Chadarav II

Chadarav p16


How can I say things to others, if I don't say them to my own soul
How can I disseminate spiritual and material  knowledge
if I dont have the key to the hidden treasures inside me
"Open your gates" I say to my inner sanctums
to my heart and my conscience.


My soul yearns to penetrate  those inner sanctums
In all that I try to raise up from the light of Torah and the world
 I find  the pure roots must come from the depths of the soul itself 
whose light comes from the light of Torah, the glory of the world
If I can come back from Torah to my inner soul then I can add life
to  reenter the rooms of Torah, the rooms of ancient treasures.
Every clear revelation has a tripartite meaning:
for the soul, the Torah and the world.
"Answer the words of my tongue for all your commandments are righteous" (ps.119:172)

"Chadarav-The Innermost Thoughts of Harav Kook

                     Chadarav-Harav Kooks innermost thoughts

About ten years ago Shirat Devorah publishing put out a slim volume called"Chadarav"(His inner sanctums). It is a collection of the personal writings of Rav Ytzchak Hacohen Kook. ZTZL. There had been some controversy over the publication due to th very personal, intimate nature of the material. Finally after the death of Rav Tzvi Yehudah ZTZL, the Rav's son, the family released the manuscripts for publication. The result is an extraordinay work that sheds light on the innermost spiritual life of Harav.

After reading an excellent translation of one of Harav's poems in the Rebbitzin's Husband" blog, I decided to try translating passages of Chadarav in English. The Rav's allusive alliterate poetic style are a challange for the translator. I hope That I can succeed in capturing some of the spirit and flavor of the Hebrew original

The King brought me to his innermost (chamber(Shir HaShirim 1:4)

As the Holy one blessed is he has innermost chambers of his Torah
so do the talmidei chachamim have each one of them innermost chambers of their Torah

I have but to stand
and listen to myself
to hear the secret conversation
that is produced in the innermost sanctums
I will hear and my soul will live

From inside of me, from the fountain I must find the hidden treasure
I am ever connected to the holy anguish of the search for higher perfection
and that cannot be fulfilled.
because that is the eternal yearning whose source  is the thirst for the divine
for which nothing else in the world can quench
only he who seeks this thirst is open more and more
and recognizes more and more
that he himself must become the source of the pleasure
the basis of all spiritual pleasures
the glory of Shaddai

more to come....