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Renewing the Old, Sanctifying the New: The Unique Vision of Rav Kook
228 pages, Hardcover
Published January 10, 2025
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January 28, 2025
The best book I read in years
Marc B. Shapiro's books and articles are always superb. His writings are filled with fascinating information. His presentation of scholarly ideas and religious and secular practices, ancient and modern, Jewish and non-Jewish, is explained engagingly. Even people who are generally uninterested in the subjects, Jews and non-Jews who have no background knowledge of it, find what he writes to be eye-opening and riveting.
Shapiro’s 2025 book
“Renewing the Old Sanctifying the New: The Unique Vision of Rav Kook” is such a book. Dr. Shapiro reveals Rabbi Kook's surprising, sometimes radical, and breathtaking ideas, prompting us to rethink what we have accepted as sensible.
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1865-1935) was pre-state Israel's first Ashkenazi chief rabbi. Ashkenazi Jews were from the area in and near Germany, in contrast to Sephardic Jews who lived in Israel and Muslim countries. He introduced many interpretations of Jewish ideas to please Jews and non-Jews of all persuasions.
He was born in what is today Latvia, served in two rabbinic positions there from 1896 until he moved to the Land of Israel in 1904, was appointed Chief Rabbi in 1921, and served in this position until he died in 1935.
He was a talented student in his youth at the famed Volozhin Yeshiva. However, he rejected his time's traditional Talmud-only, single-minded, study-only system, which is still followed by many ultra-Orthodox yeshivas today. He insisted that such studies ruin the minds and behaviors of Jews who must learn secular studies in addition to Jewish ones. While he introduced many rational teachings, he also liked Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism. Still, here, too, he stressed that people studying Kabbalah must also learn secular subjects, meaning scientific advances, for the Torah can and must coexist with current scientific truths.
He asserted that total immersion in Talmud often resulted in basic morality being preserved more truly by the uneducated public than among learned scholars. Many pious people devoted so much time to their acts of piety that they ignored the behavior that the traditional practice was meant to teach. The pious disregarded the idea that the best way to honor God is to honor fellow humans and what He produced, but the ordinary folks did not ignore it.
Among many other teachings, he was convinced that sacrifices would not be made in the messianic age. He describes this age as the age when people will become vegetarians.
He stressed that we do not have to accept introductory biblical stories as facts because they were not written to teach actual history but moral lessons. He does not tell us how far he would take his non-literal approach, but Dr. Shapiro describes how others understand the stories.
The opening chapters of Genesis could be understood as a long development period. We can even speak of a million years from the creation of humans until they realized they were different from animals. We can accept the ideas of evolution and realize that the tale of the serpent in the Garden of Eden is part of an allegory, that Eve was not taken from Adam’s rib and the story is a way of teaching that husbands and wives should create a partnership to be successful, the long life spans in Genesis are not to be taken literally because the people were no different from us – and views are given to explain the longevity such as the text is speaking of clans or groups of people, the story of Cain killing his brother also never happened but is a tale that should be mined for many lessons. One can consider the first “ten generations” in Genesis until Noah as allegories.
Rabbi Kook reveals that biblical prophets, being human, can err in their prophesies and gives examples. He tells how the Torah style is filled with exaggerated figures of speech, such as Israel flowing with milk and honey and cities fortified to heaven. Similarly, the Torah incorporates all sorts of untruths because these were what people believed when the Torah was given. For example, Jacob’s wives, Rachel and Leah, think mandrakes help women conceive. Likewise, the Torah uses language that is not accurate but reflects the mistaken beliefs of the masses, such as Exodus 15:11, “Who is like You, Lord among the gods.”
Maimonides explains in his Guide for the Perplexed 3:28 that the Torah needed to do this because the general population would have been unable to accept the Torah if the truth, which was contrary to their mistaken notions, had been stated explicitly. Maimonides called these untruths “Essential Truths.”
Rabbi Kook taught that even if a person is convinced that the Torah is not from God but is authored by humans, it can still be respected as a repository of wisdom and a guide to one’s life.
He often repeated that we must treat others as we want them to treat us. This includes people with other religious beliefs, even atheists. He goes so far as to write, “Every religion has some value and a divine spark, and even idolatry has a good spark because of the small morality in contains. He notes that Maimonides recognized that non-Jews could receive prophecy.
In summary, the foregoing is only an outline of some of what Dr. Shapiro reveals of Rabbi Kook's many wise teachings. Rabbi Kook’s views of the Torah and Judaism will surprise readers of all persuasions. The teachings will serve as a grounding for a rational approach to many subjects and a stimulant to seeking further learning and observance of the Torah's goal of honoring all that God provided. Rabbi Dr. Shapiro has made a remarkable contribution to our thinking and behavior.
Marc B. Shapiro's books and articles are always superb. His writings are filled with fascinating information. His presentation of scholarly ideas and religious and secular practices, ancient and modern, Jewish and non-Jewish, is explained engagingly. Even people who are generally uninterested in the subjects, Jews and non-Jews who have no background knowledge of it, find what he writes to be eye-opening and riveting.
Shapiro’s 2025 book
“Renewing the Old Sanctifying the New: The Unique Vision of Rav Kook” is such a book. Dr. Shapiro reveals Rabbi Kook's surprising, sometimes radical, and breathtaking ideas, prompting us to rethink what we have accepted as sensible.
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1865-1935) was pre-state Israel's first Ashkenazi chief rabbi. Ashkenazi Jews were from the area in and near Germany, in contrast to Sephardic Jews who lived in Israel and Muslim countries. He introduced many interpretations of Jewish ideas to please Jews and non-Jews of all persuasions.
He was born in what is today Latvia, served in two rabbinic positions there from 1896 until he moved to the Land of Israel in 1904, was appointed Chief Rabbi in 1921, and served in this position until he died in 1935.
He was a talented student in his youth at the famed Volozhin Yeshiva. However, he rejected his time's traditional Talmud-only, single-minded, study-only system, which is still followed by many ultra-Orthodox yeshivas today. He insisted that such studies ruin the minds and behaviors of Jews who must learn secular studies in addition to Jewish ones. While he introduced many rational teachings, he also liked Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism. Still, here, too, he stressed that people studying Kabbalah must also learn secular subjects, meaning scientific advances, for the Torah can and must coexist with current scientific truths.
He asserted that total immersion in Talmud often resulted in basic morality being preserved more truly by the uneducated public than among learned scholars. Many pious people devoted so much time to their acts of piety that they ignored the behavior that the traditional practice was meant to teach. The pious disregarded the idea that the best way to honor God is to honor fellow humans and what He produced, but the ordinary folks did not ignore it.
Among many other teachings, he was convinced that sacrifices would not be made in the messianic age. He describes this age as the age when people will become vegetarians.
He stressed that we do not have to accept introductory biblical stories as facts because they were not written to teach actual history but moral lessons. He does not tell us how far he would take his non-literal approach, but Dr. Shapiro describes how others understand the stories.
The opening chapters of Genesis could be understood as a long development period. We can even speak of a million years from the creation of humans until they realized they were different from animals. We can accept the ideas of evolution and realize that the tale of the serpent in the Garden of Eden is part of an allegory, that Eve was not taken from Adam’s rib and the story is a way of teaching that husbands and wives should create a partnership to be successful, the long life spans in Genesis are not to be taken literally because the people were no different from us – and views are given to explain the longevity such as the text is speaking of clans or groups of people, the story of Cain killing his brother also never happened but is a tale that should be mined for many lessons. One can consider the first “ten generations” in Genesis until Noah as allegories.
Rabbi Kook reveals that biblical prophets, being human, can err in their prophesies and gives examples. He tells how the Torah style is filled with exaggerated figures of speech, such as Israel flowing with milk and honey and cities fortified to heaven. Similarly, the Torah incorporates all sorts of untruths because these were what people believed when the Torah was given. For example, Jacob’s wives, Rachel and Leah, think mandrakes help women conceive. Likewise, the Torah uses language that is not accurate but reflects the mistaken beliefs of the masses, such as Exodus 15:11, “Who is like You, Lord among the gods.”
Maimonides explains in his Guide for the Perplexed 3:28 that the Torah needed to do this because the general population would have been unable to accept the Torah if the truth, which was contrary to their mistaken notions, had been stated explicitly. Maimonides called these untruths “Essential Truths.”
Rabbi Kook taught that even if a person is convinced that the Torah is not from God but is authored by humans, it can still be respected as a repository of wisdom and a guide to one’s life.
He often repeated that we must treat others as we want them to treat us. This includes people with other religious beliefs, even atheists. He goes so far as to write, “Every religion has some value and a divine spark, and even idolatry has a good spark because of the small morality in contains. He notes that Maimonides recognized that non-Jews could receive prophecy.
In summary, the foregoing is only an outline of some of what Dr. Shapiro reveals of Rabbi Kook's many wise teachings. Rabbi Kook’s views of the Torah and Judaism will surprise readers of all persuasions. The teachings will serve as a grounding for a rational approach to many subjects and a stimulant to seeking further learning and observance of the Torah's goal of honoring all that God provided. Rabbi Dr. Shapiro has made a remarkable contribution to our thinking and behavior.
August 14, 2025
Visual acuity refers to the sharpness or clarity of vision. It measures how well a person can see fine details at a specific distance. Usually, it is measured at 20 feet via the Snellen eye chart (fun fact - since its inception in 1862, more copies of the Snellen Chart have been sold in the United States than any other poster), which measures visual acuity.
The notion of vision in the title of Renewing the Old, Sanctifying the New: The Unique Vision of Rav Kook by Rabbi Dr. Marc Shapiro (Littman Library of Jewish Civilization) is particularly relevant to Rav Kook. As Shapiro writes in this excellent book, Rav Kook saw with his perfect spiritual vision Jewish history in its totality.
Shapiro opens with a simple question: What was it about Rav Kook that allowed him to be so original? Born in 1865 in what is today Latvia, he had a traditional upbringing and, like many of the brightest students of the time, went to the prestigious Volozhin Yeshiva. Often called the Harvard of yeshivas, the use of Harvard now should not be laudatory, but somewhat pejorative.
Shapiro’s intention in the book is to analyze select passages in the writings of Rav Kook and to discuss the broader implications of his ideas.
For those who have never read Rav Kook and don't understand why there is such excitement every time a new work of his is published, Shapiro suggests the reader take a volume of Rav Kook's writings and sit with it for an hour, just going through it page by page. Odds are that the reader will be hooked. The originality and the power of his writings are breathtaking.
It’s not like Rav Kook lived in a physical environment that would enchant his soul, like the Alps of Switzerland, the Grand Canyon, or the stunning fjords of Iceland. Born in Griva, then part of the Russian Empire, this is an area that was black and white. Colored fruits were rarely seen there. Yet it is out of this bland horizon Rav Kook’s new world view found its formulation.
As to the idea of Rav Kook’s vision, he wrote over 120 years ago in Linevukhei HaDor that the single-minded focus on the study of Talmud and halacha, which is beneficial for some people, has dangerous consequences for others. He saw that as a significant reason for the rejection of traditional Judaism among the young and called for a re-evaluation of priorities in traditional Judaism.
Rav Kook was a Talmudist par excellence, yet he understood clearly that expecting every yeshiva student to spend their day studying text in a foreign language, with no initial semblance of organization, a complete lack of modern punctuation, and more, might not exactly light their spiritual fire. Jump to 2025, and Rav Kook’s prescient observation has been, sadly, validated.
The chapter on The Problem of Heresy is particularly interesting. Often called a heretic himself by the old Yishuv establishment, Rav Kook astutely recognized that doubt is a part of people's religious struggle, and refused to label the doubter a heretic.
Rav Kook also took the approach, seemingly against Maimonides, that unwitting heresy does not render a person a heretic. The most famous expositor of this position is the often-quoted opinion of Rav Chaim Soloveitchik when he said that “nebuch an apikorus iz oich an apikorus” (an unfortunate heretic is still a heretic). Before anyone jumps to conclusions, Rabbi Netanel Wiederblank writes in Illuminating Jewish Thought: Faith, Philosophy, and Knowledge of God, Volume 1, that this position of Rav Chaim never appears in any of his published writings.
What indeed may have aroused the ire of the old Yishuv is Rav Kook’s position that many who are heretics from the standpoint of halacha, nevertheless possess souls that are connected to God in a hidden fashion. Rav Kook saw that one must look at the entire person, which will often lead to the conclusion that, despite their heretical beliefs, they should not be treated as outcasts in the traditional manner.
In this engaging book, Shapiro has added another remarkable work to his long line of scholarship. Rav Kook was born in an era and location that produced countless geniuses. Yet of those, he is one of the very few whose words might even be more relevant today than when they were written. Contrast that with Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch, whose approach of Torah im Derech Eretz is today questioned as to its relevancy.
Shapiro concludes that so much of what Rav Kook taught remains timely, relevant, and spiritually inspiring. Yet we cannot deny that in some cases, his significance lies not in the solutions he offers, but in the fact that he was brave enough to raise important issues.
This is a truly remarkable book about an amazing man. Subtitled The Unique Vision of Rav Kook, to say that Rav Kook was unique is an understatement. For those who want to start to understand one of the most important rabbinic figures of the last 200 years, Renewing the Old, Sanctifying the New will do just that.
The notion of vision in the title of Renewing the Old, Sanctifying the New: The Unique Vision of Rav Kook by Rabbi Dr. Marc Shapiro (Littman Library of Jewish Civilization) is particularly relevant to Rav Kook. As Shapiro writes in this excellent book, Rav Kook saw with his perfect spiritual vision Jewish history in its totality.
Shapiro opens with a simple question: What was it about Rav Kook that allowed him to be so original? Born in 1865 in what is today Latvia, he had a traditional upbringing and, like many of the brightest students of the time, went to the prestigious Volozhin Yeshiva. Often called the Harvard of yeshivas, the use of Harvard now should not be laudatory, but somewhat pejorative.
Shapiro’s intention in the book is to analyze select passages in the writings of Rav Kook and to discuss the broader implications of his ideas.
For those who have never read Rav Kook and don't understand why there is such excitement every time a new work of his is published, Shapiro suggests the reader take a volume of Rav Kook's writings and sit with it for an hour, just going through it page by page. Odds are that the reader will be hooked. The originality and the power of his writings are breathtaking.
It’s not like Rav Kook lived in a physical environment that would enchant his soul, like the Alps of Switzerland, the Grand Canyon, or the stunning fjords of Iceland. Born in Griva, then part of the Russian Empire, this is an area that was black and white. Colored fruits were rarely seen there. Yet it is out of this bland horizon Rav Kook’s new world view found its formulation.
As to the idea of Rav Kook’s vision, he wrote over 120 years ago in Linevukhei HaDor that the single-minded focus on the study of Talmud and halacha, which is beneficial for some people, has dangerous consequences for others. He saw that as a significant reason for the rejection of traditional Judaism among the young and called for a re-evaluation of priorities in traditional Judaism.
Rav Kook was a Talmudist par excellence, yet he understood clearly that expecting every yeshiva student to spend their day studying text in a foreign language, with no initial semblance of organization, a complete lack of modern punctuation, and more, might not exactly light their spiritual fire. Jump to 2025, and Rav Kook’s prescient observation has been, sadly, validated.
The chapter on The Problem of Heresy is particularly interesting. Often called a heretic himself by the old Yishuv establishment, Rav Kook astutely recognized that doubt is a part of people's religious struggle, and refused to label the doubter a heretic.
Rav Kook also took the approach, seemingly against Maimonides, that unwitting heresy does not render a person a heretic. The most famous expositor of this position is the often-quoted opinion of Rav Chaim Soloveitchik when he said that “nebuch an apikorus iz oich an apikorus” (an unfortunate heretic is still a heretic). Before anyone jumps to conclusions, Rabbi Netanel Wiederblank writes in Illuminating Jewish Thought: Faith, Philosophy, and Knowledge of God, Volume 1, that this position of Rav Chaim never appears in any of his published writings.
What indeed may have aroused the ire of the old Yishuv is Rav Kook’s position that many who are heretics from the standpoint of halacha, nevertheless possess souls that are connected to God in a hidden fashion. Rav Kook saw that one must look at the entire person, which will often lead to the conclusion that, despite their heretical beliefs, they should not be treated as outcasts in the traditional manner.
In this engaging book, Shapiro has added another remarkable work to his long line of scholarship. Rav Kook was born in an era and location that produced countless geniuses. Yet of those, he is one of the very few whose words might even be more relevant today than when they were written. Contrast that with Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch, whose approach of Torah im Derech Eretz is today questioned as to its relevancy.
Shapiro concludes that so much of what Rav Kook taught remains timely, relevant, and spiritually inspiring. Yet we cannot deny that in some cases, his significance lies not in the solutions he offers, but in the fact that he was brave enough to raise important issues.
This is a truly remarkable book about an amazing man. Subtitled The Unique Vision of Rav Kook, to say that Rav Kook was unique is an understatement. For those who want to start to understand one of the most important rabbinic figures of the last 200 years, Renewing the Old, Sanctifying the New will do just that.
April 16, 2025
Rav Kook is a fascinating individual with fascinating, radical opinions and worldview.
Marc Shapiro does a phenomenal job of elucidating some of his shittos in a clear and easily readable manner. Once again, Shapiro hits it out of the ball park.
Marc Shapiro does a phenomenal job of elucidating some of his shittos in a clear and easily readable manner. Once again, Shapiro hits it out of the ball park.
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