Old Vision in a New Perspective: Marc B. Shapiro. Renewing the Old, Sanctifying the New: The Unique Vision of Rav Kook. Liverpool University Press, 2025
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: A book dealing with the philosophy of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (hereinafter "the Ra'ayah") as a whole presents a considerable challenge for the author.Certainly, the Ra'ayah's ideas are endless, and the texts written by him, published frequently, are nu merous.The experiential writing of the Ra'ayah (which I call "visionary") is open to many interpretations.Today, articles are being published summarizing the research on the Ra'ayah.Given such a statement, there is always something new to contribute in understanding specific issues and shedding light on certain texts.But a work on his phi losophy as a whole?Not only do we have a series of such works, but everyone (includ ing the writer of these lines) repeatedly lists, like a peddler, the various interpretations of the Ra'ayah's philosophy-traditional, philosophical, and Kabbalistic-and in recent years, even halachic ones.Additionally, the period prior to his aliyah (immigration to Israel) in 1904 has also been studied.Shapiro's book presents a series of ideas found in the Ra'ayah's writings in a fluent and clear language.A As mentioned, there is no unambiguous criterion for the different interpretations of the Ra'ayah's thought.After all, we are dealing with an ideological analysis of writing, much of which is phrased under inspiration, and such analysis is not subject to definitive proof.The different researchers who have dealt with the interpretation of the Ra'ayah's writings have tried to provide at least likely evidence for the truth of their analysis, but ultimate proof is elusive.I will give a few examples of attempts to present a theory of the Ra'ayah's philosophy, which seemingly relies on evidence.I will refer directly to Shapiro's book:
Source: Judaica Neue digitale Folge
Author: Dov Schwartz
Institution: Bar-Ilan University
Language: English
Subfield: Philosophy
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4413430023