torah goes forth from zion
Essays on the Thought of Rav Kook & Rav Shagar
2022, Torat Emet Press, Jerusalem
Judaism’s encounter with modernity has produced dilemmas unlike any it faced in the past. Where most Jews have chosen to embrace or reject it, Religious Zionism has tried to walk a different path. The Jewish people’s return to the Land of Israel was an attempt to reconcile the Torah and the modern world, and no one has done more to illustrate this than Rav Avraham Yitzchak ha-Kohen Kook and Rav Shagar.
Rav Kook (1865–1935), the rabbinic forebearer of Religious Zionism, dedicated his life to showing that a confrontation with modernity can elevate the Torah rather than diminish it. His mystically inspired teachings are distinguished by profound insights and a unique ability to see light where others see only darkness. Even a century after his death, they remain of great importance.
In the years since his passing, new challenges have emerged, and Rav Shagar (1949-2007), a noted rosh yeshivah and religious thinker, rose to meet them. Inspired by the spirit of Rav Kook, his writings creatively draw upon Hasidic texts, modern philosophy, and postmodern thought to create a new language that could address the most challenging problems of contemporary religious life.
Rav Kook and Rav Shagar are united in their enduring belief in the power of the Torah to speak to every moment. Torah Goes Forth From Zion shows how their thought can shed light on some of the most important aspects of being a Jew today.
The encounter between the Jewish world and the spirit of the times presents new and profound challenges for the believing Jew… Rav Kook and Rav Shagar each offered a path through the sea of confusion that is modernity. This book deals with the thinking of these two giants of spirit and takes a step further towards the construction of a new and relevant religious language, which is needed by all of us today.
Rabbi Dr. Ori Lifshitz and Rabbi Dr. Noam Samet
roshei yeshivah of Yeshivat Siach Yitzchak
In this rich yet accessible book, Zachary Truboff’s scholarly precision, rabbinic passion, and moral lucidity work together to present the ideas of the most original Religious Zionist thinkers of the 20th century and convey the existential stakes of their work. The book… conveys the sheer power and excitement of Religious Zionist thought in ways that few others have. Scholars and general readers alike will learn much from the graceful formulations and brilliant insights through which he illuminates the ideas of his subjects and lets us in on some of his own.
Rabbi Dr. Yehudah Mirsky
professor at Brandeis University,
and author of Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution
Torah Goes Forth From Zion is a compelling and needed study of potential paths in contemporary Orthodox theology. It expertly considers Rav Kook’s honest religious engagement with the secular truth claims of modernity and opens up the new thinking of Rav Shagar’s creative confrontation with postmodernity. The book lets us see the (dis)continuities between master and disciple. Even better, this lucid work is fully generative, and readers will find their own space for further formulations of the issues it explores. Indeed, this Torah Goes Forth!”
Rabbi Daniel Landes
Founder and Director of Yashrut
Torah Goes Forth From Zion seeks to bridge space and time, Zachary Truboff’s spatial-physical journey of aliyah to Israel, and the temporal journey of elevating kernels of thought that speak to our generation. It explores selected themes in the thought of both Rabbi Kook and Rabbi Shagar, which serve as inspiration for Zachary Truboff’s vision for the future of Modern Orthodoxy and Religious Zionism. The thoughtfulness of the book makes it a valuable work. The section on Rabbi Shagar is especially fresh, allowing it to serve as a gateway to Shagar’s thought for the English reader.
Rabbi Dr. Alan Brill
professor at Seton Hall, and author of Rabbi On the Ganges: A Jewish Hindu Encounter
Rav Shagar’s teachings offer a bold, in-depth, and unconventional approach to the questions raised by Jewish existence in the twenty-first century. This makes it especially important for English-speaking audiences, who are at the forefront of the encounter between the Jewish tradition and the modern and postmodern era. Placing Rav Kook’s ideas alongside those of Rav Shagar shows the continuity and differences between them, presenting different shades of fascinating and topical Jewish thought.
Rabbi Dr. Eitan Abromovich
teacher at Yeshivat Siach Yitzchak and editor of Rav Shagar’s posthumous writings
Rabbi Truboff has written a remarkable book that uncovers the spiritual depth and wisdom of Rav Kook and Rav Shagar. What makes this book so special is that it turns the thought of these deep thinkers into a real guide for our lives.
Rabbi Ari Ze’ev Schwartz
author of The Spiritual Revolution of Rav Kook: Writings of a Jewish Mystic.
