All Streams Rule in Me

by Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook

​            It is very difficult for me to engage only in matters of Jewish law or only in matters of homiletics, only in matters of revealed Torah or only in matters of kabbalah. Similarly, it is hard for me to tend to ideas only in the way of simple faith or only in the way of academia and logic, to tend only to the characteristic of solitude or only to the characteristic of camaraderie and sociability.
            That is because all streams rule in me: faith and academia, nationalism and ethics, Jewish law and homiletics, the revealed and the kabbalistic, analysis and song. I am prepared to absorb all of it. And out of the oneness of the supernal heights, I proceed and stride to truly cling to Hashem and to raise the holy light of the Congregation of Israel in thought and in deed to the source of its life.
            I dream dreams of the greatest matters, I soar to the heavens.
There is no barrier to the spirit of my imagination. And I yearn constantly to cling to my yearning that is embedded in happiness and in goodness, in purity and in holiness.
            The pure naturalness of the creation, of the nation, of the individual, of the moment, of eternity, and that which encompasses [this naturalness], and that which fills the entire content of its life—that is the joy of my life.
            “As with choice foods and fat, my spirit will be satiated, when my mouth praises with expressions of song” (Psalms 63:3).
            “Great is Hashem and very much praised, and there is no comprehending His greatness” (ibid. 145:3).
            “I will come with the mighty deeds of Hashem” (ibid. 71:16), “I will mention all of His praise” (cf. ibid. 106: 2).
            “I will praise You because I was fashioned in an incredibly wondrous way, and my spirit knows it very well” (ibid. 139:14).
     Shemonah Kevatzim 3:233