Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hacohen Kook, also known as Rav Kook, has made contributions to the development and expression of the Jewish religion that were of absolute importance. He was born on September 8, 1865, in Griva, Latvia and died on September 1, 1935 in Jerusalem. In his time, he was the first Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi, founder of Religious Zionism and a renowned Torah scholar. Rav Kook was responsible for the term “Religious Zionism”, a divine scheme that established the state of Israel on strict Halakick grounds. He has envisaged Eretz Israel, the land promised to God’s people, as the “foundation upon which rests the throne of God in this world.” He saw it as a model state, existing on ethically pure conduct and policies, to serve as a “light for all nations.” He also developed the philosophies which formed the basis of Modern Orthodox Judaism. This enables Orthodox Jews to live a religious life in the secular world through the integration of traditional observance and values with tose of the secular world. This was done in 1924, when he set up the Mercaz Harev Kook Yeshiva in Jerusalem as a vessel for the implementation and promotion of both Religious Zionism and Modern Orthodoxy; it was also to train future rabbis. His writings were largely unpublished before his death, but they have since been distributed and studied. His contributions were so profound thus making him known as one of the most influential rabbis of the 20th century.…
