The Spiritual Revolution of Rav Kook - A Book Review

May 2018 Literature

The Spiritual Revolution of Rav Kook – The Writings of a Jewish Mystic
By Rabbi Ari Ze'ev Schwartz
265 pp. 2017. Gefen Publishing, 2018
Available from Steimatzky
Reviewd by Pnina Moed Kass

We human beings seek to know and understand. Whether it is the principles of scientific theory or religious teachings, we seek meaning in the knowledge we acquire. Meaning is dependent on words and the interpretation of those words – ideas, thoughts, communication are transformed, transmitted, and transcribed with language. Even what is left unsaid can have the power of coherent thought.

Very often a book-reviewer reads and comments on a book whose subject is familiar to him, and so the review will resound with depth and perceptive insight.

It's not very often that a reviewer will admit, in print to reviewing a book while having scant knowledge of the book's subject. But I will admit– though familiar with Rav Kook's name as the first modern-day chief rabbi of Israel and his support of secular Zionism – I was ignorant of his philosophical writings and spiritual teachings. And because of that I consider this book a true gift. It is, to borrow a famous title, a guide for the perplexed.

Rabbi Ari Ze'ev Schwartz presents with superb clarity some complex ideas that have a multitude of spiritual and moral dimensions; it is not easy to impart religious knowledge the way secular modes of thought are presented. The author states that his goal has been to present the reader with an opportunity to read and become familiar with Rav Kook's writings, and to help the reader to understand the Rav's difficult ideas. It clarifies the ideas of a great religious thinker, leading us to step outside the mundane ideas with which we may have regarded the themes of prayer and biblical interpretation.

The physical presentation, that is the print format of the book, allows the reader to choose topics as he wishes, without being hampered by a rigid framework.

Highly recommended.

About the author

Pnina Moed Kass

Pnina Moed Kass has been living in Israel since 1969. After teaching high school English for a number of years she decided to take a break and go back to writing. Her writing background in the U.S. has been as a lyricist (ASCAP member), a staffer at the magazine, Opera News, a publicist for a record company and a variety of other jobs that called for writing skills. The switch in Israel from teaching to writing worked out. After a few years she had authored children’s books , scripted a TV series, and done a lot of freelance writing both in Hebrew and in English. She had also garnered awards and recognition for her short stories and her contemporary novel set in the Middle East. Among them: the international Reading Award for Best YA Short Story, inclusion in the Cricket Magazine 25 year Anthology (“Celebrate”,) and other citations by librarians and teachers. Her novel, REAL TIME, won the prestigious National Jewish Book Award, The Sydney Taylor Award and other accolades. The eight books of the picture book series “Berale” about a shy but adventurous snail can be found on the shelves of kindergartens and local libraries throughout Israel. Also popular is the website www.berale.com Though she lives in Israel, in the city of Herzliya, Moed Kass has traveled to speak about children's literature, about contemporary life in Israel, and about her work both in Europe and the U.S. In Israel, she makes frequent appearances, reading the “Berale” stories at libraries and community centers. Her children used to be part of her audience, now it’s her grandchildren. Biographical material and reviews Assoc. of Jewish Libraries website Answer.com