Shalom to all Friends of Michlelet Orot Israel,
In these difficult times of Corona, I think the entire world rediscovered the importance of the family unit, as the base of support and unity. We in Orot always felt this way when the broader world-wide "Orot Family" comes to aid us when we need help, and similarly, we offer our hand in friendship, to our friends abroad who may now need our aid, and offer our support and assistance in any way possible!
This is a good opportunity to clarify why Rav Kook names his sfarim (all of the "Kook Books"): "Orot", and why, subsequently we chose the name, Michlelet "Orot". I understood this with the help of my young daughter Ashira. When she tried all of her new crayons on a page, her drawing came out totally black! On the other hand, we know that light, the opposite of darkness, is also a combination of those same different colors of the prism! Just as the same ingredients used in making a tasty salad, when thrown together in a blender will come out disgusting. The conductor knows the key to nice music is harmony, achieved through the synthesis of three different notes or many different instruments, yet only on condition that they blend and cooperate, and don’t try to out-blast each other. This tolerance and unity is the small but huge difference between "Orot" and darkness.
As opposed to Korach in Parashat Korach, we davka see beauty in the difference shades between kohen and levi, Jew and non-Jew, man and woman, and oppose the superficial and naïve “identicalness” of Korachism, communism or Christianity (who claim there is no unique Chosen People). Rav Zvi Yehuda Kook stressed that division is not separation or fragmentation, but a temporary difference, which will enable that harmonic compliment.[1]
The key to understanding and success in this world is through perceiving the Unity of G-d through the synchronization of the complimentary differences in the complex world, especially explicit in the harmony and unity of His Children and representative, Israel. In short, unity and tolerance is the revelation of G-d, wholesomeness, light, peace and all good.
This is the achdut which we studied together over the years in Orot, and this is the achdut which we feel with all of our extended family today, in these challenging times!
Shenishma b'sorot tovot, uLehitra'ot b'Eretz Yisrael!
Rav Ari Shvat (Chwat)
Michlelet Orot Israel
[1]שיעורו על אורות הקודש ב, ע' תלט-תמא.