Born: Elul 5625, (September, 1864), in Geriva, Latvia
Died: 3 Elul, 5695 (September 1, 1935), in Jerusalem, Israel
At an age when most children are playing ball, or hide and seek, Rav Kook was already dreaming of fulfilling his strongest desire: living in Artzeinu HaKedosha, Eretz Yisrael. The Rav would line up all the children with knapsacks on their backs, and little Rav Kook would be their guide as they marched their way to Eretz Yisrael.
Rav Kook also mastered the study of Torah very early on. He was known as an illuy, a genius, amongst his teachers and peers, from the very beginning of his Talmudic career. As such, after many years of diligent studying, he was asked to become the Rav of Zoimel, Lithuania. After a few years in Zoimel, the community in Boisk, a larger city, requested that the Rav become their spiritual and religious leader. In Boisk, the Rav was learning between fifty and sixty pages of Gemara a day. His position in Boisk was a difficult one, for the Jews there had begun to assimilate. The Rav spent much time trying to understand what makes a Jew leave his heritage to be able to bring them back. The Jews of Boisk had fallen so far that their sole remaining connection to their religion was attending services once a year, on Yom Kippur. On that one day, when the Rav knew it was his chance to reach these Jewish souls on their way to complete religious desolation, he spoke about Neshamos, souls. The next day, a member of Rav Kook's congregation approached his brother and said, "Is your brother trying to keep us away on Yom Kippur also?" Upon hearing this, the Rav smiled and answered, " This is a sign that my words affected this man and he cannot stop thinking about what I said." A few days later the same man came to the Rav with a question about how to make his kitchen kosher.
On a Friday, the 28th day of Iyar, May 10, 1904, the Rav finally fulfilled his lifelong dream and made aliyah. He was greeted with much fervor and fanfare by his many followers. The Rav took a position as Rav of Jaffa. For a long time, the Rav did not seem to be bringing home any money. His Rebbetzin was having a hard time making ends meet and so she went to the directors of community service and complained that it had been so long since the Rav had received his salary. The directors became baffled by the Rebbetzin's complaint, as he knew that the Rav had been paid on schedule, with no delay at all. After much investigation, it was discovered that the Rav had been giving away all his money to the poor. After that, the money was always given directly to the Rebbetzin.
On the 3rd of Elul 5679, August 29, 1919, Rav Kook became the Rav of Yerushalyim where he established his yeshiva, Merkaz HaRav. He also later instituted the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, which at the time consisted of himself and Rabbi Yaakov Meir Charlop.
Rav Kook loved Eretz Yisrael with a passion that most cannot fathom. He spent his life fighting against its' opposers, both Jewish and gentile, religious and irreligious. He fought for his beliefs even in the most difficult and dangerous of times, for in his lifetime Jews were not allowed to return to their homeland, and for those that did so anyway, life was a day to day struggle.
The Rav had only one request on his deathbed: that there be no eulogies for him and that no titles are added to his name, just HaRav. And exactly sixteen years from when he ascended to Eretz Yisrael, the Rav ascended to the World of Truth.
Reprinted with permission from The E. Editor of Roots Etz Chaim - for more information about Roots please contact us at eishes@shemayisrael.com