Halakhah sur Le Deutéronome 4:4

“For what great nation is there that has a God so close at hand?”⁵Deut. 4:7. Note that elsewhere, Rav Kook cites this biblical passage explicitly in the context of elaborating the goal of creating an exemplary and enlight-ened socioeconomic order in Israel. E.g., “In order to fulfill this aspiration, it is particularly necessary that this community possess a political and social state and national sovereignty at the peak of human culture—‘surely a wise and understanding people is this great nation’” (Deut. 4:6), Orot (Jerusalem: Mossad Harav Kook, 1993), 104. What is remarkable about the Jewish people is its ability to view existence through the lens of holiness;⁶Holiness is a central concept in Rav Kook’s thought. For an insightful discussion, see Norman Lamm, “Harmonism, Novelty and the Sacred,” in Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and Jewish Spirituality, ed. Lawrence J. Ka-plan and David Schatz (New York: New York University Press, 1995), 159–77; see also the introduction to this volume, p.48. it knows, with the full force of its being, that life has the greatest value to the extent that it is infused by godliness and that a life without a touch of the divine is not worth anything. Even more than that, they know that a godly life is true life, and life without God is no life at all. This knowledge, lying deep within the people’s soul, gives it a unique character and impresses itself on each and every one of her individual members. The light and salvation of each person depends on the depth and force of this imprinting awareness that the value of life is in its godliness. “And you, who held fast to the Lord your God, are all alive today.”⁷Deut. 4:4.

(Peh) A man shall give redemption for his soul by doing good to the good – which are the Torah scholars – when he benefits them with his property. As through this, he merits to give life to his soul at the time that ‘corpses will arise.’ It is like the statement of [the Sages], may their memory be blessed [in the] chapter [entitled] HaNoseh (Ketuvot 111b):
Rabbi Elazar said, “The common, uneducated people (amei ha-arets) will not live [in the future to come].” Rabbi Yocḥanan said to him, “Their master, (i.e. God), is not pleased that you say this about them.” He said to him, ‘I expound it from a […] verse […] (Isaiah 26:19), ‘For Your dew is as the dew of light, etc.’” When he saw that [Rabbi Yocḥanan] was grieved, he said to him, “My teacher, I have found a remedy for them from the Torah, ‘But You who cleave to the Lord [your God, are alive every one of you this day]’ (Deut. 4:4). But is it possible to cleave to the Divine Presence? Isn’t it written, ‘For the Lord your God is a devouring fire’ (Deut. 4:24)? Rather, [it teaches] that anyone […] who conducts business on behalf of Torah scholars, and one who benefits Torah scholars with his property, [it is] as though he is cleaving to the Divine Presence, [and it is written, ‘are alive every one of you this day’].”  [See there.]
Behold that the revival of the dead is [dependent] only upon the dew of Torah – only one who [utilizes his wealth to] benefit Torah scholars has their dew, like the matter of Zevulun and Yissachar.⁵⁵See Bamidbar Rabbah 13:17 which speaks about such an arrangement between these two tribes. And this is the intention of their statement, may their memory be blessed, in the chapter [entitled] Chelek (Sanhedrin 90a), “These are the ones that do not have a share in the world to come: One who says that the revival of the dead is not from the Torah.”⁵⁶The traditional meaning of this – as understood in the Talmud – is that he denies that there is a source in the Torah for the revival of the dead. And they say [further on the same page] in the Talmud, “He denied the revival of the dead; therefore he has no resurrection.” Its explanation is that even though he agrees with the principle of resurrection, he says that it is not caused by Torah and [so] denies its cause – [such a one] has no resurrection. [This is] since there is no cause for it besides Torah – his or that of others who benefit from him. And since he denies this, it will not resurrect him. Indeed, every man should believe that this is the essence of the resurrection; and then he will merit to arise with ‘the sleepers of Chevron,’⁵⁷This is referring to the patriarchs and matriarchs buried in Chevron. and rejoice in the joy of Zion, may it be built and established speedily in our days!