Reply To: Denigrating Gedolim

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y1836
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My point in bringing all the Gedolim who were Machshiv Rav Kook wasn’t to show that his Hashkafah was right. My point was to show that most of the Gedolim, viewed Rav Kook – even with his Hashkafos about Zionism- as a huge Gadol. They did not feel that his Hashkafah ruled him out as a Gadol. It is not fair to say that because Rav Elchanan called Rav Kook A Rasha, that’s an excision of Rav Kook as an Adam Gadol. I have tremendous respect for Rav Elchanan, but i also have tremendous respect for the countless Gedolim who viewed Rav Kook as a Gadol, developed a Kesher with him, and got Haskamos from him. I don’t think it’s fair to say that all these Gedolim were not aware of his Hashkafos. Perhaps you can say that about some of the Gedolim who lived in America. The Gedolim who lived in Eretz Yisroel, however, were well aware of Rav Kook’s opinions. Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank, Rav Isser Zalman, and Rav Aryeh Levine were Rav Kook’s closest friends during all of the controversies surrounding Rav Kook. Rav Kook was public about his Hashkafos, and the Kanoim made his life miserable; callim him a Rasha, and throwing rocks at him. These Gedolim were well aware of Rav Kook’s Hashkafos, but they nevertheless defended him, and considered him to be a Gadol. They did not rule him out as part of The Mesorah. Rav Elyashiv and Rav Shlomo Zalman lived in Eretz Yisroel as well; they developed relationships with him during the midst of his contreversies. To say that they simply did not know his Hashkafos is not a plausible assumption. As mentioned above, Rav Elchanan was extremely great, but the fact is, that although he may have ruled Rav Kook out of the Mesorah, the majority of Gedolim, though not accepting his Hashkafos, did not think that he should be ruled out of the Mesorah. To the contrary, they viewed him as an extremely Chashuv person. In regards to Rav Miler calling him a “Frum person”, he had to call that because there are plenty of Kanoim who believe that he’s a Kofer. Rav Avigdor Miller later says that any faults in Rav Kook were due to his Temimus, and says that he wants to be careful about Rav Kook’s Kavod. It was found on Toras Avigdor.com, not sure where it was said.

It is also important to note that the famous letter in which Rav Elchanan HY”D calls Rav Kook a Rasha was because he assumed that Rav Kook supported Keren Hayesod. Rabbi Eitan Henkin Hy”D, in an essay, come out clear that Rav Kook did not actually support Keren Hayesod.

You seem to be assuming that something changed, and even if Gedolim were Machshiv Rav Kook, now we know the truth and can rule him out of the Mesorah. I don’t think we really know anything new about Rav Kook, which would make it ok to disrespect him, in contrast to the views of the majority of the Gedolim. Rav Kook was very controversial for the twenty years or so of his life. He made known his views and many Kanoim would act disrespectful, or even violent towards him. Nevertheless, the Gedolim defended him, and considered him to be a Gadol. Nothing suddenly changed or came to light about Rav Kook that would make it OK to disrespect him, or not be Machshiv him.
It is also important to note that because Rav Kook was so poetic, his Machshavah Seforim were very deep and cannot necessarily be taken at face value. People like taking out pieces from his Seforim, taking each word at face value, and making fun of Rav Kook, but it’s not fair to read poetically-written things, which were originally from his notebooks, as if they’re a Lomdishe Gemara. He wrote them in a poetic style and have to be taken as such. When Rav Kook writes radical ideas, such as Zionists being holier than Religious Jews, they can’t be understood at face value. It means that to some extent, living in Eretz Yisroel gives a certain Kedushah, which those living in Chutz Liaretz don’t have. There are ideas like this in Chazal as well. The Gemarah in the end of Kesubos describes many merits which people living in Eretz Yisroel have. The Gemarah even says that anyone who walks four Amos in EY is guaranteed a share in Olam Habah.
The same can be said of Rav Tzadok. Many of his writings sound very radical. People understand, though, that he brings out ideas poetically, but they should not always be understood as literally as they seem. Oviously, we can’t compare Rav Kook or Rav Tzadok to Chazal, but Chazal in Ageddata express things poetically as well (as Maharal and other Meforshim explain). If taken at face value, some of the ideas sound very radical, or almost like Heresy. We understand , however, that Aggedeta is a different style than Halacha, and is meant to be taken differently.