Page 44 - HaMizrachi Tisha B'Av AUS 2021

THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND RAV KOOK’S TEACHINGS

Rabbi Dr. Yosef Bronstein

Transforming Baseless Hatred

into Baseless Love

“If we were destroyed and the world himself. And yet, due to the singular will be confused and threatened by the
was destroyed with us due to baseless nature of each soul, this other soul might existence of a Divine soul different from
hatred, we will return to be rebuilt and seem utterly foreign and different. The jux- himself. In reality, though, G-d is too
the world will be rebuilt with us through taposition of the Divinity of the other soul transcendent and infinite to be expressed
baseless love.” and its foreignness can leave a person feel- through any single terrestrial medium.
ing threatened. A person might feel that
Orot HaKodesh 3, page 324 Rather, each person should view himself
his very identity and place in the world is
being undermined by the presence of this as a unique “small spark” of G-d who can
“other” spark of G-d that seems so alien and must manifest that godliness in this
his aphorism of Rav Kook is fre- world. But as Divine as an individual soul
quently quoted during this time of and unfamiliar. might be, it can only capture a certain
year. But what did Rav Kook mean The result of this subconscious process shade of Divinity. To draw down the “Great
Tby this statement? is that the person hates the other person Fire” of the Shechina into this world, each
simply because he is different. One might
Rav Kook explains that when we feel of us must connect with others who are
hatred or disdain towards other people, couch this primal feeling of hatred in different than ourselves and who therefore
there is a human tendency to rationalize intellectual or moral terms. But at its core, represent a different shade of the Divine
and justify these feelings. Accordingly, baseless hatred is a fear and a loathing gen- picture (Orot HaKodesh 2, pg. 569 and Ein
we often locate the source of our negative erated by the very fact that a person so Ayah end of Berachot).
feelings for other people in ideological or different from me can exist in this world. As Rav Kook once formulated this idea:
behavioral differences. With “scientific pre-
cision,” we delineate our intellectual and “The character trait of baseless hatred will
be fixed” when we realize that “the unique
moral claims against them and thereby
feel justified to hold onto our hatred. hue of another person does not diminish
[his] own identity” but rather, “enriches
But Rav Kook argues that many times these To draw down the “Great Fire” the Jewish people with multiple lights”
justifications are but “small indications” of the Shechina into this world, (Orot Yisrael 4:6). Each of these “lights” is
of a deeper and more primal force within each of us must connect with at once unique and distinctive, but ulti-
us. G-d endowed each human being with others who are different than mately interlinked. Only through baseless
a unique and singular soul which vivifies ourselves and who therefore love or loving other people because of our
the person. This essential life force is the differences, can we attempt to bring G-d’s
foundation upon which a person builds represent a different shade presence into our world and rebuild the
his particular worldview, aspirations and of the Divine picture. Beit HaMikdash.
spiritual style. But at its core, the soul itself
transcends all these expressions. The soul If this is the definition of baseless hatred,
is “the treasure of life… filled with impene- what then is baseless love? Rav Kook
trable depths” – a spark of G-d embedded explains that it entails a reorientation
within a person.
of this selfsame realization of the other-
Even as this concept of the specialness of ness of another person: “This inclination
each soul is beautiful and inspirational, it towards baseless hatred contains within
also contains the seeds of the pernicious it the hidden love which is also baseless.”
problem of baseless hatred. When a person Love for the other should not only stem
looks and speaks with another human from an affinity in ideology or lifestyle.
being, his eyes and conscious mind might Rather, baseless love means loving other
notice the other’s dress, behaviors and ide- people due to the simple fact they are dif-
ology. Subconsciously, though, a person’s ferent from oneself.
soul senses the presence of another soul. Elsewhere, Rav Kook elaborates that a
This can be a disconcerting experience.
person will only feel threatened by the
On the one hand, the person realizes that existence of a different soul if he sub- Rabbi Dr. Yosef Bronstein is a faculty
the soul standing before him is a spark consciously self-identifies as the optimal member of Michlelet Mevaseret Yerusha-
of G-d – just as Divine and precious as expression of G-d in this world. Then, he layim and Yeshiva University.

44 | Background illustration of Rav Kook courtesy of gedolimcanvas.com