"The Jewish Idea"

8 Sivan 5778

If you share a real and dynamic relationship with HKB"H, then you can doubtless think of many examples from your own life how He has guided you by putting certain people in your path or by putting certain books in your hands. In my case, one of the very first books HKB"H directed me to was Rav Meir Kahane's, ztz"l, Hy"d Or Hara'ayon - "The Jewish Idea." And I have thanked Him every day since, as it gave me a solid Torah foundation in the basics of what it means to be a Jew and how to think like a Jew. 

As a bit of background, here is an excerpt from the Preface of Or Hara'ayon written by "The Kahane Family"...

After the terrible blow that befell us with the murder of our father, Rabbi Meir Kahane, of blessed memory הי"ד, we took upon ourselves the holy task of publishing the writings that he left behind.

The first work we chose was his Hebrew book, Or Hara'ayon, because it was the book he worked on constantly during the last period of his life, believing that it was of utmost importance for the Jewish people, especially at this time. For this reason, it was the first volume we decided to have translated for the English-speaking public.

At first, the Rabbi intended to write Or Hara'ayon - a comprehensive exposition of the Jewish Idea - on a much larger scale. But as he worked on it, and saw it continuously growing, as he added more and yet more Torah sources, he reminded himself that time was of the essence. Realizing the urgency* of the book, he decided to publish it first as a "short version," and only later to publish an "expanded version."

The name of the book was given by the Rabbi himself. On a page which we found among his writings, he had written: Or Hara'ayon, and below it: The Jewish Idea, and below that: Short Version.

More than any other book which the Rabbi wrote, Or Hara'ayon expresses the axioms which were the essence of his being. He proclaimed these ideas with all his might, because he understood that returning these fundamental concepts to the world of Torah was not only a matter of true Torah study, but that the destiny of the Jewish People during these fateful days depended on them. For this reason he dedicated his life to bringing the Jewish People to an understanding of these concepts, and for this he gave up his life for the sanctification of G-d's Name.

* And "urgent" it was as we know now the Rabbi's time was cut short here in this world. Even more so, we can now see how quickly the Jewish people is falling away from the Truth of our Holy Torah in these final days. 

With God's help, I hope to touch upon the major concepts in a way that will both inform and inspire the readers. Stay tuned.