13) Many Paths Lead To G-d, But...

Jacob said; “This is the house of G-d and this is the Gate to Heaven”.[1]

The Kotzker explains; “We can experience G-dliness in every place. 

The only question is which gate are we entering through? 

If one enters through Sha’ar HaShamayim (the gate to Heaven), the G-dly perception is direct.  However, should one enter through a different gate, one encounters a degree of confusion.”[2]

The significance and uniqueness of this teaching should not be lost, in that here the Kotzker acknowledges the existence of other pathways to G-d, although they may be fraught with some degree of distortion.

While there are many paths leading to G-d, it’s best is to remain within Sha’ar HaShamayim.

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[1] Ber. 28, 17

[2] Amud HaEmet p. 27 par. 2

12) It's Not Just About Following The Old Ways:

Avraham dug wells. The Plistim covered them over. Then, a generation later, Yitzchak uncovered his father’s old wells and additionally dug a new well.

Given that a well is a symbol of a spiritual wellspring, they were not just digging for irrigation but uncovering new spiritual pathways. 

One would think that a latter generation should be content with just uncovering and maintaining the old sources of spirituality. But they must not. While maintaining the core tradition of the past, they nevertheless also need to uncover new and relevant pathways that are not known to their fathers.

The Kotzker says; “Yitzchak needed to dig a new well and follow a new path (to that of his father).”[1] 

This is typical of the Kotzker’s belief in individualism and spiritual independence.

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[1] Amud HaEmet p. 24, par. 4

11) Look Out For The Hunters:

“Esau was a man who knew how to hunt”[1] 

Hunting implies a certain deviousness and the ability to adopt a camouflage.

The Kotzker understood Esau’s deceitfulness as follows; 

“Don’t think that Esau was a simple villager who wore checked shirts, walked barefoot and looked after animals. 

Instead Esau had a beard and payers, he headed a community and gave over Torah at Shalosh Seudos (the third Sabbath meal).”[2]

In the spiritual chase it is deceptively easy to be fooled by appearances.

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[1] Ber. 25,27

[2] Amud HaEmet p.23 par. 5

10) People Think Religion Is Synonymous With Sacrifice:

On the subject of Avraham being ‘tested’ by G-d when he was asked to ‘sacrifice’ his son Yitzchak, the Kotzker has a novel perceptive of the famous event.

He says; “It was more difficult for Avraham to desist from the sacrifice than to prepare for it.”[1]

It is the nature of people to think that religion and G-d require the most demanding of sacrifices. So too thought Avraham and that’s why the call to sacrifice his son was originally not such an anathema to him. Having come from a background of idolatry, this concept of glorifying sacrifice came quite naturally to him.

But when he overcame his disappointment at having to desist from sacrifice, G-d said; “Now I know that you are a G-d fearing man” (as opposed to an idolater). - Because refined and elevated faith is not predicated upon the desire of the worshiper to appease G-d through sacrifice.

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[1] Amud HaEmet p. 21, par. 1

9) Religious People Need Not Be so Insular

In Genesis we find that G-d wanted to destroy the evil city of Sodom.

Avraham, in an attempt to try stop the destruction, enters into a plea bargain with G-d and asks; “What if there should be fifty righteous people in the midst of the city, would You still stamp it out?”[1]

The Kotzker gives a fascinating interpretation to the expression ‘righteous people in the midst of the city’.

He says; “The righteous person must be in the midst of the city, mingling together with ordinary people, and not cloistered away in his own section.”[2]

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[1] Ber. 18, 24 - Actually there were five cities, Sodom being the only one mentioned because of its prominence. The number fifty would ensure a minyan of ten in each city (Rashi).

[2] Amud HaEmet p. 19 par. 3

8) A 'Direct' or 'Peripheral' G-d?

G-d appeared to Avraham, and in the midst of this great revelation, three weary ‘travelers’ arrive. 

Avraham tells G-d to wait while he attended to his guests (because ‘it is better to tend to visitors than to receive the countenance of G-d’).

The Kotzker poetically fills in the details: “While G-d is waiting, He patiently mentions to Avraham: ‘Gedenk as ich bin oich doh - Remember I’m still here.’”[1]

The spiritual encounter is not always a dramatic thunder and lightning show.

Sometimes it is simply the ability to carry on as normal while simultaneously remembering how to keep G-d in one’s ‘peripheral’ vision.

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[1] Amud HaEmet p.19, par 2

7) Religion With No Fuss

On the verse: “And G-d appeared to him (Avraham), and he was sitting at the opening to his tent.”[1]

Who is the ‘he’ in the verse, Avraham or G-d?

Generally we take the ‘he’ as referring to Avraham sitting at the doorway. -But the Kotzker says the ‘He’ refers to G-d sitting in the doorway!

He writes; “Avraham was so humble (such a naturally spiritual person) that even though G-d appeared to him, it seemed as if He (G-d) was sitting (casually and naturally) at the door to his tent.”[2]

Sometimes the greatest spiritual encounters are not even perceived as such by the observer, and pass as by unassumingly. This is known as integrated spirituality.

The Kotzkers’ spirituality was so integrated that he never needed to make a show of any religious event. Even his davening (prayers) took place quickly and without theatrics.

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[1] Ber. 18,1

[2] Amud HaEmet p. 18, par. 5

6) Mashiach Will Come When Judaism becomes 'Nicer':

The Kotzker says: “Towards the end of days the quality of Torah (study) and Avodah (ritual) will diminish (when compared to earlier times), and be replaced by acts of kindness.”[1]

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[1] Amud HaEmet p. 17, par 4.

This teaching has its origin in the context of G-d’s promise to Avraham, ‘BeCha Chotmin (And they will conclude with you’). Of the three Patriarchs, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov who are mentioned at the beginning of the first blessing of the Shmonei Esrei, only Avraham is mentioned in the concluding brocha (‘Baruch Atah HaShem Magen Avraham’). This is taken as the fulfillment of G-d’s promise to Avraham to ‘conclude’ with him.

The Kotzker, however, takes this one step further and suggests that ‘concluding with Avraham’ also refers to concluding the era before Mashiach with an emphasis on a Judaism of kindness (a character trait which corresponds to Avraham) - as opposed to the historic and traditional emphasis on legality and scholarship.

5) An Interesting Definition of 'Paradise':

We are led to believe that at some point or era in the future everything will be just fine. When that state manifests, we will just sit back and bask in the glow and glory of eternal bliss.

So we all aspire and yearn for such a promised time.

But the Kotzker cautions us not to be overly naive about promises of future paradise.

He says; “Even in Gan Eden (The World to Come), we will not be spared from the (challenges of the) yetzer ha’ra (evil inclination).”[1]

In Kotzk, paradise is not simply passive and eternal reward. 

Rather it is the feeling of accomplishment after successfully dealing with the inevitable challenges of whatever state one finds oneself.

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[1] Amud HaEmet p. 12, par. 6

4) The ‘Truthful’ Nay Sayers:

Nay sayers always bring a very negative and unhelpful energy to whatever situation it is that they want to oppose.

But sometimes even perpetual objectors and cynics may appear to be truthful and appropriately forewarning.

The Kotzker Rebbe, however, takes a different view and says: “Even if an objector is justified and suggests in the name of Truth, that something should not be created, developed or constructed – know that he is not representing Truth.”[1]

In Kotzker philosophy, the battle is to always find a way for real Truth to be compatible with the positive energy of creation and progress.

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[1] Amud HaEmet p. 12, par.4. This teaching was said in connection with the Medrash on Genesis describing how the aspect of 'Truth' opposed the creation of the world, and was then 'cast to the ground'.

3) Torah Study has Nothing to do with Torah Study:

Unlike all other types of literature, the QUALITY of Torah learning is not predicated upon the QUANTITY of knowledge one has acquired. Surprisingly, the QUALITY of Torah study is determined by something that has absolutely nothing to do with intellectualism, namely; derech eretz (descent and appropriate behaviour).

The Kotzker says: “The statement ’Derech eretz precedes (kadmah la) Torah’ implies that just like a prologue to a book (which in Hebrew is called a hakdamah), informs a reader as to the contents of the book, so too does derech eretz inform the observer as to the quality of Torah learning the individual has achieved.” [1]

In essence then, Torah study has nothing to do with just Torah study.

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[1] Amud HaEmet p.14 par.4

2) Who To Ask?

We live in an age of Daas Torah[1] and Rebbes, where everybody unconditionally entrusts their innermost dilemmas to the sagely advice of religious leaders.

In Kotzk, however, teaching independence to a student was more valuable than teaching dependence.

The Kotzker said: “I can only tell you what not to do (This refers to solely to halachic questions). What to do, has to be asked by the individual only of himself. (All existential questions involving non-halachic, personal and practical issues, have to be grappled with by the individual him or herself.)”[2]

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[1] See Kotzk Blog 48) Contemporay Daas Torah – Protecting Or Overstepping The Boundaries?

[2] Kochav HaShachar p.16, par.5

1) Torah Cannot Create Good Character Traits:

The Mishna in Pirkei Avot teaches: “Delve into it (the Torah), delve into it, for you will not find anything better (midah tovah) than it.[1]

This famous teaching is generally understood as encouraging the student to dedicate him or herself to in-depth Torah study as everything can be found within Torah.

In Kotzk they understood this Mishna very differently:

“A person can delve deeply and turn to every page of the Torah and yet nevertheless will not automatically acquire a single good character trait from it.”[2]

All the Torah study in the world will not make you a better person.

It’s only the person him or herself that can acquire good character traits for themselves.

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[1] “Pirkei Avot ch. 5

[2] Kochav HaShachar p. 119 par.5