The Short Vort by Rabbi Eisenman

Unity- Achdus.

We all speak about it.

We all support it.

We all promote it, and we all want it.

However, unity almost always implies the hope that others with whom we disagree will come to realize the incorrectness of their actions and “come around to their senses,” recognizing the correctness of our approach.

In this world, there is no true unity.

The false hope and delusional aspiration that we will all sit around the proverbial campfire and “Sing Kumbaya” is not only intellectually insulting; its basic assumption is built on a mindset that willfully embraces cognitive dissonance.

There will never be, in the foreseeable future, a “meeting of the minds” on the issue of drafting Chareidim into the IDF.

Anyone with even a modicum of understanding of the potential repercussions of a compromise realizes that the suggested accommodations will never alter the mindset of the decision-makers.

And therefore, at least in the here and now, unity is not only possible, it’s inconceivable.

What does this have to do with Rav Kook and his Yahrtzeit?

Rav Kook was perhaps the last person (he died in 1935) who had one foot planted in both of these camps and at least attempted to bring about a shared recognition of the strengths of each movement.

Was he a delusional optimist? A Jewish Pollyanna?

Or was he a visionary whose life was cut short and whose students were unable to continue his attempts at mutual acceptance?

I don’t know the answer to these questions.

However, I do know that Rav Kook saw almost one hundred years ago that the Jewish people in the Land of Israel were on an unavoidable collision course unless some mutual cooperation and acceptance between the two factions would be achieved.

At the end, he died a broken man.

Admired by many, despised by some, his literary legacy is revered by multitudes while completely ignored by others.

He did not live to see his hoped-for unity.

I end this tribute to the man who tried with his own words:

(Rav Kook in a personal letter. Free translation by me)

“Whoever says about me that my soul is fragmented has described me well.

Of course, my soul is torn and fragmented.

Only inanimate objects are complete and whole.

There is no person whose soul is not torn and fragmented.

A person is always engaged in an inner war between conflicting aspirations.

A person’s “Avoda” (purpose) is to attempt to unify these conflicting aspirations through one general, all-inclusive idea, which brings about inner complete harmony.

Understandably, this is an ideal solution that we all strive to achieve; however, actualizing it is impossible in this world.

However, by (at least) attempting to achieve it, we can come closer and closer…”

One thing can be said about Rav Kook on his 90^th Yahrtzeit: He tried to bring all of us closer and closer, while recognizing the difficult, if not impossible, potential actualization of the hoped-for harmony.

But, at least he tried…

Is there anyone trying today?



Yehi Zichro Baruch.