TORAT OF GALUT VS TORAT ERETZ YISRAEL

BY HARAV AVRAHAM YITZHAK HAKOHEN KOOK

[From the book “Orot HaTorah” by HaRav Avraham Yitzhak HaKohen Kook, Chapter 13. Translated and annotated by Rabbi Chanan Morrison. Editor’s note: The translation of Rabbi Kook’s text is printed in bold to distinguish it from the font of the commentary.]

THE LOFTIER TORAH OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL

The Sages praised the Torah of the Land of Israel which they recognized as superior to the Torah of Babylonia.[1] In what ways do these two Torahs differ? What is special about Torat Eretz Yisrael?

When one learns esoteric Torah extensively, whatever one understands and learns in conventional Torah studies will shine with a precious light; the esoteric and its unique character will be revealed in every topic discussed in conventional Torah. Kabbalah provides unique insights into conventional fields of Torah study, such as biblical exegesis, Talmud, and Halachah.[2]

This phenomenon is reflected in the Jerusalem Talmud’s explanation that the pious of earlier generations did not forget their Torah knowledge, despite devoting most hours of the day to prayer, “since they were pious, their Torah study merited a special blessing,” unlike the Babylonian Talmud, which only suggests that “their Torah was preserved” (Berakhot 32b).[3]

It appears that the Jerusalem Talmud is speaking of loftier pious scholars, whose Torah was enriched and enhanced by their holy insights, swelling from few in number to vast and powerful rivers of knowledge. They were also able to grasp the light of Torah through the medium of prayer: introspection during prayer, and contemplation before and after praying.[4] These insights acquired through prayer and introspection are the fundamentals of Torah and the very soul of Torah.

This difference between the explanations of the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds illustrates the special quality of “the atmosphere of the Land of Israel,”[5] where prophetic inspiration is able to exert an influence also on the content of halakhic rulings. The holistic nature of Torah in the Land of Israel is evidenced by its synergistic connections between the realms of prayer and Torah study, prophetic inspiration and scholarship, esoteric and conventional Torah. In Torah outside the Land, on the other hand, prophetic inspiration overtly extends only to the field of Aggadah, whereas halakhic rulings are decided solely by human logic.[6] As the Sages explained, “‘[God] made me dwell in dark places’ (Lament. 3:6) — this refers to the Babylonian Talmud” (Sanhedrin 24a). The Babylonian Talmud relies on human logic and reasoning in its legal discussions, a relative “darkness” when compared to the higher insights of the Torah of Eretz Yisrael.[7]

Nevertheless, great light will emerge from this darkness. We benefit from the halakhic methods of the Babylonian Talmud, as it says, “The nation that walked in darkness has seen a great light; light has shone on those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death” (Isaiah 9:1). This is because these scholars, as they apply human logic to Torah, bring down the enlightenment of the supernal Shekhinah to the humble avenues of life, thereby illuminating numerous dark passageways. This extends a helping hand to those who are distant, so they may approach and connect to the lofty light radiating from the essence of the Torah’s splendor: the Torah of the Land of Israel. The Babylonian Talmud’s methods of inquiry enabled those distant from the sources of prophetic inspiration to connect to the higher Torah of the Land of Israel, a Torah that the Sages likened to the purest gold. “‘The gold of that land is good’ (Genesis 2:12) — this teaches that there is no Torah like the Torah of the Land of Israel and there is no wisdom like that of the Land of Israel” (Genesis Rabbah 16).

OUR GENERATION NEEDS THE TORAH OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL

“‘The gold of that land is good’ (Genesis 2:12). This teaches that there is no Torah like the Torah of the Land of Israel” (Genesis Rabbah 16).

Every generation should cherish the Torah of the Land of Israel. But we have an even greater need for this Torah in our generation, an era of decay and rebirth, a time of concurrent darkness and light, despair and heroism. For this generation, we specifically need the “elixir of life”[8] of the Torah of the Land of Israel. We must show to the nation the truth and clarity to be found in our Divine treasure, in the beliefs and reasonings of the Torah of truth. We must convey the beauty and loftiness, the pleasantness and grandeur of its practical mitzvot, in the depiction of all aspects of life lived according to the Torah and in it. We must show how it is both a Torah of truth and a Torah of life; a Torah of eternal truths, as well as a practical guide to moral and spiritual life.

To accomplish this, we must experience, and let others experience, the taste of Torah in its depths and foundations. And is it only possible to truly sense, grasp, and feel this in the Land of Israel.

TORAH FOR ISRAEL’S NATIONAL LIFE

Everything that the Torah outside the Land routinely addresses for the individual, the Torah of the Land of Israel scales up to the collective level of the entire nation.

Torah outside the Land deals with repairing the soul of the individual. It attends to the material and spiritual realms of the soul, refining and uplifting it in both temporal and eternal life — but only as an individual.

The Torah of the Land of Israel is not so. It always attends to the collective, to the nation’s soul in its entirety.[9] The souls of the individuals assemble within the collective; they ascend with the ascent of the collective and adorn themselves with its crown. “A crown of beauty for Israel, whom He carried from the womb. They are destined to renew themselves like the new moon and praise their Creator for His glorious sovereignty.”[10]

Raising the entire spectrum of Torah matters from the individual to the collective level — especially in the realm of thought on faith and true piety — this in itself is a lofty and sublime innovation of the Torah of the Land of Israel.

INTEGRATING ALL SPHERES OF LIFE

It is not only Aggadah that will be illuminated by the clarity of thought in the Torah of the Land of Israel; it will also illuminate Halachah. It will clarify the foundations of legal reasoning, the analysis of halakhic rulings, the source for different opinions of halakhic authorities, and their overall import, which is bound to the depths of spiritual and practical life. The Torah of the Land of Israel, as the Jewish people return to their homeland, will bring about a renaissance in the field of Halachah.[11] This is not just the study of Torah, that which is found in “the four ells of Halachah,”[12] but an illumination of all spheres of life. It all depends on the richness of our thought.

From the depths of the spiritual renaissance, readying for the Torah of the Land of Israel, the boundaries and iron walls separating different fields and disciplines will diminish. The entire spiritual realm will be surveyed in a single panoramic view, through the prism of the “soul-reviving atmosphere”[13] of the land of life.[14] Only the holistic Torah of the Land of Israel enables this synergy of diverse spheres of life: the grandeur of life as we delight in esoteric secrets, in incisive Talmudic analysis, in the promise of Knesset Israel’s renewal in the Holy Land, in the elucidation of halakhic rulings, in the expansion of visions and poetry, in the drive for exemplary diligence in Torah study and the pursuit of physical fitness.[15]

Outside the Land of Israel — before the era of our national renewal, which “awaits behind our wall”[16] — it is customary to view all of these and other such spheres of life as distant from one another and in conflict with each other. But now, for us in the Land of Israel, they are bound together in a true alliance. Each realm supports the others, contributing to their breadth and depth, to their dissemination and enhancement.

CLARITY IN THE FIELD OF HALACHAH

It is only here, in the Holy Land, that one can truly perceive the universal flow of Divinity that permeates all parts of Torah, infusing them with life. This is the basis for the superiority of Torah in the Land of Israel, even in the realm of Halachah. The wisdom of the Torah of the Land of Israel is able to produce, in a broadminded spirit and with spiritual delight that is breathtaking and exquisite, numerous Talmudic analyses that are robust and wide-ranging. When the higher encompassing splendor, which shines from the innermost aspects of the general principles, sets its focus on the details of Torah law, it utilizes them for whatever its heart desires, with sound logic and wisdom. It is able to “expound heaps of laws on every crown”[17] that graces the letters of Torah. And regarding theoretical topics such as “a tower floating in the air,”[18] the Torah in the Land of Israel can attain a higher knowledge, expanding the heart and refining the soul with thousands of solutions and analyses.

This Torah does not require lengthy pilpul to reach a definitive ruling.[19] It arrives at the truth and the pure inner intent of legal topics through the radiance of inner Divine perceptiveness, which shines upon those dwelling in the Holy Land. The unique clarity of this Torah is the result of the heightened spiritual perception of scholars who live in the Land. Only the atmosphere of the Land of Israel can make Torah scholars wise[20] with this lofty and noble inner quality. From within the details of legal discussions and laws, the wisdom of the Torah of the Land of Israel aspires to be revealed to the world in its majestic inner nobility.

SCHOLARS IN THE LAND MUST REALIZE THEIR POTENTIAL

We must raise ourselves to the level of understanding the principles and meta-principles of Torah, so that the particulars and their explanatory propositions will be based on them. This is the unique character of Torah in the Land of Israel, and how it differs from Torah outside the Land. Only in the Land of Israel are Torah scholars primed for the soul’s ascent to a panoramic view of Torah principles and tenets of faith and service, elucidated by regular and systematic study of the Torah’s inner teachings, its esoteric and philosophical texts.

That greatness of spirit — when every spiritual aspiration dwelling in the depths of the soul is not a personal goal, but belongs to the collective goal of the nation, to the sublime will secreted in the inner soul of Knesset Israel, the source from which all Torah principles and details, whether esoteric or revealed, emanate — that greatness only truly permeates one’s soul in the Land of Israel.

For this reason, it is exclusively in the Land of Israel that Torah scholars, should they choose to leverage their strengths and realize their potential, possess the ability, with proper preparation, to engage the intricacies of Torah with a top-down approach, thus progressing from higher principles to fine details.

The universal intellect, illuminated by the inner holiness of the atmosphere of the Land of Israel, encompasses all matters and rises above the boundaries that divide them. With its comprehensive perspective, elevated by esoteric wisdom,[21] it sees the diverse domains of Torah: the light of Torah, love and awe of God, Aggadah and Halachah, wisdom and practical deeds. And these fields enrich one another with invigorated nourishment. The higher Torah of the Land of Israel, with its integrated approach, unleashes synergetic creativity.

It is due to the lofty potential of Torah scholars in the Land of Israel that, as long as they fail to appreciate their unique strengths and employ them, but instead try to imitate the methods of Torah scholarship suited to scholars living outside the Land, suffer from atrophy and decline. They become anemic, afflicted in body and soul. Not only do they conceal their lofty advantage as they copy the methods of Diaspora scholars, but it appears as if Torah scholars abroad surpass them in diligence and Talmudic analysis. All of this is due to their lack of awareness of their abilities and failure to utilize the holy advantage provided by the Holy Land in their studies.[22]

AUTHENTIC TORAH — ONLY IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL

Knesset Israel as a whole lives a life lacking authenticity when outside the Land of Israel. And certainly Torah scholars, whose lives are based on their spiritual life — their life of intellect, beliefs, emotions, holiness, and purity — are unable to receive the light of authentic life outside the Land.

One result of this lack of authenticity is an artificial rivalry between different areas of Jewish life. There, each strand of hair jostles the others as it sprouts out of a follicle[23] in its spiritual development. Each sphere of life struggles to grow at the expense of the others. Public instruction, community advocacy, service of God, good deeds, Halachah, Aggadah, conventional Torah study, esoteric Torah, academic research, Kabbalah, ethics, poetry, lighthearted humor and solemnity, Talmudic pilpul and logic,[24] Hebrew grammar and midrashic exegesis – all of these are superficially separated, but not inherently so. In the essence of life, in their inner flow from the treasury of elevated life experienced by the soul, they all emanate together, united and coordinated. But externally, they emerge divided and distant from one another. It seems that each field must be wary and fear the others. Each waits to rise up as the others stumble, to benefit from their ruin.

Genuine unity and lofty peace, brimming with life, cannot develop at all outside the Land. The true source of harmonious peace is the influence of the Holy One’s name, “Lord-Peace” (Judges 6:24). As the Sages taught, “The name of God Himself is ‘Peace’.”[25]

Just as personal peace and security cannot properly develop there, due to antisemitism and persecution, so, too, spiritual peace — the harmony of different spheres of Jewish life — cannot develop on impure soil. “They eat their bread with worry; they drink their water with trembling and anxiety” (based on Ezek. 12:18). The air there suffocates; a spiritual suffocation that chokes out enlightenment and collective hope.

Therefore, our spiritual life in the lands of grim darkness in the Diaspora cannot be authentic. Spiritual life outside the Land can only be drawn from the treasury of life through diligent study and review of the remnant[26] of the Torah, both Written and Oral. Like the Jewish people, the Torah was cast out from its lofty abode and exiled.

Only the external aspect of holiness roams in exile: the texts and the letters of the Torah that may be carried by hand. With the wandering exiles, these texts travel from one place to the next, from country to country. But their inner soul — the soul of the Living God in the heights of its purity, attached to the supreme light and collective hope, visibly tangible and grounded in every footstep of the Holy Land, the land of life, the valley of prophetic vision[27] — is only visible and revealed in its homeland, in the Land of Israel.

In the Diaspora, the very awareness that we are an awe-inspiring people, the progeny of kings, the nobility of the nations, a nation that produces holy princes and saintly scholars,[28] is shrouded in a cloak of despondent grief and woeful darkness. In the Holy Land, on the other hand, awareness of Israel’s spiritual greatness is evident with clarity of soul and life’s splendor.

Thus, authentic Torah is in the Land of Israel. Only there is the Torah ready to appear in its original form.

REBUKE OF SCHOLARS IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL

The scholars of the Land of Israel should be reprimanded firmly and vigorously. We should rebuke them forcefully!

The thrust of this reproach, however, is the exact opposite of the usual moral censure. The entire world suffers from an excessive influence of callous traits, which cause people to assert their self-importance and boost their influence. The character traits of arrogance and self-centeredness result in struggles for power and dominance. And on a national level, each nation claims, “There is none besides me” (Isaiah 47:8; Zeph. 2:15), as it strives to subdue the entire world and consume it. As a result, the philosophers of ethics, both Jewish and non-Jewish, have always labored to moderate this callousness, to diminish haughtiness and conquer arrogance and all of its ensuing traits.

But lofty individuals, whose souls demand that they be great and noble, require the opposite rebuke. Their generous nature intensifies their compassion and sensitivity to such a degree that they feel everything. They feel all of the suffering in the world, and they wish to help and rescue. They worry about all others; only themselves do they forget. The scope of these sensitive souls truly embraces the entire world. Through their self-love, they love all things and are willing to completely forget themselves. Their tendencies are the opposite of most people: they begin with the collective — the needs of the community, the nation, all of humanity — and then attend to the details, to their own personal needs.

In their eyes, they are of marginal significance in the world. They identify their flaws with a crystal-clear lens but are unaware of their own light and virtues. They are the humble of the earth. After they acquire self-awareness and knowledge, enlightenment and holiness, they infuse the entire world with light and vitality.

Torah scholars in the Land of Israel are of this stamp. All of the suffering in the world — and certainly the profound and terrible anguish of Knesset Israel in its state of exile and debasement — is etched in the depths of their hearts. It is sealed in their souls, so that they are unable to look inside and recognize their own greatness and stature, the splendor of their wisdom, the nobility of their spirits, and the purity of their feelings. Overwhelmed by the Jewish people’s state of degradation, they fail to recognize their own spiritual talents. The residents of the Land of Israel, and especially its scholars, must search and discover their special gifts, which have been nurtured by the dew of the beloved Land.

Thankfully, the obstacle of material atrophy, poverty, and deprivation — due to the calamities of exile and ruin, which have afflicted the Holy Land in particular — is being lifted. The material and economic state of the Jewish people is gradually losing its malignant and embittered appearance. It will no longer be able to obscure the brilliant illumination that is bursting forth and erupting, displaying signs of life and Divine providence.

This, in fact, is characteristic of all who are magnanimous, the great of the world who redeemed all worlds with their moral and spiritual influence. They are initially humble and timid, excessively fearful and meek, until they recognize their duty and mission, which crowns them with fortitude and fortifies them with courage and tenacity.

We must summon these scholars in the Land of Israel and proclaim to them, from the very heights of Zion: you are living a life of greatness! You are endowed with immense strength and power. You have the ability to forge new pathways in the source of Torah, in the true Torah of the Land of Israel, which will once again illuminate the entire world in its glory.

Residents of the land of the living![29] You will not demonstrate your extraordinary talents by imitating, to a large or small degree, the style of novel interpretation, Talmudic analysis, and homiletic sermonics employed by scholars in the Diaspora. Torah scholars in the Land should not just mimic the methods of scholars abroad. You have a much higher and loftier destiny: to restore the Torah’s crowning strength to its former glory, anchored in the holiness of our lives in ancient times. You must ascend the heights of the Godly soul, which roams the mountains of Zion, and imbibe from the splendorous dew of her all-encompassing radiance.

An inner spirit of life, from the life-giving air[30] of the Land of life, will begin to stir in your hearts. This is the ancient holiness of Israel, asleep and dormant, now awakening and rising to a revival of holiness. New life is stirring and storming, to realize God’s promise to resurrect His holy nation. Fortitude and humility, Torah and service of God, reverential awe of the Ein Sof[31] and majestic love of the Living God — all of these will fill your hearts from “the dew of Hermon, as it descends on Mount Zion” (Psalms 133:3). The Torah of the Land of Israel is not limited to traditional forms of piety but is inspired by passionate love for Godly ideals and awe of His infinite light. Conventional and esoteric Torah, study and deed, beauty and strength will fill your spirits. Wealth and honor will follow, while poverty, foolishness, and troubles will flee before the reverberating sound of our renewed life in the treasured Land.[32]

Awaken and shout for joy in the heights of Zion! Rejoice in a life of authenticity, illuminated by a Torah of truth in its great strength. We will not be discouraged by the profusion of hues that we find in all fields of Torah, ethics, and knowledge — approaches that are already organized in books, analytical methods, and disciplines of conduct. We will innovate more than all of them, new ideas each day, surging streams of knowledge and insight.

We will recognize the lofty greatness of Divine unity and love, elevated beyond all understanding and knowledge based on logic, superior to the artificial peace achieved by stratagems of compromise and tolerance.[33] And from our internal peace — from the productive collaboration of Torah scholars in the Land of Israel — we will spread out a shelter of peace over all of Israel. Then we will be truly known by the name of God, who “spreads out a shelter of peace over us, and over all His people of Israel, and over Jerusalem.”[34]

[1] Statements praising the Torah of the Land of Israel include: “The very air of the Land of Israel makes one wise” (Bava Batra 158a). “‘He made me dwell in dark places’ (Lament. 3:6) — this refers to the Talmud of Babylonia” (Sanhedrin 24a). “One scholar there [in the Land of Israel] is superior to two of us [in Babylonia]” (Ketubot 75a). “The word noam refers to the scholars in the Land of Israel, who are gracious to one another in halakhic discussions, while ḥovelim alludes to the scholars in Babylonia, who attack in halakhic disagreements” (Sanhedrin 24a). “There is no Torah like the Torah of the Land of Israel” (Genesis Rabbah 16).

[2] One example of a kabbalatic interpretation on Jewish law is the work Likkutei Halakhot by Rabbi Natan Sternhartz, which explains Halakhah according to the mystical teachings of Hasidic master Rabbi Naḥman of Breslov. On rare occasions, Rav Kook also utilized kabbalistic concepts to explain Halakhic opinions (e.g., Mishpat Kohen sec. 92 for his interpretation of the disagreement between Maimonides and Ra’avad regarding the Temple Mount’s current level of sanctity).

[3] The Babylonian Talmud notes that these pious ḥasidim would not forget their Torah knowledge, despite the limited time available to them for study and review. By contrast, the Jerusalem Talmud asserts that they were granted a special blessing in their Torah study, so that their lack of time was offset by a qualitative advantage of greater insight.

[4] “The pious men of earlier generations would wait one hour [to attain a state of mind appropriate for prayer], pray one hour, then wait one hour again” (Berakhot 32a).

[5] Rabbi Zeira in Bava Batra 158a taught that the atmosphere of the Land of Israel makes one wise.

[6] In the Land of Israel, where Torah wisdom is more firmly rooted in prophecy, the legal and non-legal areas of Torah share a common foundation. The realm of beliefs as well as practical deeds is grounded in received traditions and prophetic inspiration. Cf. Iggerot HaRe’iyah I, pp. 123–124, letter 103; Orot, pp. 89–90.

[7] The halakhic discussions in the Babylonian Talmud are often long and complex deliberations to ascertain the correct ruling, whereas the Jerusalem Talmud typically resolves a question by quoting a verse or an earlier tradition.

[8] The Sages referred to the Torah as an “elixir of life” (Eiruvin 54a; Ta’anit 7a).

[9] Thus the Torah in the Land of Israel also encompasses mitzvot and institutions on a national level, such as the Sanhedrin court, the Temple in Jerusalem, the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, and the laws governing a Jewish monarch.

[10] From the blessing recited over the new moon (Sanhedrin 42a). The phrase “whom He carried from the womb” (Isaiah 46:3) refers to Israel’s spiritual potential, which is like the potentiality of a fetus. In Talmudic literature, the moon is a symbol for the Jewish people (e.g., Sukkah 29a), and its renewal is a sign of Israel’s future renewal and redemption. Thus the new moon ritual, known as kiddush levanah or birkat ha-ḥodesh, alludes to the restoration of the Davidic dynasty as it affirms, “David, king of Israel, lives and endures.”

[11] In his 1920 lecture, translated in the addendum below, Rav Kook outlined several concrete proposals that embodied his vision for a renaissance in the study of Talmud and Halakhah.

[12] The Talmudic statement in Berakhot 8a (“Since the destruction of the Temple, all that remains for the Holy One in His world are the four ells (amot) of Halakhah”) describes the Torah’s limited influence on life and society as a whole during Israel’s exile.

[13] From Rabbi Yehudah Halevi’s celebrated poem Tzion haLo Tishali: “The air of Your Land is the life of our souls.”

[14] A reference to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 38:11, Psalms 142:5).

[15] Cf. Orot, Orot HaTeḥiyah sec. 34: “The physical exercise of Jewish youth in the Land of Israel to strengthen their bodies to be strong sons for the nation perfects the spiritual power of lofty tzaddikim, who engage in mystical unifications of Divine Names to increase the prominence of spiritual light in the world.”

[16] A phrase from Song of Songs 2:9 expressing God’s special providence over Israel and their imminent redemption.

[17] Menaḥot 29b states that Rabbi Akiva was able to derive “heaps of halakhot” from every crown (kotz) adorning the letters in Torah scrolls.

[18] A hypothetical case concerning ritual impurity, mentioned in Sanhedrin 106b. See above 6:7.

[19] The style of the Jerusalem Talmud is concise and direct, unlike the intricate discussions of the Sages in the Babylonian Talmud. See above 13:1; Iggerot HaRe’iyah I, pp. 123–124, letter 103.

[20] Bava Batra 158b: “The atmosphere of the Land of Israel makes one wise.”

[21] Literally, ḥokhmat emet (“wisdom of truth”), a reference to esoteric Torah.

[22] Cf. Iggerot HaRe’iyah I p. 113, letter 96.

[23] In Bava Batra 16a, God explains to Job that each strand of hair on a person is sustained by its own follicle. Rav Kook interpreted this observation as a metaphor for the noncompetitive nature of different areas of spiritual endeavor.

[24] The term higayon (logic) may specifically refer to the conceptual approach to Talmudic analysis innovated by Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk. Rav Kook himself favored the traditional approach to Talmudic study as championed by his mentor, Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin (“Netziv”). For more on Rav Kook and the “Brisker method,” see “Rabbi Shimon Shkop and the Position of Yeshiva Dean at Mercaz HaRav — Traditions and Facts” by Shemaria Gershuni (HaMa’ayan 50, no. 1, Hebrew).

[25] Gideon named the altar that he built, “the Lord [who bestows] peace (shalom)” (Judges 6:24). The Sages derived from this verse that shalom is one of God’s holy names (Shabbat 10b). The word shalom means much more than peace; it indicates a state of harmony and completion (shleimut).

[26] A reference to the piyyut Zekhor Brit Avraham by Rabbeinu Gershom (c. 960 — 1040 CE), which bemoans the poverty of Judaism in exile: “Our only remnant [of full Jewish life] is this Torah.”

[27] Isaiah 22:1. See Mo’ed Katan 25a; Kuzari II:12.

[28] These expressions describing the nobility of the Jewish people are borrowed from Isaiah 18; Bava Kama 113a; Psalms 47:9, Isaiah 43:28.

[29] ”The land of the living” is a biblical phrase that sometimes means, as it does here, the Land of Israel. See Yalkut Shimoni on Psalms 142:6; Rashi and Radak on Psalms 116:9.

[30] A reference to Rabbi Yehudah Halevi’s pronouncement in his elegy Halo Tish’ali, recited on Tisha B’Av: “The air of Your land makes our souls come alive.”

[31] Ein Sof (“the Boundless One”) is the Kabbalistic term for God in His pure Essence.

[32] The phrase eretz ha-tzvi, expressing the beauty and treasured qualities of the Land of Israel, appears several times in Scripture (e.g., Ezek. 20:6; Daniel 11:16 and 11:41).

[33] In his commentary on the Talmud’s statement in Berakhot 64a, “Torah scholars increase peace in the world,” Rav Kook explains that peace does not mean uniformity in thought. It means the ability to accommodate differing opinions, even those that appear contradictory, by viewing each opinion as a partial perception of the whole truth. Assembling them together provides a more complete picture of reality, like combining multiple views of a mountain from different perspectives. See Ein Ayah vol. II, pp. 397–398.

[34] From the Sabbath evening prayers. See above 13:4 regarding the special ability of Torah in the Land of Israel to reveal the inner unity of different fields of Judaism.