Shabbat Parashat Naso 5785

Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook: Language of Instruction for Rav Kook’s Yeshiva – #325

Recipient and Background: Rav Chaim Tchernowitz, the rabbi of Odessa. Rav Tchernowitz was, at the time, very active in Zionist circles. Later on, he received a PhD and was involved in non-standard rabbinical positions.

Body: I was happy to receive your dear letter. Thank you for your help with the yeshiva (Rav Kook’s new yeshiva in Yafo).  

Regarding preparations for work [on the yeshiva], there is no question: There is much difficult work ahead, and we need to arm ourselves with great vigor to do the work. Regarding “war” (i.e., political struggle), my approach has always been to distance myself from war, and I have given up on several things due to my love of peace. It is true that the world’s external side is full of wars, but its internal side is full of quiet and harmony. We must always go to the depths of things. This is in line with the custom to say “False is charm …” (Mishlei 31:30) at the time most adorned with beauty – the night of Shabbat.

However, if bad people will arise to uproot our good plans and blockade our path in holiness, we will not retreat. When possible, we will speak with them softly, we will appease them and show them the need and the benefit in our goals and actions. If this will not appease them, they will do what they do, and we will proceed with the Name of Hashem, peace, truth, justice, and life.

Now, about speaking Hebrew. I try to have everything studied and spoken in our language (Hebrew) in our institution. It is not only to avoid ridicule, as you stressed. Rather it is because of the national spirit, which is presently influencing and beating in the hearts of our nation’s best, and especially in the pure hearts of those who are connected to Torah. We are trying to connect to them [especially through the yeshiva]. This makes it critical to bring our own language back to life along with the return to life of our nation and our Land.

Nevertheless, I cannot yet carry out all that I desire, especially in the daily Talmud class. The present teacher, although he is a notable Torah scholar and an important researcher on halachic matters cannot, to my disappointment, express his thoughts without the help of the jargon (Yiddish).

I do not wish, under any circumstances, to deceive you or any of the yeshiva’s supporters. Therefore, I am informing you that presently the daily Talmud shiur includes the help of the jargon. However, I hope that the situation will improve in this regard. I already have experience from our local Tachkemoni school. At first, the teacher of the higher Talmud class, a deep-thinking Torah scholar, refused to give his class in Hebrew, because he was concerned he could not express himself properly, especially in complex matters. I allowed him to do as he was accustomed, but I persisted to raise the point that we must strive to reawaken the language among those who adhere to Torah as in the secular community. Now, due to my influence and that of his colleagues from the holy and mundane topics, including the parallel Talmud class, which I arranged to be taught in our language, the teacher in question began on his own to teach in Hebrew. Thank G-d, everything is going well, and the students are seeing success even in deep halachic matters. It is being done in our clear, living language, which makes our hearts happy.

Blessed is He Who keeps to His covenant and kindness to His nation – we have merited to see the flourishing of the horn of salvation. I hope this will spill over to the class in our yeshiva. We especially hope this will happen, especially when we will have Sephardic students; this will be the strongest factor to force us to speak Hebrew. Thank G-d, the necessities of life are also moving along the strength of our spiritual reawakening in all of its elements. We just must toil along with the broad community, to serve and “carry the load” with a heart that believes.

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