Gold from the Land of Israel: A New Light on the Weekly Torah Portion from the Writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook Review

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(More customer reviews)Rav Chanan Morrison has been writing Divrei Torah on the weekly Torah Portion inspired by Rav Kook's many Seforim (Religious Books) for years. You can sign up for his weekly newsletter on his website (RavKook-DOT-n3-DOT-net).
Every week he brings down a couple brilliant insights from Rav Kook's Torah, always sourcing it back to the original texts in case the reader would like to venture deeper into the topic. He has a clear, yet colorful style of prose that is infused with the spirituality that a true Talmid (close rabbinical student) of Mercaz Harav (Rav Kook's Learning Institution in Jerusalem, Israel) would have.
He is an American Oleh (emigrant to Israel) that studied and taught in American schools. Anyone who reads this book on a weekly basis will come to a much clearer and truly heartfelt understanding of Rav Kook's philosophy and teachings from the turn of the 20th century.
The book is very intellectual without minimizing the spiritual messages that Rav Kook delivers as many other books on the Philosophies of Rav Kook have, such as "Abraham Isaac Kook:..." by Ben Zion Bokser. The power of Rav Chanan Morrison's writings is that he is not studying Rav Kook as an "Intellectual Endeavor" merely to expand his "philosophical horizons" and objectively compare different modes of spiritual thought. Instead, Rav Morrison studies Rav Kook in order to integrate his teachings into his own life and hashkafa (worldly perspective) as proven by his own biography.
Purchase this book if you truly want to understand Rav Kook and bring the fulfillment of his teachings into your heart.


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Rav Kook's writings, due to their poetic and mystical nature, are difficult even for those fluent in Hebrew and rabbinical texts. Gold from the Land of Israel uses a clear, succinct style to grant the reader a window into his original and creative insights. This book elucidates his thoughts on many fascinating topics, including: Can we reconcile the Torah's account of creation with modern science? What is the Torah's view on vegetarianism? What is the purpose of death? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do we have dreams? Will the Third Temple have animal sacrifices? Who is God? How can one attain joy in serving God? How should we balance our time between Torah study and work?

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The Thames Review

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(More customer reviews)I thoroughly enjoyed this 'biography' of the Thames and its multiple roles. Descriptions of frost fairs and of swan upping, together with the role the river played in better known historical events were all engaging and interesting.
Recounting of tragedies including the 'Great Stink' of 1858 and the impacts of the surge tide in 1953 served as reminders that nature does not always lend herself to the control of man.
But most of all, the opportunity to read about the Thames as a primary character rather than as a secondary backdrop to other events made this an enjoyable, and informative, reading experience.
Highly recommended to all with an interest in the history, geography and character of the UK.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith


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The Thames, England's greatest river-for centuries an aid to trade, a stalwart of national defense, a stage for some of England's greatest historical events, an inspiration to some of England's best poets and artists, a challenge to engineers. Yet while there is a constancy in the history of the river, there is also change. The Thames charts the diverse meanings of the river over the course of millennia, from prehistoric to modern times.From the elephants on the bank of the prehistoric river to Caesar's expeditionary force; from King Alfred's battleships to the signing of Magna Carta; from the river's role in both the coronation and execution of Anne Boleyn to seventeenth-century frost fairs and the first performance of Handel's ‘Water Music'; from Turner's view of the river as arcadia through its bombardment during the Blitz, The Thames provides an intimate portrait of the waterway at the heart of English history.Blending elegant prose with historical detail, this exceptional book superbly brings to life the river Winston Churchill once vividly described as "a golden thread in the national tapestry."

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