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Gentiles and Jews in the Thought of Rav Kook

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Gentiles and Jews in the Thought of Rav Kook “The Beauty of Yefet in the Tents of Shem” Gentiles and Jews in the Thought of Rav Kook n matters of daily life, the State of Israel has largely fulfilled the famous Ibiblical depiction of the Jews as “a people that dwells apart, not reckoned among the nations” (Numbers 23:29). The world of many Israeli Jews is largely devoid of significant contact with non-Jews. Other than as workers at construction sites or in the kitchens of restaurants, non-Jews are mainly glimpsed through the prism of the local media. This is particularly true of the Palestinian population, which, despite its geographical proximity, remains behind a barrier of violence, fear and political deadlock. The problem is compounded in the case of religious Zionism, whose authoritative texts are rife with negative perceptions of non-Jews. {By DAVID DISHON 80 | Fall 2008 “The Beauty of Yefet in the Tents of Shem” /// David Dishon The foremost spiritual figure of religious The second conception sees no essential Zionism is undoubtedly Rabbi Abraham difference between Jews and non-Jews. All Isaac HaCohen Kook (1865–1935), the first men and women share the same human Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Palestine, and one qualities and frailties. The Jews are unique of the most prolific, profound and influen- by virtue of having been chosen by God to tial Jewish thinkers of the 20th century. His receive the Torah and are thus required to legacy enjoys particular popularity among become “a kingdom of priests and a holy na- the youth and educators of the national-re- tion” (Exodus 19:6). Uniquely Jewish traits ligious public. Although Rabbi Kook devel- are perceived as arising from Torah learning oped a rich, complex and original body of and Jewish education. This “nonessentialist” thought on a wide variety of spiritual issues, approach has appealed to rationalist sages many of his followers have chosen to focus such as Sa’adia Gaon and Maimonides, and on his messianic Zionism and his mysti- became popular in modern Orthodox circles cal doctrines of Jewish uniqueness. Rabbi from the 19th century onward. Kook, however, expressed love for all human beings. His teachings regarding non-Jews combine a kabbalistic worldview with a mod- Rabbi Kook expressed ern, humanistic sensibility. When properly understood, these teachings can become an love for all human important source for educating Jews to ap- preciate their own uniqueness while inter- beings. His teachings acting positively with the non-Jewish world. regarding non-Jews combine a kabbalistic The Iron Furnace of Egypt worldview with a Contemporary scholars customarily iden- tify two basic conceptions of non-Jews in modern, humanistic the halachic tradition. The first views the non-Jew as possessing a spiritual essence sensibility. that is different from, and inferior to, that of the Jew. Jewish spiritual superiority aris- For many modern Jewish liberal and hu- es from the Jews’ unique bond with God, as manist thinkers, Orthodox Jews included, the described in the Bible, which marks Israel’s essentialist approach is a source of embarrass- distinctiveness as “a people that dwells ment and concern. After centuries of combat- apart” not only religiously and as a commu- ing demonic portrayals of the Jew based on nity, but by virtue of their spiritual essence. racial theories, it is appalling to see one’s own Non-Jews who convert to Judaism are con- tradition portraying the Other as representa- sidered lost Jewish souls that have under- tive of the Sitra Ahra (literally, the other side): gone a miraculous transformation and have the ritually impure aspect of the universe returned to the fold; or else as individuals containing the forces of evil and destruction. possessing limited spiritual potential. This This image of the non-Jew is deeply ingrained “essentialist” approach characterizes the in Jewish mysticism and is dominant in the thought of the medieval sage Rabbi Yehuda thought of many a great Jewish sage. Halevi, as well as the major streams of Jew- With the founding of the State of Israel, ish mysticism and Hasidism, all of which this embarrassment evolved in the eyes of remain highly influential in most Orthodox many into a serious concern. For the first circles today. time in 2,000 years, Jews are sovereign over HAVRUTA | 81 non-Jews and are able to wage war against Through a close reading of his works, we may non-Jewish enemies. Within this new re- reconstruct a fuller and more nuanced pic- ality, it is feared that religious ideologies ture of Rabbi Kook’s views on the relations holding non-Jews to be inferior by their that Jews should maintain with non-Jews. very essence could be invoked to condone Rabbi Kook makes his essentialist under- abuses of human rights, both in armed con- standing of Israel crystal clear. He claims flicts and within civic society. Since Israel that Israel’s uniqueness does not derive from has become in many ways the “public face” the mitzvot but that the mitzvot were giv- of Judaism worldwide, the attitudes of Is- en to Israel and not to the other nations in raelis towards non-Jews are of acute in- recognition of Israel’s unique “soul essence” terest and concern for Diaspora Jews who (etzem nishmati). Rabbi Kook maintains that identify with the Jewish state. at the dawn of human history. the whole of humanity shared an identical essence. When God decided to set apart a unique, chosen na- The attitudes of Israelis tion – the Jews – He supplemented the hu- man essence of its people with a “majestic towards non-Jews are of spirit.” But with the onset of moral deprav- ity, the secular, universal humanity could no acute interest and con- longer serve as a basis for the sacred essence cern for Diaspora Jews of the Jews but rather corrupted it. Israelite receptivity to divine holiness was then made who identify with the possible only through the experience of exile and slavery in Egypt, which functioned as an Jewish state. “iron furnace,” reforging a totally new cre- ation of a unique spiritual entity, separate in The teachings of Rabbi Kook, a key spiri- its essence “from head to heel”: tual authority of the religious Zionist move- ment, are of particular importance in this The difference between the Israelite nesh- context. His essentialist perspective has ama [supernal soul], its essence, internal guided the thought of his followers, most longings, aspiration, character and posi- important, his son Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook tion – and the neshama of all the nations, (1891–1982), who served as head of Jerusa- in their various grades, is greater and lem’s Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva (named after deeper than the difference between the his father) and as an early leader of the set- nefesh [lower, biological part of the soul] tler movement. In many quarters of religious of man and the nefesh of animals. For be- Zionism, youths are growing up in an educa- tween the latter there is only a quantita- tional environment that takes for granted tive difference, while between the former the spiritual inferiority of non-Jews. There is there exists a qualitative, essential differ- a danger that this could justify, in their eyes, ence. (Orot Yisrael 5:10) a lack of concern for non-Jewish lives, prop- erty and dignity. If the non-Jewish world is perceived as “impure,” offering nothing of The Humane Impulse spiritual value, intellectual quests into oth- Yet Rabbi Kook’s belief in an inherent Jew- er human cultures and their histories could ish spiritual superiority did not prevent him then be dismissed as irrelevant to Jews. from preaching deep love and respect for ev- Many Jews are alarmed by this simplis- ery human being. “For only in a soul rich with tic interpretation of Rabbi Kook’s ideology. the love of creatures and the love of man,” 82 | Fall 2008 “The Beauty of Yefet in the Tents of Shem” /// David Dishon he taught, “can love of the nation soar to the The following year, addressing a meeting of height of its nobility and its spiritual and prac- the Jewish National Fund, Rabbi Kook re- tical greatness” (Musar Avicha, p.58 ). minded the Jews that they must be, even This love of mankind is central to Israel’s in the face of violence, “a righteous na- spiritual role among the nations. For Rabbi tion keeping faithfulness,” in the words of Kook, a superficial reading of sacred Jewish the prophet Isaiah. Such righteousness, he texts could lead to hostility or apathy to- emphasized, must express itself by acting wards the non-Jew. He condemns such spiri- justly toward every nation and individual. tual “miserliness” (tzarut ayin) that holds all He praised the JNF for acquiring land only foreign elements to be categorically negative. through purchase, as a fulfillment of the Largesse of spirit must be accompanied by mitzvah to love one’s neighbor, which refers careful navigation through the traditions of not only to Jews, but to foreign nations as halacha and Torah study: well.* As he taught: [The love of all creatures] must withstand The love of Israel requires the love of all very demanding trials, to overcome many mankind, and when it instills hatred for contradictions strewn like obstructing any part of mankind, this is a sign that the boulders in [the form of] isolated state- neshama has not yet been purified from its ments, the superficial meaning of certain filth, and thus cannot be united with the halachot, and a vast many doctrines de- Eden of the highest love. (Orot Yisrael 4:5) rived from the tzimtzum [brevity] of the literal meaning of the Torah and national Indeed Rabbi Kook believed that the ulti- morality.
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