Why Rav Kook Cried?

A reflection on Rav Kook's powerful Rosh Hashanah drasha about the Shofar, based on his teachings on tefillah and the connection to Parashas Shoftim, written in honor of Rav Kook's yartzeit

An Illustration of the Blowing of the Shofar, With the Sound Waves Visualized Emanating from the Horn | Generative AI

Today is the 89th yartzeit of Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook Zt’l. I thought it would be appropriate to share some words of wisdom that he shared during his 1933 drasha on Rosh Hashanah in Beis Knesses HaChurva. Additionally, I would like to explore these ideas further through understanding his ideas on tefillah and  connecting them to our parashah.

We find that the tefillah for the geula is accompanied by the tefillah, תקע בשופר גדול לחרותינו, or והיה ביום ההוא יתקע בשופר גדול. What is the significance of the Shofar HaGadol? Why do we specifically daven for the blowing of a "big" shofar rather than a regular one?

To understand this, Rav Kook explained that we must first explore the three main halachos regarding the shofar of Rosh Hashanah:

• The mitzvah to blow the shofar is with the horn of a ram.

• If one does not have a ram’s horn, it is acceptable to use any other kosher animal horn.

• A horn from an animal used for avoda zara or from a non-kosher animal is passul, and one may not make a bracha on it, but if it is used, the obligation is still fulfilled.

Rav Kook explains that the purpose of the Shofar HaGadol in the time of Mashiach is to awaken us to perform the ratzon Hashem, thereby bringing about the full geula. This re-awakening is heralded by a tekiah that will call all to gather in Yerushalayim.

Yet, there are different levels of this awakening, each corresponding to the three types of shofar:

• The first level is the Shofar HaGadol itself—the great shofar of Mashiach, representing the highest and purest determination to fulfill the ratzon Hashem. This is the shofar blown by those who act with a deep faith and in ways of kedushah, seeking to bring about the geula through pure devotion to Hashem and His Torah.

• The second level corresponds to the middle shofar, which is kosher b’dieved. It represents those who seek to bring the geula not from a sense of kedusha but from a natural human desire for self-determination and freedom, wanting to establish their own rule over Eretz Yisrael like all other nations. This determination is valid from a human standpoint, but lacks the same spiritual purity as the Shofar HaGadol.

• The third level is the small shofar, which parallels the passul shofar of Rosh Hashanah. It represents a situation where even the natural desire to live freely has diminished, and no determination rooted in kedushah exists. In this state, it is only the external pressures—represented by the enemies of Klal Yisrael—that force the awakening, an impure shofar blown by our enemies to arouse us to teshuva.

To understand these levels more deeply, I would like to share an idea brought by Rav Moshe Palauch in Re’eh Panecha¹. He explains, based on an in-depth understanding of the thought of Rav Kook, that there are two types of tefillah: tefillah of the nefesh and tefillah of the neshama.

• The tefillah of the nefesh is the practical, immediate tefillah, born from the tangible struggles and needs of daily life. It is an expression of human vulnerability, a heartfelt plea emerging from the gap between personal difficulties and the yearning for divine intervention².

• Conversely, the tefillah of the neshama is the deeper, constant tefillah that transcends words. It is the neshama’s perpetual state of longing and attachment to the Shechinah, an unending aspiration that continues even when no words are spoken. This type of tefillah reflects a continuous, intrinsic bond with Hashem, where the neshamah itself is always in a state of tefillah, always reaching for its source³.

Rav Paluch explains that these two forms of tefillah are not separate but are deeply intertwined. The tefillah of the neshama underlies and sustains the tefillah of the nefesh. While one rises from human struggle, the other flows from the neshama’s eternal yearning for connection with the Shechinah.

Rav Dovid Cohen, known as HaNazir, a student of the Chofetz Chaim and later a leading disciple of Rav Kook, reflects this idea in his sefer "Kol Ve'Or" on the Yamim Noraim. He describes a Rosh Hashanah experience where Rav Kook himself blew the shofar while Rav HaNazir served as the makri (caller). The atmosphere was transcending the ordinary; as Zalman Shazar noted, it was an experience "awe-inspiring and indescribable."

He elaborates that the primary kavana during the shofar blowing is not merely the elevation of the individual, no matter how righteous. Instead, it is the elevation of all of Klal Yisrael. The shofar calls upon the neshama of the entire generation, elevating the collective neshama back to its divine source. Our thoughts must rise and uplift all of Israel to the heights of our forefathers—each shofar sound invoking different aspects of their spiritual legacies: tekiah—the grandeur of Avraham Avinu, shevarim—the self-sacrifice of Yitzchak Avinu, and Tekiah—the completeness and truth of Yaakov Avinu.

This aligns with the idea of the tefillah of the neshama, where tefillah is not just a personal petition but a collective aspiration for the elevation of the entire people. Just as the neshama is in a constant state of tefillah the sound of the shofar is meant to connect us all to that deeper, communal yearning for geula amidst kedushah.

Rav Kook continued his drasha with tears, demonstrating with great wisdom how different historical periods have seen different types of awakenings towards the geula. The Shofar HaGadol represents the highest form, an awakening driven purely by kedusha. It is the collective tefillah of the neshama, the deep-rooted spiritual aspiration that seeks to fulfill the ratzon Hashem from a place of profound holiness.

But there are times when even the great shofar is not heard—when the tefillah of the neshama is dormant within us. In such times, we may still experience an awakening, though of a different kind, represented by the middle shofar. This is a tefillah of the nefesh—a call motivated by more immediate, earthly desires, yet still directed towards Hashem.

Yet, there is also the most tragic form of awakening—the small, impure shofar that forces us to awaken through suffering, through external pressures, and through the enemies of Israel. This is when both the tefillah of the neshama and the tefillah of the nefesh fail to stir us, and we are left with no choice but to respond to the harsh call of adversity through teshuvah.

Rav Kook teaches us to daven that we should never be brought again to hear the shofar forcibly, and we should not even yearn for the middle shofar—the Shofar Beinoni. Our tefillah should be, תקע בשופר גדול לחרותינו, that the shofar of the geula should emerge from the deepest and most holy part of klal yisrael, bringing forth a complete and true redemption.

Connecting to Parashas Shoftim: The Roles of Leadership and the Shofar HaGadol

In Parashas Shoftim, we see three forms of Jewish leadership—Shofet (judge), Melech (king), and Navi (prophet)—that correspond to different aspects of our spiritual journey:

• The Shofet represents the tefillah of the nefesh, the immediate, practical call for justice and righteousness in our daily lives. This is the call to align our actions with Hashem's will amidst the complexities and challenges we face.

• The Melech represents the tefillah of the neshama, the deeper, constant yearning of the neshama to connect with Hashem and fulfill a higher spiritual purpose. The king’s role is to guide and elevate the people towards this ultimate vision of holiness and unity.

• The Navi aligns with the Shofar HaGadol, the great shofar that heralds the final redemption. The Shofar HaGadol is the moment when the tefillah of the nefesh and the tefillah of the neshama converge—the physical, immediate tefillos of the nefesh unite with the deeper, constant aspirations of the neshama. It is a call that reaches every part of the neshama of knesses yisrael, bringing us to our fullest spiritual potential, just as the Navi calls upon us to realize our highest destiny.

As we stand in the month of Elul, hearing the shofar each morning, let us strive to embody the tefillah of the neshama, allowing it to infuse and uplift our tefillah of the nefesh. May our tefillos, both personal and collective, merge together, drawing us closer to the day when the Shofar HaGadol will herald the ultimate redemption—a time of peace, unity, and hashra’as haShechinah for all of Klal Yisrael.

1. Chapter 2

2. Shemona Kevatzim 8:77

3. Olas Reiyah, Hakdamah