Rav Kook (19) The War of Worldviews: The Limits of Defensive Judaism

Nach Daily

In this class, we explore Milchemet HaDe’ot v’HaEmunot—the war of worldviews and faith—through the lens of Rav Kook’s bold critique. Rav Kook warns against reducing Yiddishkeit into narrow definitions or neat ideological boxes. He challenges leaders and educators who rely on negativity—tearing down opposing views—rather than offering a compelling, inner vision of faith. We discuss his call for a deeper, more inclusive emunah—one that holds the complexity, struggles, and questions of modern Jewish identity without fear. Rav Kook invites us to embrace the soul of Am Yisrael as something too vast to be confined by words or simplistic definitions. Judaism, he teaches, isn’t just about defending truth—it’s about revealing it.