of its actions that takes the greatest place in the eternal soul of life, which appears in the light of its greatness in supernal souls. It is rather the exalted splendor of the beauty of the Life of worlds, in which everything is incorporated—all ideational good, ethical and deed-oriented—an expansion of perfection across [one’s] deeds entirely comes of itself, when the great will for divine good with its immense purity acts with all of its power.

And at any rate the righteous turn at times from their immense greatness and look at their deeds in great detail. After they have already been satiated with the radiance of delights from the supernal pleasantness, after their spirit filled with strength has been encouraged and strengthened and the desire of good and purity, filled with the light of life, lives within their heart, then a self-reckoning comes with greatness and harmony regarding details and the details within details. Then there comes as well a spiritual and physical dolefulness, like a flowing stream and an awesome thunder, fear and greatness, hope and trust, confidence, and a hope of rectification for every flaw, and a supernal repentance that includes all repentances.

When the righteous find flaws in their deeds, even when they see that it is impossible to rectify them, they do not as a result fall from their supernal level, for they know that the reason for their inability to rectify every imperfection is that the light of the soul, which is the true strength of life upon all the branches of the passages of life, has still not shone.

Therefore, they make an effort to rise to more supernal heights, with attainment and with clearness of the spirit, so that the soul will be stronger, and this phenomenon will appear upon them. And they are confident that with the greatness of the appearance of the soul, their strength will grow so much that they will be able to rectify all twistedness, in spirit and in deed, near and far—between man and God, and between man and man, two areas between which they find no intrinsic difference.

Orot Hakodesh III, pp. 123-124

The Mirror of Self-Examination

2008-02-08T15:59:00.001+02:00

The movement of the spirit, in regard to [its] self-recognition, rolls forward, passes before the mirror of self-examination.

Sometimes the fresh aspects of the spirit pass by, and then a person is filled with greatness and might.

But sometimes the desolate aspects pass, and then he clothes himself in trembling, with a melting spirit within him.

The entirety of the circle demands that when the full and settled aspects pass by, a person not grow conceited but remain aware that only one aspect is passing by and that after this vision, which is full and fresh, an impoverished and painful vision will come. And when he is encompassed by the dark, he must know that very soon a joyful and uplifting vision will appear.

And in this way, a person’s traits will be perfected, and he will never be under the rule of a coarse egotism, which destroys all abundance, nor will his spirit be depressed by a dark melancholy.

Instead, he will keep hold of the fortress of goodness, wisdom and righteousness, and the name of Hashem will be at all times the tower of his strength.

Orot Hakodesh III, p. 121

Two Types of Personality

2008-02-07T05:54:00.001+02:00

There are people whom God has made straight, whose character is quiet. And honest guidance and inner tranquility is their constant fate.

If they toil in Torah, in ethics and wisdom, they will rise to great levels, but they are at any rate people who are straightness, good and worthy.

The fate of these people is to be involved in areas of active deed or in wisdoms that involve deed. Their ethical aspect stands in inherent independence, on its own and in tranquility. It is possible that it will not rise to an elevated level—but neither will it descend to a lowly level.

But there is a second type of person, one who does not have tranquility.

Such people always stand in the balance—either to rise to the heights of heaven or to descend to the depths of the deeps.

These people need to rectify their spiritual individuality every day. When they choose for themselves the path that they need, they will rise ever higher, but if they abandon it, they are liable to fall and fall.

These are people who must be constantly involved in Torah and worship, in ethics and feelings of holiness. And heaven forbid that they turn aside to engage in this-worldly matters and in wisdoms involving deeds.

In the course of the generations in general, there are at times found generations whose general nature is of the first type—who are tranquil, with a fixed character. And their education should be similar to those individuals with a fixed nature.

But there are also generations with a wandering nature, whose spiritual income must be constant, with an on-going flow.

And sometimes we find that in some particular part a person or a generation has an aspect of tranquility, and in another part an aspect of movement.

And the leaders, those who are concerned for the good of the entirety, must to bring to heart how to educate the generation in regard to each part by itself.

Orot Hakodesh III, pp. 126-127

Righteous People Who Do Not Penetrate Their Inner Greatness

2008-02-06T05:38:00.001+02:00

There are very righteous people, people who possess supernal characters, who are crushed within, within their soul[s], because they do not penetrate into the inner greatness within them, and [because] they do not have a perfect faith in the holiness of their yearnings.

Thus, they do not truly recognize the foundation of light in the breadth of their ideas. And so they go about stooped over beneath the burden of the mundane—of universal foolishness, of “the agitation of fools”—which weighs heavily upon them. And as a result they are placed in a sea of spiritual sufferings. The narrow ideas of the masses oppress their spirit, so that they lack the power to rise to the full height of their own thought, to the tremendous nature of their will.

They must in the end awaken from their slumber, and [despite] all of the peace and respect with which they relate to guidance for the masses, they [must go on their own path in order to] return to God, Who is revealed to them always from their unique windows and crevices.

If you yearn for the Source of the Torah, elevate yourself and gird your loins to meet that supernal [state of being], which pulses deep in your spirit, together with all of your thoughts and speech, with all of the spiritual and physical obligation that has been placed upon you.

Be a warrior and look directly at the light that is revealed to you from between the crevices.

Orot Hakodesh III, p. 122

When a Great Soul Rises

2008-02-04T06:04:00.001+02:00

When a great soul rises, it impresses a seal of an exalted reality, of purity and supernal greatness upon all being. That is the foundation of the concept of “the righteous person is the foundation of the world.” The pure and elevated soul is the inner core; all souls and all of their deeds, all the powers of existence and all the revelations of life proceed solely to perfect its being.

The world lacks a goal as long as the supernal soul does not shine upon it. And when it comes and shine with the light of its preciousness, the world is perfected, and the heavens and earth rejoice, like the joy at the time of their creation.

Those who are straight of heart, and supernal righteous people, know that it is they who are the conduits of the richness of life to all of reality. They feel the waves of the flow of goodness that descends onto them, and through them onto the world. And this feeling of theirs clothes them in humility and awe, and brings them to rise ceaselessly with a brilliance of mind, and with a preciousness of character traits.

Orot Hakodesh III, p. 156

The Holy Delight of the Divine

2008-01-23T05:53:00.000+02:00

I must draw down the holy delight of the divine, contemplative cleaving [to God] on everything that I learn, do, pray and speak. The revealed halachic matters will become enriched, filled with a vitality of pleasantness of supernal holiness, a lucid awareness shall penetrate so as to understand, learn intellectually and feel how all of the complex paths of the depths of halachah come from the same sweet and pleasant wellspring from which all holy delights and all sweet radiances of the most refined matters flow.

Chadarav, p. 133

Earthiness

2008-01-22T05:59:00.000+02:00

Earthiness, and all insights based upon the senses, and all desires that have a connection to and a relationship with them, provide the substance from which afterwards comes into realization that spiritual might with which we ally ourselves in the supernal structures, in regard to the heavenly insights and desires that shine within us.

But if we rise higher than the plateau appropriate for our [ability to] apprehend, we slip off [this] earthly basis. And [then] all of those efforts whose foundation is in the physical basis are lost to us—[efforts that,] when transformed into spiritual mixtures, place within us the spark of the flame of spiritual life [in such a way] that we are cast upward and weakened. And [then] spiritual power, its brightness and its clarity, with the precision of its desire and the strength of its spirit, are lost to us.

Wretched, we are then immersed in the great sea of spirituality, which storms upon us with its multitudinous waves. And the boat upon which we had been sitting is shattered and sunken to the depths in the storm of great waves.

And there are two pathways to being saved.

One is to rush to the shore, and in order to do so to take hold of some fragment of the boat until we find relief and rescue, until we meet up with a rescue boat or a new boat sailing upon the great sea, which will be prepared to take us on board. [This corresponds to] new horizons of service, knowledge, logic and activities, connected to those same great thoughts and ideals that have already been absorbed into us.

[The second way is] to rise so [high] to the height of the elevation of the supernal spirit, to the point of the establishment of an independent and fundamental nature of true citizenship in the heavenly world, to become one of the fish of the sea, like one of the great sea creatures, one of the regular dwellers of the sea, so that then the great light of life of mighty spirituality transforms the entire physical world into a great treasury of the spirit, and everything is aligned together with the counsel of peace.

At times the spirit grows too penetrating, and goes into too much depth.

In knowledge, it analyzes details too much, and in moral correction it oppresses the heart too much, it causes too much trembling and casts too much bitterness.

Then we heal it with external visions and we make use of the superficiality of the mundane, and the light of joy within it, in a proper balance.

And then the depth and penetration are again illumined and healthy in a rectified fashion, from which come the qualities of the illumination of the face and the joy of the heart, which constantly accompany every quality of a perfected spirituality.

Orot Hakodesh III, pp. 103-104

The Light of the Life of Elijah Rising

2008-01-21T05:59:00.001+02:00

Behold, I see with my own eyes the light of the life of Elijah rising. His power on behalf of his God grows ever more revealed.

The holiness within nature breaks through its boundaries. It proceeds powerfully to unite with the holiness that transcends nature, with the holiness that wars against nature.

We fought against nature and we emerged victorious. Nature had damaged us, dislodged our thighbone, but the sun has shone to heal us of our lameness.

Judaism of the past, from Egypt until now, is one long war against nature, against the nature of the world, against the nature of humanity as a whole—even against the nature of the [Jewish] nation, and against the nature of every individual.

We fought against nature in order to conquer it, in order to crush it within its house.

It is subjugated before us. The worlds grow ever more perfected. In the essence of the depth of nature, a great demand arises for holiness and purity, for a refinement of the soul and purification of life.

Elijah comes to proclaim peace, and within the inner soul of the nation a current of life of nature breaks forth, and comes ever closer to holiness.

The remembrance of the exodus from Egypt grows transformed into a memory of the exodus from the subjugation of nations, which grows ever closer to completion.

And all of us are in the process of coming closer to nature. And it approaches us, increasingly subdued before us, as its demands grow ever more attuned to our exalted demands, [which come] from the source of holiness.

The young generation, which demands its land, its language, its freedom and its honor, its literature and its might, its possession and its feelings—[all these things] flow via the stream of nature, whose inner being is filled with holy fire.

Chadarav, p. 201

The Clear Thought of the Torah of the Land of Israel

2008-01-15T05:49:00.000+02:00

Not only aggadah is illumined by the light of the clear thought of the Torah of the land of Israel, but halachah as well—explanatory principles, analysis of halachic decisions, the roots of various [halachic] approaches and their general understanding as rooted in the depths of a life of spirit and action.

And [this refers] not only to the Torah in its scholarly sense, to that which is to be found within the four cubits of halachah, but to an illumination of all life, all of which is dependent upon a wealth of thought.

With the depth of the coming spiritual renaissance of the Torah of the land of Israel, the boundaries and iron curtains between topics, between fields, will diminish. The entire spiritual world will be surveyed at a [single] glance in the atmosphere of the souls of the land of life.

The glory of life of the enchanting mysteries, the flash of complex debate and the encouragement of the revival of the Congregation of Israel upon holy ground, the clarification of halachot and the broadening of vision and song, a desire for excellent diligence and a desire for physical development—all of these and their like (which outside the land of Israel, and which in accordance with the way of the world before the days of revival that stand behind our wall have been judged to be distant from each other and contradicting each other) stand for us now to be bound together in a collection of a connection and true bond. And each supports the other: broadening and deepening each other, expanding and perfecting each other.

Orot Hatorah 13:4

With All of the Singers

2008-01-13T06:08:00.000+02:00

I desire with a complete yearning and desire to engage in the service of Hashem, a supernal holy worship, completely beyond any law of nature. I wish to put into all of nature the desiring light of the yearning, which is a holy of holies, for the divine ideal.

I unite with the entire Chapter of Song, with all of the singers—indeed, within all being—who rise in song and are elevated in song, and give glory and splendor to the beauty of the Life of worlds, blessed be He and blessed be His name.

Chadarav, pp. 143-144

I Must Know

2008-01-13T05:55:00.001+02:00

Even though I yearn a great deal for various [supernal] levels, I must nevertheless know and clarify what my particular activity is.

And I hope for the mercies of heaven, so that the gates of light will be opened for me.

Chadarav, p. 143

When a Person's Consciousness of the Divine is Small

2008-01-13T05:51:00.001+02:00

When a person’s consciousness of the divine is small, then the image that he has of divinity is also small.

And since it is the divine presence that makes clear to a person his infinite smallness, if his fear of heaven lacks proper awareness, then he becomes an abject scoundrel, to an extent beyond comprehension.

So how can a person attain an estimation of the divine greatness in such a way that the essential form of the glory of his spirit will not be degraded but will broaden?

That comes as a result of broadening the power of his knowledge. It comes as a result of freeing his imagination and giving free flight to his thought. It comes as a result of the knowledge of the world and life. It comes as a result of the wealth of feeling in all creation.

To this end, a person must indeed engage in all of the areas of wisdom in the world, in all teachings of life, in all the paths of the various cultures and forms of ethics and religion of every nation and tongue.

And with the greatness of the spirit, he will know how to purify them all.

Clearly, the entire foundation of his knowledge as a Jew will be built on the foundation of the Torah in its most complete breadth. He will always strive to be sure that his way will not be constricted, that his perspectives will not be suppressed and fragmented—rather, they will proceed with breadth and on a sure road.

He should not subject himself to a multiplicity of fears, which prevent his mind from its work and his spiritual powers from exercising their influence.

Instead, he should be strong. He should know the power, the good and the evil, and the supernal originality from which everything flows in a structured form, and which is in the process of gaining wholeness even as he gains his own wholeness.

Then, corresponding to the greatness of his soul, the divine light will shine upon him and his spirit will be great, and the divine supernal humility, which increases all of a person’s abilities, will fill his entire inner being. A heavenly might will strengthen him constantly, and he will do great secret things for himself and for the entire world.

Proper Eating

2008-01-11T07:18:00.001+02:00

I am very confused in regard to matters of my eating. I experience a great struggle within me in this matter.

I would very much like to fast, and to fast properly—and at the least to eat very little. But on the other hand I must, both from the aspect of health and from the aspect of holy tendencies—which are hidden within my depths and which can be great lights, matters through which all the great people of the world would rise to high elevations. From the aspect of all these, I need to eat properly, and sometimes even a great deal.

And because of my digestive problems, eating is difficult for me, and because of the scattered spirit that I usually suffer from, it is difficult for me to reach a decision as regard to the [proper] arrangement for eating, and [to reach] a completely settled state of mind that is necessary for the holiness of supernal wisdom [and] that is needed in order to be able to eat with the holiness of truth that is proper for the purity of the soul, so as to raise the will to beautify and elevate the holiness of Hashem in His world.

And if this was difficult for me in the land of Israel, how more difficult it is outside of the land.

But nevertheless, I hope for supernal kindness, so that everything will be renewed for good, for a great light, for eternal beauty, for blessing and salvation, for the light of Torah and the flame of mitzvah. And in the paths of righteousness may the Rock of our salvation lead me; may He beautify the impoverished with salvation. “And You are with the oppressed and the lowly of spirit,” “and You save the impoverished nation.”

Chadarav, pp. 150-151

A Love for This World

2008-01-11T07:11:00.000+02:00

I lack a love for this world, and that causes me great imperfection in spirituality, in learning Torah and in engaging in mitzvot “not for its own sake”—so that “out of its being not ‘for its own sake’ eventually it comes to be ‘for its own sake.’”

And I need guidance as to how to deal with these paths—which, although they are in themselves descents, yet are nevertheless necessary for ascent.

Chadarav, pp. 149-150

In Mind and Feeling

2008-01-11T07:07:00.001+02:00

Meaningless words are not at all in accord with my nature. And even in order to sharpen my mind, I need to weigh thoroughly how to arrange that properly.

And usually, when my thought is settled, it is possible for me to sharpen my mind in a way that will contain within it an inner wisdom—in mind or at least in feeling.

Chadarav, p. 149

In Accordance with the Feeling of My Soul

2008-01-11T07:04:00.000+02:00

In accord with the feeling of [my] soul, I cannot speak meaningless or superfluous words, and at a time that the arousal of the external physicality brings me to this—to speak as most people speak in the flow of my speech—I feel the protest of [my] soul within myself.

And I need a type of guidance that will give me a basis for feeling the progress of my soul, and to make it sovereign in my life, and in all of my movements and in all of my words.

Chadarav, pp. 148-149

Egotism

2008-01-11T06:58:00.001+02:00

I hate egotism with an utter hatred.

It is not awakened within me from the aspect of the essence of my character and nature.

All of my aspects that are negative stand before me always deeply revealed.

Only external states of being—mingling with people, the need to diminish the soul for the sake of the communal life needs of the masses, arouse the repulsive character of pride, which I must take some part of for the purpose of leading, and must sometimes use it to diminish the supernal light, when it grows too overwhelming for the weak body to receive.

But it is in essence disgraceful. And the ugliness and falsehood within it are clearly recognizable to me.

Chadarav, pp. 147-149

A Weakness

2008-01-11T06:53:00.001+02:00

The essence of my imperfection is a weakness of will, as well as a weakness of the body.

And at times, when I want to involve myself in repentance and in the awe of God, my will is further weakened, and I must afterwards rectify a great deal more.

Therefore, I must integrate into my repentance an inner might filled with lovingkindness, so as to strengthen and gird my will, and to make an effort together with the strength of the physical power.

And may Hashem’s help come to me so that everything will be in the proper order.

Chadarav, pp. 151-152

I Must Deepen My Feelings

2008-01-10T05:56:00.001+02:00

I must deepen [my] feelings and find the illumination of [my] natural soul within them.

And after that [I must] expand, with a holy and pure mind, one that is broad and encompassing, to gain wisdom via the purification of the wisdom hidden in [my] feelings, [for] a number of levels of supernal revelations are revealed in accordance with the nature of the holiness within them.

Even [if this is] in the form of smallness and dimness, [in accordance with] my impoverished worth, nevertheless, all of the highest levels are to be found even within the smallest spark—from the beginning of the supernal illumination of Adam to the lowest levels of imagination and feeling—with an ability similar to the ability of poetry and song and rhetoric. And every awakening of an elevated spirit—all of it has come forth from Hashem.

“He has done wondrous counsel, He has made great wisdom.”

Chadarav, p. 136

The Flow of Creativity

2008-01-07T05:51:00.001+02:00

Sometimes constant [Torah] learning is difficult for me, because of the flow of creativity that arouses [my] spirit in every small part of [my] learning. [And] even though the matters [may] not grow clear but instead arise in a dim form, they are nevertheless bound to come to clarity.
And at any rate it is not because of spiritual sloppiness that this impediment to constant learning comes, but rather because of an abundance of blessing, which [I must] meet with respect and joy, [even] as [I] attempts to escape the imperfections within it.
Chadarav, p. 137

To Encompass a Particular Topic

2008-01-06T05:58:00.000+02:00

I must make an effort so that I will be able to encompass a particular topic without leaping from idea to idea.
Even though [in] essence [I] leap from topic to topic because of [my] quickness of comprehension and [my] desire to embrace many topics, and [to attain] a complete breadth of knowledge with an elevated spirit, nevertheless, this faculty blocks [my ability to] internalize the ethical, intellectual and Torah material.
Indeed I must understand integrate the matter a great deal— i.e., that [my] particular internalization of a specific matter will be a kind of internalization that does not deprive [this] specific matter of the rich influences of all the [other] various matters.
Indeed, [within any] spiritual material, like existence as a whole, [every element] connected to another, and each one draws sustenance from the other.
And the words of Torah in particular are beloved to each other and each other’s comrades.
And this insight is not only germane to a specific area, but it is general. It touches upon every way of serving God and every mitzvah.
When a person performs a good act, his mind must be centered on that specific act. But at the same time he must broaden his thoughts to all of the mitzvot as a whole, and to all the branches of serving God, so that with this specific mitzvah all of the mitzvot with all of their branches—[each mitzvah with] all of its specifics and details and intents and the 613 mitzvot that depend upon it—will be encompassed.
Chadarav, pp. 137-139

Before You Shall I Pour Forth My Speech

2008-01-03T05:20:00.001+02:00

Before You shall I pour forth my speech, Master of all worlds.

Your greatness will not prevent me from coming close to You, for indeed [Your] greatness is [Your] humility, and they have no end—as is the case with all of Your traits.

Neither will my awareness of my smallness and my nothingness prevent me from having the vigor to come close to You, the light of life and the source of good, for there is no end to the greatness that my heart will cause me to feel in that I am one of Your creations.

And even if I look down on some of Your creatures and they are inconsequential in my eyes, only foolishness causes that.

You are the source of wisdom. Only You know Your greatness. And in the power of that greatness, truly all of Your creatures are of equal worth, insofar as they are Your creations, great and awesome God.

And for me as well, it is enough for me to be considered one of the works of Your hands—that covers all of my imperfections.

And behold, with a trembling of the holy I come to You, my King. Save me. From all of my sins help me escape, and from all of my enemies deliver me. Save [me] please, save [me] please, Father Who is compassionate and gracious regarding all deeds.

“To Hashem belongs salvation; upon Your nation is Your blessing selah.”

Chadarav, pp. 153-154

Deliver Me From Oppression

2008-01-03T05:17:00.001+02:00

Save me, Hashem, deliver me from human oppression.

Grant me the merit to truly brighten my entire being.

Strengthen and gird my will and my abilities to walk upon the straight path of the light of the holiness of Your straightness, for “You desire straight things”—You, Hashem my God.

Chadarav, p. 153

The Purifications That I Perform on Myself

2008-01-03T05:16:00.000+02:00

The purifications that I perform on myself, my thoughts, my ideas, my traits and my feelings—they will be general purifications for the entire world.

Chadarav, p. 153

I Need to Strengthen My Will

2008-01-03T05:14:00.001+02:00

I need to strengthen my will, to free it from any subservience [caused by] phantasm.

Then it will be connected to Torah and prayer, to a mindful clinging to the divine and to an inner awakening in a depth of holiness.

And the merit of the land of Israel will stand by me even in my exile, to bring me back to the holy land with great mercy.

Chadarav, p. 152

I Cannot Move from Clinging to the Divine

2008-01-03T05:12:00.000+02:00

I cannot move from clinging to the divine, and so I have to obligation to strive to see the divine light and its pleasantness in all mundane matters, in all speech and in every deed and movement, whether my own or of others, and certainly to feel the revelation of the supernal light as it comes through the conduits of truth and righteousness within the entire Torah, including its simple meaning, halachic discourse and Talmudic disputation.

And that is why I always tend to align such Talmudic disputation with the character of conceptual logic, which includes as well the feeling of the heart.

And it is all out of an inner tendency—the fact that I desire with all my heart that the divine light, with its delight and light, should be revealed to everyone, and that everyone should be refined by it and take delight in it.

And I need constant encouragement not to move from that level, and to increase its light and to stride forth well upon its path, and to incorporate all the paths of learning and [Torah] leadership on this general path, which is the path of the righteous that grows ever more illuminated until the fullness of the day [arrives].

And the effort of proper direction in the essence of the portion of the Torah that belongs to oneself, [an effort] supported by the [natural] tendency of the soul, is the most assured path of going in the direction of the root of the soul, and of guiding it in the manner fit for it.

And even though everyone in whole world may think that he has no connection to this at all, nevertheless there exists within the core of the heart a tendency to shine the light of Hashem in that point where feeling and intellect and every power of life join.

In order to cause this light to shine well, in order for it to truly perform its task, a person must repent fully out of love. And [then,] due to the great value of repentance, the power of [its] influence onto the entire world will increase.

And the path of that repentance must go through everything: [it must be] in deeds and in traits, in speech and in thought. And at any rate one must not push away any good point. And whatever part of repentance comes to mind, one must be lively and bring it into actuality, with mindfulness and joy and trust [in God] and a depth of faith.

Chadarav, pp. 134-136

The Ideal Totality of Being

2008-01-01T05:50:00.001+02:00

The ideal totality [of being] reveals its power only through the multitude of [individual] particulars, as they are well-organized in a proper arrangement in both the spiritual life and the life of action.

But these particulars they have no value without the universal soul.

And [so] when I feel very weary because of the weight of the burden of details, which are boring and heavy, I must revive my spirit by watering it with the universalist phenomenon.

And when that universal brilliance flows upon the multitude of our particular, hewn structures, we return to work on the particulars with precision and verve.

Chadarav, p. 132

I Require Counsel

2007-12-28T05:10:00.000+02:00

I require counsel so that the joy and tranquility of the spirit that I experience when I am involved with my spiritual thoughts and with religious concepts and hidden matters will remain with me as well when I perform the mitvot of deed and prayer, and when I deal with the texts of the revealed Torah.

Chadarav, pp. 132-133

There is a Depression That Comes From Spiritual Wealth

2007-12-28T05:06:00.001+02:00

There is a depression that comes from spiritual wealth, and there is a joy that comes from a poverty of mind.

How can that be?

[Spiritual] phenomena overwhelm me. Visions of visions come before my spiritual eyes. I gaze into books, into the holiest and most elevated books, and their wellsprings are alive and pour forth. They cause many wellsprings to flow with their primal power into my inner spirit.

And with each vision an inner commotion is born.

[I ask myself:] Where does all this come from? The beginning of the vision and its certainty—where is that drawn from?

And [with this self-questioning], my soul suffers in its sadness [as it contemplates] this joy of its wealth.

[But] this sadness [is good, for it] refines the spirit, sharpens the mind and moistens the richness of spiritual life. And knowledge that comes from the source, and from the source of the source, as well as a very precious ability to heed—[both of which] are great and broad—are born.

And they come with a certainty that is assured, and they raise the soul to a supernal place.

But in that supernal place the question returns anew regarding these new instances of certainty, which comprise a most supernal wealth. It at first makes its appearance with the diadem of its splendor, with the brilliance of its joy, but it is afterwards followed by the question: whose son is this youth? Is he fit to join the congregation?

And that inquiring thought is reawakened, it seeks paths—it seeks [them] and it finds [them]. [So then there comes a] new certainty [that] finds very deep roots in the soul, that comes to the power of deed.

A strong impulse to influence [the world] and to unify a broad circle of life comes and presents itself, until [there is] new ascent, as a result of which everything [before] is forgotten.

All of the previous wealth fades away, and images of a higher world come, a pure atmosphere, pure and fresh. Luminous bodies shine in a form that had never before been imagined. And there is no memory of the past; [there is only] the present and the future, heartwarming and pleasant. Creativity multiplies and certainty rises to its peak.

But [then] an inquiring spirit comes and inserts a new sadness. [But that is] in order to give birth to a supernal joy and the revelation of a rectified world.

“That which was not told to them they saw, and regarding that which they had not heard, they looked.”

Chadarav, p. 113

In the Beginning

2007-12-24T05:40:00.001+02:00

And what is my constant yearning, or—better put—my set nature, the nature of my spirit and the flow of my thoughts? Only that of starting anew—“in the beginning.”

I always stand at the beginning.

There may be fragmented and confused particles of knowledge—but they will never put me at a remove from the primal point, upon which everything depends.

It is possible that there is something here of a weakness, that I am afraid of too much breadth.

But on the other hand, it is impossible to say that there isn’t a grain of hidden capability that is drawing me to delve into the beginning, into the start of everything, into the foundation of being, into the secret of existence, into the ideal of ideals, into that which is elevated and holy.

Chadarav, p. 126

A Person Who Is Constantly Pained

2007-12-21T06:10:00.000+02:00

A person who is constantly pained because of his sins and the sins of the world must always pardon and forgive himself and the entire world.

And in this he draws forgiveness and lovingkindness onto all of existence, and he gives joy to God and joy to people.

First he must pardon himself. And then he draws a general pardon onto everything, starting with that which is closest to him: the extensions of his roots from the aspect of his soul, his family, his friends, his nation, his generation, his world, and all worlds.

And in this he is a “foundation of the world” on the highest level, on the level of the Holy Tongue. And “a soft tongue can break the bone”—the bone of a donkey, “a bone that is evil on the outside”—so that all of the hidden good is revealed in everything.

And then he attains to the blessing of Abraham, whose likeness appears in every generation.

Arp’lei Tohar, p. 54

When Our Soul Sparkles

2007-12-20T05:48:00.000+02:00

When our soul sparkles, every time we learn, we look for the universal soul with its lights, which brought those very topics that we are studying into being.

Then the spiritual radiance is revealed with its richness of hues, and a person clings with his spirit to this light, which is the light of a primal, Godly life.

Then blessing increases entirely--on this person’s soul and on everything.

And then this person ascends upon the rising path of those who learn Torah for its own sake, because he makes peace in the heavenly assembly (the angels) and in the earthly assembly (Israel).
Arpelei Tohar

In Conflict with the Entire World

2007-12-19T08:43:00.001+02:00

If I must be a man who is in conflict with the entire world because of the tendency for truth that is deep in my spirit, which does not tolerate any tendency toward falsehood, I cannot be someone else.

I must bring out from the potential to the actual only the essential foundations of truth that are hidden in my spirit, without any concern for what the world thinks with all of its value judgments.

That is the maxim of the person who seeks truth, who awakens with his supernal might. That is the might of the world. That is an eternal might that is connected to the fate of the eternity of Israel, which is girded with might.

Chadarav, p. 146-147

To Love All

2007-12-19T05:46:00.000+02:00

How much does [my] heart sigh to love all: all creatures, all beings, all of creation, all the multitude of the things of the Maker of everything, the roots of things, life, power, the rising glory, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, beauty, eternity and beauty, the fundament and the monarchy.

How precious are Your friends, God, and how much does my heart desire to love all souls, and the beauty of the good things and finished things within them.

How pleasant and sweet are the refined spirits of those of uplifted heart, of those profound thinkers, of those with holy yearning, of those who grasp the Torah, mighty in faith, heroes of the spirit, those who create expression and poetry, those who dedicate the holy, those who beautify life and the world, how mighty are these leaders.

How beloved are the pious of the world, [whose] minds [are] filled with the emanation and beauty of holiness. How have I loved all of them together; how strong is my affection for each one of them. How glad am I for their goodness, for their honor, for their tranquility, for the delight and comfort that they find in their lives.

What is greater for me than to take part, aid, work and be active to increase the light of life, to broaden the settings [in which they are set] so that the loveliness and glory will be seen, the divine radiance of the pleasantness of love, of eternal love—which entwines its many branches, rises beyond all being and spreads out over all creation, brings into sharp relief the beloved faces, increases the knowledge, sharpens the feeling, strengthens life, strengthens the refinement and enflames the strength, fills all the breadths of the soul with a supernal might, with the might of God, with the energy of truth and light.

Chadarav, pp. 176-178

a True Inner Humility

2007-12-14T05:23:00.000+02:00

I hope for a true inner humility—which will not weaken [my] inner might with its spiritual joy, the development of its abilities and the increase of its light, but will in fact gird them.

“It is good to be of a lowly spirit with the humble” (Proverbs 16:19).
Chadarav, p. 152

The Light of Supernal Truth

2007-12-13T05:12:00.001+02:00

By means of an inclusive methodology, I will attain everything, including all particulars—particular fields of knowledge, clear judgments in halachah and in determining cases, in Talmudic argument and homiletics.

But all of these are only parenthetical. The essential thing is that I seek the light of supernal truth in all of its manifestations.

“Then shall you take delight in Hashem, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth, and I will feed you the inheritance of Yaacov your father, for the mouth of Hashem has spoken.”

Chadarav, p. 128

That is the Question

2007-12-13T05:11:00.000+02:00

How important it is for me to thoughtfully clarify my spiritual state!

[I have to consider] how much I am supposed to struggle against my feelings and the progression of my thoughts, which lead me constantly to the supernal aspect, to the elevated and the exalted, so as to gaze with holy elevation, with the foundations of supernal ethics, with the soulful breadths of the world of Emanation—whereas obligation pushes me to aspects of this-worldly action?

But to what degree can the obligation of this-worldly action push aside the august spirit? That is the question.

Chadarav, p. 128

I Cannot Deny My Inner Desire

2007-12-12T05:10:00.001+02:00

I cannot deny my inner desire, the essential desire of [my] soul, which is constantly revealed from the depths of my heart, which is a faithful desire, filled with trembling.

And this trembling is filled with the might of holiness, because I tremble for the word of Hashem.

The fear of heaven is my speech and my inner essential musing; all of my wellsprings are [immersed] in it.

Society, environment and a life of deeds lie on my path like stumbling stones that do not allow my holy yearning, filled with the holy light of the fear of Hashem, encompassed with an inner love, to emerge into continuous revelation, so as to be strengthened in all [of its] traits.

And behold I, whenever I come into contact with people, I come into confusion, and the concealment of the content of the fear [of God] grows very strong, to the point that I find myself abased and abandoned.

But my hope is in Hashem.

Chadarav, pp. 145-146

I Cannot Deny Within Myself the Spirit

2007-12-12T05:07:00.001+02:00

I cannot deny within myself the spirit that yearns to grasp the elevated service of raising the holy sparks [within] everything that comes into the circle of [my] activity—of all the physical necessities and all possessions that come into my contact with me and [that enter] into my boundary.

And that tranquility that comes to me, even [if only] because of a dim imagining of the holy form of this pure-hearted and holy work, fills me with strength and fortitude, [when I consider] that [these things] come to be rectified when the light of Torah and the worship [of God] are broadened in all aspects, as they branch outward.

“He makes Torah great and mighty.”
Chadarav, pp. 144-145

From My Nature

2007-12-10T05:53:00.001+02:00

by Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook

From my nature I am summoned to do everything for the sake of the deed [itself] and to speak of matters for their own sake.

For me, the variety of ulterior motives and blemishes of thought and desire are merely external things. And if I strengthen myself with great faith in the quality of the light of my soul, which is united with pure humility, I will conquer everything. Then the light of Hashem will shine on me clearly and broadly, and I will be able to speak words of truth, without any fear and without any desire to curry favor in the world.

Chadarav, p. 146

Do Not Be False to Your Spirit

2007-12-09T06:04:00.000+02:00

A person should not be false to his spirit. He should not deny his inner feelings because of the stormy pressure of societal assumptions.

If he feels the elevation and holiness of idea in a particular field, he should be sure to satiate himself constantly with the richness of supernal pleasures from that place that his heart desires.

And I—who am so filled with the consolations of God when I learn the secrets of the Torah—even when I feel myself exceedingly bare, my hands will not weaken. I must strengthen myself, even though it is impossible not to give this-worldly concerns the attention that they require, both in regard to the aspect of this-worldly well-being and in regard to the aspect of the basic obligation to study the Torah and attain its knowledge in all fields.

Chadarav, pp. 102-103

May My Heart Not Fall

2007-12-09T06:03:00.002+02:00

May my heart not fall even if my thoughts are considered fantastical. [Even then,] when such imagination turns to holiness and morals, it is useful and necessary. And who knows the real truth amongst human beings—whose thoughts are vanity?

Each one of us can only develop the ability of his spirit in the way of light, truth and goodness—every individual in accordance with the root of the tendency of his soul.

And since I feel my inner tendency in the content of my thoughts, which pour and well forth within me at every moment—and in particular at a time of speaking [with] and influencing [others]—behold, that is my portion and inheritance.

Although I must strengthen myself in the other parts of the Torah, and in particular in practical halachah, it is impossible and unnecessary to go against the nature of my spirit.

Chadarav, pp. 110-111

Extravagant Terms

2007-12-09T06:03:00.001+02:00

If I express myself in extravagant terms, if I speak exaggerations, do these really contain falsehood? I am revealing the thought of my soul, I am uncovering the lights of my spirit!

And the revelations of lights and the uncovering of the soul constitute a creation of great worth. I stand upon the peak of “the remnant of Israel shall not do injustice, and will not speak falsehood, and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths.”

Chadarav, pp. 111-112

Inner Yearnings

2007-12-09T06:01:00.000+02:00

When I am not engaged in Torah, it is not out of carelessness but out of inner yearnings for the goodness of Hashem in the secrets of the Torah, for a supernal connection. “My soul has desired in the shadow of Your hand to know every mystery of your secret.”

Many indeed are the obstacles that keep me from actualizing the depth of holiness in my soul, but I will not allow that to step off my path. It shall be called the path of holiness, and the supernal Torah is the source of my delights, and that will bring me the blessing of the Torah, and depth of piety, and the humility of the just, the light of strength and elevation.

And my heart will be opened to succeed in the truth of the light of Hashem, and pray on behalf of every individual who groans and is oppressed, for every individual who needs compassion, for the entire world, for the generation, for the rejected souls, for every sorrow and lack, and my eyes will be illumined to feel the suffering of the world, the suffering of God’s Presence, with a good consciousness, with an understanding of Hashem.

And I will rejoice in Hashem, I will be happy in the God of Israel, the God of my salvation, the God who girds me with might and makes my feet like [those of a] deer, to “conquer with my songs.”

And as to the fact that my thoughts are oppressed, that the desires and longings come to me out of sequence, higher than my level, there is no reason to fear that, for that is the complexion of the generation, and of myself in particular—for I must unite everything: all feelings, all knowledge, fields of study, images, speeches, facts, poems and rhetoric, stories and halachot, aggadot and parables. And my mind must turn to the nation and to each individual, and gaze upon supernal sights, and know the lowest depths in order to raise pearls from there, sapphire and emeralds.

Despite all my poverty and impoverishment, I must know that the stance of my soul is a wonder, and all the various factors in my state of being.

And for all of them I will thank Hashem and rejoice in the gift of my portion, and I will strengthen and invigorate myself to serve Him, for the sake of His name with love, with a great mindfulness, and with a tendency for ultimate truth, for the sake of a love of the holy, the elevated, the good and the straight, to bring from the potential into actuality precious qualities, to turn the masses away from sin, to increase the light of supernal lovingkindness on His nation and upon all of His creations.

Chadarav, p. 116

Delving into Details

2007-12-09T06:00:00.001+02:00

How much does delving into details of halachah and subtle Talmudic thought at times cloud my spirit, which that yearns for great things and general principles.

Nevertheless, I must overcome [this] and properly prepare myself so as to be competent clarify halachah and, at times, engage in normative Talmudic disputation. This is because ultimately a person should not differ from the custom of his place. It is a restriction [that comes from] the proper “way of the land” not to be awake among those who are sleeping, nor asleep among those who are awake.

And when a person accepts some limitation due to this restriction of “the way of the land,” then spiritual breadth comes to his spirit from the aspect of the great concept stored in the totality of that trait of “the way of the land,” which [has the property of] rectifying the general culture of human beings.

Chadarav, p. 131

Even if I Feel a Taste of Spiritual Bitterness

2007-12-09T05:59:00.002+02:00

Even if I feel a taste of spiritual bitterness when I study the secrets of the Torah, my heart will not fear.

I will increase my constancy and clinging in thought, until the bitter waters become sweet, as sweet as honey in my mouth.

Chadarav, pp. 108-109

One May Not Withhold the Mystical Imagination

2007-12-09T05:59:00.001+02:00

One may not withhold the mystical imagination, which is the secret of creation.

Mystical thought causes new souls to sprout, redeemed souls, souls that redeem, messianic souls.

Within [this] secret of secrets, the hiddden and the revealed unite. From the concealed source, the revealed and exposed are blessed; all of the cultures of society are blessed from the source of straightness hidden within the depths of the secrets.

And I—behold, I yearn for the blossoming from Hashem, for the light of salvation to appear. I will not turn back upon my path, even though many are my enemies, those who rise against me.

But more than all my enemies, I myself rise against myself. My smallness rises up against my greatness. The degradation of my spirit berates its glory.

But my glory will not bow its head in fear of the shadows of smallness. Although [those shadows] may stretch themselves out a great deal, they are only shadows. And where the sun shines its light, they will flee.

Chadarav, pp. 108-109

How Great is My Inner Struggle

2007-12-09T05:57:00.001+02:00

How great is my inner struggle. My heart is filled with an exalted and broad spiritual yearning.

I want the divine felicity to constantly spread within my entire being—not because of the pleasure of that delight, but because this is how it should be, because this is the state of reality, because this is the substance of life.

And I am always sighing, roaring from my inner essence with a great voice: give me the light of God, the delight of the living God and His play, the great appearance of the visitation of the palace of the King of the world, God, the God of my father, to Whose love I am dedicated with all my heart, the fear of Whom elevates me.

My soul rises ever higher, it transcends all lowliness—the smallness and limitations that a life of nature, of the body, limited by environment and social mores, oppressed within manacles, completely put in chains.

But a flow of obligations [then] ensues: endless [exoteric Torah] studies [with all its details], confusions of ideas and the emergence of intricate arguments born of an exacting examination of letters and words. [This] comes and surrounds my soul, which is pure, free, light as a cherub, pure as the essence of heaven, flowing like a sea of light.

I am not yet able to gaze from beginning to end and thus understand the felicitous message [of such study], to feel the sweetness of each detailed insight, to look with light within the areas of darkness of the world.

And so I am filled with pains, and I hope for salvation and light, for supernal exaltation, for the appearance of knowledge and light, and for the flow of the dew of life even within those narrow conduits, from which I may draw sustenance and be sated, so as to delight in the felicity of Hashem, so as to recognize the pure, ideal Will, that which is elevated and hidden, the supernal might, which fills every letter and point of a letter, every halachic contention and complex argument.

“And I shall play in Your commandments that I have loved.” “And I shall speak of Your laws.”

Chadarav, p. 129

Which Parts of the Torah are Particularly Necessary for Me

2007-12-09T05:56:00.000+02:00

There is no doubt that I must pay attention to my inner sense of which parts of the Torah are particularly necessary for me and congruent with the needs of my soul. This is the case even though I shouldn’t [allow myself to] be drawn after [these parts] entirely, [since] it is sometimes necessary to battle with one’s feelings.

[Still, I have to know that] there is a reason that [my] inner spirit is roused to pull me to hidden, [kabbalistic] teachings—even matters beyond my level and degree.

Indeed, “the heart of a wise man knows a time and a judgment,” “to know how to sustain the tired person with words.”

Chadarav, p. 105

I Must Know My Measure

2007-12-09T05:55:00.000+02:00

Being by nature a person of aggadah and of mysticism, I have no need to [look with] envy [upon] the portions of halachah and the revealed Torah.

Nevertheless, I am also summoned and obligated [learn] those areas [of the Torah], for it is not without cause that Hashem graced me with ability [to study] them as well.

But I must know my measure, so that I will grow depressed regarding the slightness of my portion in revealed matters (even though in aggadah and in the hidden I am [also] very poor and impoverished).

I must remain firm, because the cause of this imperfection of mine is that a multiplicity of areas constantly draws me in every direction, so it is my nature to taste a little of each matter. So if I am weak in the revealed Torah and halachot, that is caused by my inner attraction to aggadah and the hidden.

This phenomenon of my capacity is particularly apparent at a time of settled [but] unrehearsed speech with people who are qualified for [such discussion], as well as at every moment that [my] spirit is awakened. Then I find within myself a hidden treasure, which must be my consolation even in a time of concealment and great darkness.

“When I sit in darkness, Hashem is my light.”

Chadarav, pp. 103-104