Ceremony and Celebration Family Edition, The Hagim, Hanukka, The Fourth Night, It Once Happened
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When Rav Kook was a young man he studied in yeshiva in a small town called Lutzen. At the end of the year he returned home with a present for his parents – a bundle of poems. But this did not please his father, who was concerned his son was being influenced by the secular world of the Haskala. The following year, Rav Kook instead brought home a notebook full of original insights into complex halakhic topics. But the urge to read and write poetry was still strong in his heart. Later in his life, Rav Kook found a way to bring these two passions together, by writing a long poem that incorporated all the laws of Ḥanukka, utilising his mastery of the Hebrew language and halakha while also fulfilling his desire to express himself poetically.
POINT TO PONDER
- Why was Rav Kook’s father concerned about him being exposed to secular culture? How did Rav Kook respond to this?