← Volver a la ficha del textoPre-Prophetic Cinema — Y11JIp
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Collected Essays on Modern, Prophetic, and Avant-Garde
Jewish Art
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Sasha Netzach Agarunov - 2331738 18) TWO
www.prophetic-culture.com
The sprouts of prophecy are now growing, the
sons of the prophets are awakening, the spirit of
prophecy is hovering over the land, seeking a
refuge.
— Rav Kook
About This Collection
These four essays form the foundational statement of Pre-Prophetic Cinema.
They may be read independently, yet they illuminate one another: the first
sounds the call and sets out the vision; the second develops it into a
systematic doctrine and a practical lexicon for the art of film; the third
descends into the inner life of the creating soul after Rav Kook; and the fourth
traces the idea of Hebrew prophecy from its ancient culture to its modern
revival. Together they move from manifesto to method, and from the soul of
the individual creator to the destiny of a culture.
Contents
Ti WISION- ANG “Pil Ci ples wiasadssacundsacvcncsneianeyeaanseacaneanceasaey aan aac oaiands eo iasones 4
Gs Cra snarls ieatandulniatan didi aasdud donee ere dials Pata cate el aa ceusG am ees 4
PHS AVIS IOWA JULIA yet este fect sass was aad outed ecaudionsd Sacdaaaie acide Sacsuee canna ac dinda nese aenine 4
The Chimney Sweeps (DIDMND IM)............cesccscesecsccsccsccsscssceecscescescescessescess 5
The Creator’s Inner Work (ANID ‘PW DIM ION IN TIDY)... ce eeeeeceeeceeeesceeeeeeeeeeees 5
The-Creatng Soul (ASU MAW I) ssraiiiaecacaed Merataadesehdiccundddatnaiasandtulareaasees 6
Creation as a Synthesis of All Culture............ ee ccecsscceccsccsscssceecescescesceees 6
The Song of Songs — The Song of Unity (TIN'NN NW - DIV WW)... 6
The Call to the Creating Will (ANID JINV? NN DAN)... cece cece ee eceeeeeeeeeeeeenes 7
Foundational Principles of Pre-Prophetic Cinema.................ccccecsecneeeeeeeeeees 8
Principles of Pre-Prophetic Creation According to Rav Kook..................... 8
The Inner Dynamics of Creation (N1'N'N 7W N'1'ID NPT)... ee eeeeeeeeeecee eens 10
PrOPHeCy. (HINIAIM) os ete cdsintey wedatan Yer samactindvcuiepetsupaccmesuuisuieu see Towed UexueUaneweaneeabves 11
II]. The Doctrine of Pre-Prophetic Creation..............cccccecsececeececeeeeceeeeeeceenenees 13
Part I: The Vision — A Call for a New Cultural Era...........c ce cececc eee eeee es 13
Part II: The Source — The Inner Spring of Creation.................ccccceceeee scene LS
Part III: The Inner Crucible — The Psychology of the Pre-Prophetic
COVE AUOL edie soiiantleawore sleet ce ack ts ea ela dass Sai aa dca veto aen pe eas asidday oxcaiads Gevucas cadavaae less 17
Part IV: The New Language — A Practical Lexicon..............ceeeeeeeeeeeee eee eee 20
Hie The Creating: SOU 3s iecesvee dsc aececedss d dalde edd doateees ie wees iN deakeeeucdeh eu ulsense aT
Part One: Soulful Creation and the Creating Soul...............cccceeeeceee eee eeee a7
Part Two: Revelation, Unveiling, and the Appearance of the Soul........... 30
Part Three: Conclusion — Vocation and Redemption: Creation as a
Regempuve Project cacics cen esos chee tie iessceaseiel aaa ieesertelaa dees oladece eee diac 31
TV PrOPHerie Cul eas cases acck oe bancdees cous sacs Suaauea cade nesaniaeacuieueieuiwerseeeidieawenveess 33
Introduction: The Prophetic Imperative in the Era of Redemption........... 33
Part A: The Essence of the Prophetic Experience...............cccscseceeeseeeeeeeees 34
Part B: The Lost World and the Long Silence.............. cece ceceeeeeneeeeeeeneees 37
Part C: Dawn of Renewal: Prophecy in the Modern Era...................:c0eeee 39
Conclusion: The Future of the Prophetic Spirit.............c cece ceceeceeeeeeeeeenes Al
PD OUE TNE AUNOR ic arse cticodbnasiasisand suche Meatcuie birteccssins Geieansticeisueocesaatecse sae 42
I. Vision and Principles
A Call for a Cultural Revolution, for a New and Revolutionary Jewish Art,
and for the Revival of a Modern Prophetic Israeli Culture
The Call
In these days, as the cultural boycott against Israel expands, and lists are
published of international artists and cultural institutions boycotting Israeli
art—this is an opportunity for renewal and a great cultural revolution.
This is a call for a new Jewish art—radical, prophetic, divine, daring,
revolutionary—that shatters conventional modes of thought and renews the
paradigms of wisdom and consciousness. An art that will transform Israel into
a center of pioneering, avant-garde, Jewish-Israeli, universally human culture.
To rebel is like kicking a rotten door. A revolutionary Jewish culture must
rebel against all the foundational conventions of contemporary culture and
yield a new, groundbreaking creation that shatters conventional modes of
thought and renews the paradigms of wisdom and consciousness.
The time has come to establish “illegal outposts” in the field of creation and to
forge new paths towards the wondrous, the sublime, the roots, the roots of the
roots, the soul, the soul of souls.
Awaken, revolutionaries! Arise, heroes of valor, courageous spirits, secular
and religious, men and women, full of might and holiness, whose hearts have
not been contaminated by the poison of despair. Arise! A great revolution calls
us, for “Out of Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of the Lord from
Jerusalem.”
The Vision (jItNn)
Pre-Prophetic Cinema is a movement dedicated to cultivating a new and
revolutionary Israeli creation that draws nourishment from the prophetic
roots of Hebrew culture. It aims to establish a New Israeli Wave, transforming
Israel into a global epicenter of pioneering and avant-garde creation, on the
path toward the revival of a modern prophetic Israeli culture.
The initiative draws inspiration from the vision of Rav Kook, who viewed the
national revival as a comprehensive spiritual-cultural process leading to the
resurgence of an Israeli prophetic culture in modern guise. Rav Kook saw the
development of the imagination in contemporary art as a process of preparing
the vessels necessary for the revival of Hebrew prophecy.
The idea was born from a thirst for unique sources of inspiration, a search for
a new creation unlike any other—avant-garde and groundbreaking, Israeli yet
universal, Jewish yet non-sectarian; one that draws from the treasures of
Judaism and refines them through the most contemporary tools.
Prophecy is the very heart of Judaism. It ceased approximately 2400 years
ago. Yet, it is destined to return concurrent with the return to political
sovereignty, accompanied by a great cultural ascent.
Approximately 2400 years ago, a complete prophetic culture existed within
the People of Israel. There were schools for prophets, an entire discipline, a
structured doctrine. Bands of “sons of the prophets” (students of prophecy)
traversed the land, studying, among other things, music, athletics, exercises
in concentration and intention, the refinement of the imagination, and more.
Following the cessation of the prophetic era, the remnants of Hebrew
prophetic culture were preserved within the tradition, primarily in the
esoteric teachings (Kabbalah), Midrash, and Aggadah.
This is a Concealed Treasure (Otzar Ganuz)—unique, from which the original
Israeli talent, the Alternative Imagination, new forms of expression, and new
artistic languages can emerge—a New Israeli Wave that has a message to
present to itself and to the entire world.
Pre-Prophetic Cinema opposes “enlisted art” (art mobilized for ideology),
sectarian art, and religious art in the narrow, diminishing sense of “Jewish
folklore.”
The Chimney Sweeps (NIAINNN 'p3n)
The new creators will serve as a kind of “chimney sweep” for the human
imagination. As Rabbi Sherki remarked regarding “The Little Prince,” that the
Jews are the chimney sweeps of humanity—so too the creators will be able to
“unclog” blockages in human consciousness, thereby allowing art to reopen
the channel between God and humanity anew.
The Creator’s Inner Work (NIN JW N'N'29n INTIAy)
Purification and Refinement Before Creation: The creator must precede
every creation with the intention of purification and rectification (Tikkun).
One should not dip the pen (or the camera) without the purity of the soul and
the sanctity of the idea.
Inner Listening: Creation is not merely self-expression, but first and
foremost an encounter with the Self. It begins with inner listening to the
soul’s own voice.
The Creating Soul (NNNI'n nnNwW1n)
The source of the new creation is in soulic revelation. The soul, after all, sings
always, creates ceaselessly, and the creator must ascend to the height of
encountering their soul. One who lives the life of their soul is in a state of
constant renewal of creation and song.
Shattering Patterns and Renewal (“Sacred Audacity”): Creation must
shatter fixed modes of thought and renew the paradigms of wisdom and
consciousness. There is a need for Sacred Audacity (Chutzpah D’Kedusha)—
the spiritual courage to break sacred and artistic conventions from a place of
higher purpose, the daring to ask radical questions and breach intellectual
boundaries.
Absolute Liberty: Spiritual creation is free and does not consider external
influences. It stems from the inner spirit; the more it believes in itself, the
higher it ascends to the peaks of truth.
Effortless Creation: Creation should not be thought of as toil and labor. In
the true moment of creation, the person resembles their Creator, who created
the world without exertion; the process is not a forceful effort.
Creation as a Synthesis of All Culture
Rav Kook distinguishes four types of existential song, which are, in fact, four
levels of consciousness and being: The Song of the Soul, The Song of the
Nation, The Song of Humanity, and The Song of the World.
The Song of the Soul: The personal, existential song of the private soul. The
simple, individual song.
The Song of the Nation: The “double” song, emerging from the private soul
to sing the song of the nation.
The Song of Humanity: The “triple” song, transcending national boundaries
to sing the song of universal humanity.
The Song of the World: The “quadruple” song, the broadest of all, singing
the song of all existence, the song of the cosmos.
The tragedy begins when each song becomes a separate ideology, and the
songs begin to quarrel and clash. Individualism clashes with nationalism;
nationalism quarrels with universalism; and universalism clashes with the
cosmic perception of all existence.
The Song of Songs — The Song of Unity (TIN'Nn N1'w - O'1'wn 1'w)
Therefore, another song is required. A fifth song. A song that has no private
content of its own, but whose role is to unify and include all the other songs.
This is The Song of Songs. The song in which the voices of all songs are
included together in harmony. This is a holy song, a song of God, the Song of
Israel.
This is the aspiration of the new, Pre-Prophetic creation. It must sing The
Song of Songs—to unify, to include, to give place to the Song of the Soul, the
Song of the Nation, the Song of Humanity, and the Song of the World. It must
be a synthesis of all human culture.
The Call to the Creating Will (QNI'N [INV NX pn)
Israeli creation that ascends to the roots of reality and the source of life has
the power to generate a new reality and create new worlds.
Rav Kook distinguishes between the Generative Intellect ("81° 92w) and the
Depicting Intellect ("yn 52w). The world is under the influence of Western
culture, which aims to depict reality—to observe, document, replicate.
In contrast, Hebrew culture, in its prophetic roots, aspires not to depict but to
create, to generate, to forge a new reality. It places the human being in
creative partnership with the Creator, as one capable, through their Will, of
creating new worlds. The power of the Will—“the Creative Impulse of Being,”
that generates reality—this is the unique quality of Israeli creation in its
originality.
Rav Kook writes extensively on the liberation of the Will, the liberty of the
Will, the redemption of the Will, the revival of the Will, and the resurrection of
the Will—as the basis for a future culture where the human being becomes a
creator.
We call from here to the creators:
Arise, awaken! Refine your creating Will, elevate it to the sublime, and
connect it to the root of reality, to the living Divine Will that sustains the entire
world. The great sea of the General Will does not nullify any small, private
will, but rather meets it—Will meets Will, Intellect meets Intellect, and
everything unites and sustains the world, and new worlds are born and
created ceaselessly.
Listen to the discourse of the soul and the living Will pulsing within it. Sound
the voice, the original Israeli Will.
Establish Artistic Batei Midrash (Houses of Study and Creation):
Create frameworks combining the study of Kabbalistic and prophetic texts
with vibrant artistic practice—poetry, painting, music, and cinema, a
dedicated journal, a prophetic festival.
Create Collaborations: Between secular and religious creators, break the
boundaries between disciplines. Connect artists, philosophers, musicians,
and filmmakers to create innovative, multi-sensory content.
Use the Most Innovative Tools: Embrace technologies like virtual reality
and artificial intelligence to visualize prophetic ideas and breach the
boundaries of the familiar.
Do Not Wait for Permission. Create, dare, break the boundaries that bind
the spirit. Our creation will no longer be rebellion for the sake of rebellion, but
a new creation. If the revolutionaries of the past discovered the subconscious
and raw emotion, we are called to rediscover the power of the soul, the
sanctity concealed in reality, and the miracle hidden in the mundane.
Foundational Principles of Pre-Prophetic Cinema
The Sacred must expand into the domains of culture and art.
The engagement with Imagination in culture and art brings closer the renewal
of modern Israeli prophecy.
The Imagination is a double-edged sword; it is capable of elevating humanity,
and capable of degrading and humiliating it. When a person is subject to
corrupted imagination, intellect alone will not extract them; only the Sacred
Imagination, the Alternative Imagination, can. The new Jewish creation can
present this Sacred Imagination.
The new Jewish creation must shatter conventional modes of thought and
renew the paradigms of wisdom and consciousness.
The new Jewish creation must draw unique sources of inspiration from the
Esoteric Torah (Kabbalah), Aggadah, and Midrash, where remnants of
Hebrew prophetic culture have been preserved. They contain the Concealed
Treasure for the new art.
The new Jewish creation is capable of being a conduit for the new prophecy,
capable of reopening the channel between God and humanity anew.
Principles of Pre-Prophetic Creation According to Rav Kook
The creator must precede creation with the thought of Teshuvah (Repentance
/ Return), Tikkun (Rectification), and Zikuch (Purification):
And literature shall be sanctified, and every writer shall begin to
know the sublimity and the holiness in their work, and shall not dip
their pen without purity of soul and sanctity of idea. At the very
least, the thought of Teshuvah, profound reflections of Teshuvah,
must precede every creation.
— Shmona Kvatzim 4:64
One who has the soul of a creator is compelled to be a creator of
ideas and thoughts; it is impossible for them to be confined solely to
their superficial study. For the flame of the soul ascends of its own
accord, and it is impossible to halt it in its course.
— Orot HaKodesh
The Creating Soul Must Not Be Hindered (N0NI'n NNWIN)
The aim of Pre-Prophetic creation is the development of the power of the
Creating Soul, to the point of realizing its inner strength, drawing from its
source, revealing itself in constant renewal. One who lives the life of their soul
is in a state of constant renewal of direct creation.
Rav Kook writes repeatedly that one must not stop or hinder the Creating
Soul:
The Creating Soul resides at the source of the light of the Torah. One
must not hinder its course, full of joy and holy delight, due to any
impurity or hindrance in the world. The entire world is not
worthwhile compared to a single moment of supreme creation from
the source of the Sacred. This stream of sublime life, pouring forth in
one soul, brings light to the entire world.
— Shmona Kvatzim
One must not resist the essential soul in its revelation. And its
revelation is constant; even when thick clouds cover its brightness, it
shines with all its might, and it carries the world and humanity
towards the goal of its happiness, which is exalted above any named
goal. The soul contemplates without logic, acts without action. With
it, only with it, do we ascend those heights towards which the entire
thrust of the life of reality, in the depths of its mysteries, pushes us.
Then you shall delight in the Lord. This is the secret of thirst, and
the mystery of satiation.
— Orot HaKodesh
Inner Listening (N'N']9N NAWpnn)
Creation is not only a tool for self-expression, but first and foremost an
opportunity for an encounter with the Self. Creation begins with inner
attentiveness to the soul’s own voice.
One does not wait for the muse or inspiration—it is always present; rather, the
creator ascends to the encounter with their soul:
As long as a person must wait for times when the spirit of creation
will rest upon them, and then they will innovate, contemplate,
meditate, and sing—this is a sign that the illumination of their soul
has not appeared upon them. The soul, after all, sings always; might
and joy it has donned, supreme pleasantness surrounds it. And the
person must ascend to the height of encountering their soul.
— Orot HaKodesh
Effortless Creation (AY'a'l NY NID N1'x')
Creation is not toil or labor; it is not a forceful effort:
It is impossible to stop the creation of one whose soul creates
constantly by its nature. Whenever spiritual weariness burdens, it
comes only because the creator thinks that creation is toil. And the
more one delves deeper into its secret, one comes to the realization
that it involves no toil or labor whatsoever. And the person
resembles their Creator, for the Holy One, Blessed be He, created
His world without toil and labor.
— Orot HaKodesh
Freedom of Thought and Intuition (n'X'NIUNNI NAWNNN WOIN)
Creation stems from Freedom of Thought and reveals the magnitude of the
“Speculative Worlds” (Olamot HaSha’ariyim)—worlds revealed through the
power of Intuition, which transcends measured logic. The creator speculates
in their heart and mind with full scope and breadth, and in absolute freedom
of thought:
We see no possibility of depicting freedom of thought, its elevation
and refinement, except when it is given its full scope of magnitude,
when its foundations are prepared according to the quantitative and
qualitative magnitude, wherever its spiritual eyes may glance.
Spiritual creation is free. It does not consider any external influence;
it creates according to its inner spirit. And the more its faith in itself
intensifies within it, the higher it will ascend to the peaks of truth.
— Orot HaKodesh
The Inner Dynamics of Creation (N1'¥'N JW N'N'1D Np'n}'1)
The following sections detail the psychological and spiritual dynamics
inherent in the creative process.
The Anguish of Creation (N1'X'n VyX)
Pure creation involves anguish, paralleling the anguish of the prophet. This is
a pain stemming from the powerful encounter between two currents:
“revelations of existence ascend from the depths... from the misty life within
the flesh,” and conversely, “revelations of life descend, from the sphere of the
most supreme soul.” This clash between the earthly and the heavenly,
between matter and spirit, involves the agony of the “destruction of inner
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worlds,” to enable the appearance of a new creation. Superficial creators
recoil from this anguish, but the true creator knows that within it is concealed
the crown of spiritual sovereignty.
From Anguish to Delight: The Dialectic of Pure Creation (|T¥2 1yxn)
Contrary to the romantic perception, spiritual creation is not born from light-
headedness and serenity. It begins with the “Anguish of Creation”—a pain
stemming from the artist’s necessary detachment from the limited, familiar
world, and grappling with the “birth pangs” of a new consciousness and form.
But according to the Esoteric Torah (Kabbalah), the greatest delight is not a
reward at the end of the road, but is concealed within the anguish itself. The
Pre-Prophetic creator learns not to flee from the anguish, out of faith that in
its depths lies the greatest and truest delight.
The Awe of Chaos: Creative Anxiety (InInn NXN1')
This is the initial and critical stage in the creative process, occurring when a
new idea arises in the creator’s consciousness. Just before the idea
crystallizes and takes form, the creator might be seized by the “Awe of Chaos”
(Yir’at HaTohu)—a profound anxiety facing the infinite and raw potential of
the new thought. This fear might cause paralysis, leaving the creator with
only the “raw thought,” causing the creation to be “flawed” and narrow.
According to Rav Kook, this awe is sometimes related to the creator’s inner
state or the state of the entire generation, and overcoming it is an act of
“Redemption” (Geulah)—where the creator redeems their “imprisoned
thoughts,” gives them form, and sets them free. This is the redemption of
soulic creation.
The Call to the Secret (Sod) (TION JN NN pn)
True creation cannot be satisfied with what is revealed and known. The
modern soul, especially the creator’s soul, demands “secrets of the world,
secrets of the Torah, the secret of God” to quench its thirst. The insistence on
finding all spiritual satisfaction only in the revealed aspect of reality depletes
the strength and leads to disillusionment. Pre-Prophetic creation calls to
liberate the discourse—to give freedom to the concealed secret speech, and it
seeks to express the hidden and inner dimension of existence.
Prophecy (NNIn)
Prophecy is the primary virtue (Segula) of the Israeli nation. As creators, we
can prepare the vessels for the renewal of Israeli prophecy; that is, to expand
the boundaries of the imagination, shatter fixed modes of thought, renew
paradigms of wisdom and consciousness, awaken soulic discourse, connect
truth and beauty, elevate the world, and lead a spiritual-cultural revolution in
the People of Israel and the entire world.
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“Pre-Prophetic Cinema” was born from a years-long quest for a new language,
for a new Israeli creation unlike any other.
This is a call to the original Israeli talent rooted in Hebrew prophetic culture—
not to escape reality, but to forge from it a new, redeeming reality.
This is an invitation to a journey, to every creator who feels that same thirst.
And here, we extend a call to creators—secular and religious—to feel that this
is your stage. To take an active part in the discourse and the creation, to join
the journey, to make an impact, and to generate together a new body of
knowledge and creation unlike anything else—Israeli, Jewish, and Universal.
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ll. The Doctrine of Pre-Prophetic Creation
Part I: The Vision — A Call for a New Cultural Era
The Present Moment: The Rise of Imagination and the Thirst for the Secret (Sod)
Human culture stands at a decisive historical moment. For centuries, Western
culture centered pure intellect, analytical logic, and philosophy as the
exclusive keys to understanding reality.
However, as Rav Kook foresaw a century ago, we are witnessing a powerful
counter-process: “All contemporary culture is built upon the foundation of the
imaginative faculty (the power of imagination).” In this era, “the imaginative
faculty is increasingly refined... and according to its ascent... the intellectual
light withdraws.” Philosophy, once the queen of sciences, “limps and falters
and has no standing,” while “the poets and storytellers, the dramatists and all
those engaged in the fine arts take their place at the forefront of culture.”
This process is not accidental. As Rabbi Uri Sherki explains, it stems directly
from the profound crisis Western philosophy has faced since Immanuel Kant.
When philosophy despaired of its ability to reach absolute truth, it ceded the
stage to another power, ancient and equally potent—the imagination.
The result is a culture where truth is no longer measured by intellectual
standards but examined by its expressions in the human imagination. This is
an era where “truth will be absent and the face of the generation like the face
of a dog”—a poignant description of a culture reacting to immediate
symptoms without seeking the root, a culture of competing narratives where
all truth is relative.
However, the Pre-Prophetic Cinema movement does not see this process as a
sign of final decline, but as a necessary and planned stage in a comprehensive
Divine process. Rav Kook calls this “God’s counsel from afar.”
For generations, the imaginative faculty was suppressed and weakened, both
in Judaism and in general culture, due to its historical association with
idolatry and mythology.
Now, history demands its vindication. The global eruption of the power of
imagination, with all its dangers and superficiality, is actually a process of
“completing the imaginative faculty,” building and purifying it until it
becomes a “healthy basis for the supreme spirit that will appear upon it.”
In other words, global culture is now unconsciously constructing the vessel—
the developed and sophisticated capacity for imagination—that will be
essential for receiving a renewed revelation, a modern prophecy.
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Within this reality, a deep spiritual thirst is created. When the “revealed
aspect” of reality no longer satisfies, the modern soul, especially the creator’s
soul, cannot be content with the limited. It demands “secrets of the world,
secrets of the Torah, the secret of God (Sod).” The insistence on finding all
spiritual satisfaction only in the revealed “depletes the strength... and leads
the stormy desire to a place where it finds emptiness and disillusionment.”
Herein lies the call to the Pre-Prophetic creator: not to flee from the
imagination dominating the culture, but to dive into it, purify it, and transform
it from a tool of shallow entertainment into a conduit flowing the dimension of
the secret and inwardness into a thirsty world.
From National Revival to Prophetic Culture
This call for a cultural revolution does not occur in a vacuum. It is intrinsically
linked to the process of the Return to Zion and the national revival of the
People of Israel in its land. The vision of Rav Kook, the movement’s central
inspiration, views the national revival as a comprehensive, spiritual-cultural
process, culminating in “the revival of an Israeli prophetic culture in modern
guise.”
The physical return to the soil of the Land of Israel is the key to igniting a
profound metaphysical process in human consciousness. In exile, spiritual
achievement was acquired primarily through intellectual effort and toil
against a dark and alienated environment. “Outside the Land,” writes Rav
Kook, “the main acquisition comes only from toil, inquiry, critique,
experience, and delving,” while the inner Divine light is only a secondary
“aid.” In the Land of Israel, however, the roles are reversed: “The spiritual
spring of the inner sanctity... strengthens of its own accord. It only needs aid
from practical and intellectual work.”
This transition from a spirituality based on effort to a spirituality stemming
from abundance changes the central tools of the soul. The intellect, the
dominant tool in the exilic struggle, gives way to the direct perception of the
soul, which uses imagination as its primary language.
It is no coincidence that “the imagination of the Land of Israel is clear and
bright, clean and pure, and capable of the appearance of Divine truth...
prepared for the explanation of prophecy and its lights.”
The transition from exilic consciousness to the “Torah of the Land of Israel” is
not just a geographical change, but the growth of a new Israeli soul,
rediscovering the direct and unmediated connection to the sanctity concealed
in nature, the body, and matter.
Creation in the Land of Israel, therefore, is fundamentally different from
creation anywhere else in the world. The Israeli creator is not called to create
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meaning ex nihilo, but to connect to an existing abundance of sanctity and life
flowing from the earth, air, and light unique to this place. They are called to be
an artist of listening, capable of translating the Divine Will hidden in nature
(“Eretz” [Land] from the root “Ratzon” [Will]) into a new artistic language.
The Mandate of the Pre-Prophetic Artist
Within this historical and metaphysical context, the artist’s role is reshaped.
They are no longer merely an entertainer, aesthetician, or social critic. The
Pre-Prophetic creator is a pioneer, a pathfinder, an active partner in
preparing human consciousness for a new era of revelation.
Their role is twofold: they serve as “Chimney Sweeps of the human
imagination,” whose task is to remove the soot and blockages created in the
collective consciousness, thereby “reopening the channel between God and
humanity.” Simultaneously, they develop and refine the tools—intellect,
emotion, and imagination—which the future prophet will use in perfect
harmony.
This is a call for spiritual alchemy. The mission is not to escape contemporary
culture, but to engage with its raw material—the powerful, yet often
contaminated, imagination—and purify it. Just as one cannot fight corrupted
imagination with pure logic, it is necessary to counter it with “Sacred
Imagination, Alternative Imagination.” The creator, as an expert in the
language of imagination, is uniquely capable of performing this task. They do
not retreat into an ivory tower of holiness, but descend into the heart of the
darkness of contemporary culture, armed with inner light, aiming to redeem
the sparks of sanctity hidden within it and elevate them.
The ultimate goal is to generate a “New Israeli Wave,” to transform Israel into
a “global center of pioneering and avant-garde creation.” This creation will
not be sectarian or “religious” in the narrow sense, but will be Jewish at its
root, Israeli in its expression, and universal in its message. It will be the new
tidings of the Hebrew spirit to the world.
Part Il: The Source — The Inner Spring of Creation
The Soul Creates Always
The Western conception of creation often relies on the myth of external
inspiration—the muse visiting the artist, a moment of unexpected grace. The
Doctrine of Pre-Prophetic Creation offers a cognitive revolution and posits a
completely opposite model: the source of creation is not external, but internal,
and it flows ceaselessly.
For one who “has the soul of a creator,” creation is not a choice or a
profession, but an existential necessity. It is a natural eruption, “the flame of
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the soul ascends of its own accord, and it is impossible to halt it in its course.”
The foundational principle is that the soul is in a constant state of creation:
“The soul, after all, sings always; might and joy it has donned, supreme
pleasantness surrounds it.”
Hence a critical distinction: “As long as a person must wait for times when the
spirit of creation will rest upon them... this is a sign that the illumination of
their soul has not appeared upon them.” Waiting for inspiration is merely
evidence of a disconnect between the person and their deepest self.
This insight completely changes the essence of artistic work. The task is not to
“seek” inspiration, but to “ascend to the height of encountering one’s soul.”
Creation shifts from an act of doing to a state of being. The creator does not
“make” art; they become a person from whom art flows naturally. Any feeling
of “toil and labor” in the creative process is a sign of misunderstanding its
true nature. In the moment of pure creation, “the person resembles their
Creator, for the Holy One, Blessed be He, created His world without toil and
labor.”
The effort does not disappear, but it is shifted: the struggle is no longer
against external raw material or a creative block, but an inner effort of
purification and ascension, aimed at removing the barriers separating the
consciousness from the ever-creating soul. When this state of being is
achieved, creation flows as a natural abundance, a direct expression of the
self.
The Primacy of the Will (Ratzon)
If the soul is the spring, what is the nature of the water flowing from it? The
Doctrine of Pre-Prophetic Creation, drawing from the Esoteric Torah
(Kabbalah), identifies the most primary and fundamental force in the universe
as “the Will” (Ratzon). This is not psychological “willpower,” but the supreme
metaphysical principle, the inner essence preceding intellect, emotion, and
language. In Kabbalah, the highest and most fundamental Sefirah, “Keter”
(Crown), is identified with the Will. The Will is the operating system of all
reality.
The connection between the Will and expression is embedded in the roots of
the Hebrew language itself. The word “Ot” (letter) stems from the root
“Le’avot”—to will, to desire. The letters, the building blocks of all expression,
are the crystallization of a primary Will. Rabbi Sherki notes the constant
tension between the infinite Will and the limited Wisdom as one of the central
dynamics of existence. The creator’s role is to bridge this gap: to take the
infinite Will pulsing in their soul and give it expression through the finite tools
of art.
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This conception places Pre-Prophetic creation in a revolutionary stance. Art
stemming from the primacy of the Will is not primarily concerned with
conveying ideas (the domain of the intellect) or expressing emotions (the
domain of the heart), but with the embodiment of the Will. It aspires to be not
an object of contemplation, but an event, a force, an occurrence in the world.
A Pre-Prophetic film is not something one merely watches; it is something one
encounters. It seeks to act directly on the viewer’s Will—to awaken it, purify
it, and connect it to the General, Divine Will that sustains all existence.
Creative Intellect vs. Depicting Intellect
The distinction between these two types of Will leads directly to a crucial
distinction made by Rav Kook between two modes of creative consciousness:
“Depicting Intellect” and “Generative Intellect.”
Depicting Intellect (430 72w): This is the dominant intellectual force in
Western culture. Its role is to observe reality, document it, analyze it, reflect
it. It acts as a mirror to the existing world. Most art, even the most critical,
operates within this paradigm. It reacts to reality, interprets it, but does not
claim the ability to create it anew.
Generative Intellect (41° 5.w): This, according to Rav Kook, is “the wonder
of the virtue of Israel.” It is a supreme cognitive force, similar to the Divine
creative power, which is not content with describing the world but is capable
of “creating, generating, forging a new reality.” This view positions the artist
in a stance of active partnership in the ongoing act of creation.
This distinction shifts the role of art from the realm of epistemology (the study
of knowledge) to the realm of ontology (the study of being). The central
question is no longer “How does my art represent the truth about the world?”
but “What reality does my art bring into the world?” This connects directly to
the Kabbalistic view that speech, thought, and creation indeed forge actual
spiritual realities: “In every moment new worlds come and are born, created
and formed.”
Hence the immense responsibility of the Pre-Prophetic creator. They do not
merely create representations; they create worlds. Every creation is an
ontological act, introducing a new quality into existence. Therefore, the
creator’s self-critique must change. Instead of asking, “Is my film faithful to
reality?” they must ask: “Does the reality my film creates reveal the viewer’s
inner self? Does it reveal the secret and the hidden light of all existence?”
Part Ill: The Inner Crucible — The Psychology of the Pre-Prophetic
Creator
The path to creation stemming from the soul is not a pastoral journey, but a
demanding inner quest, fraught with psychological and spiritual challenges.
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The Doctrine of Pre-Prophetic Creation does not ignore these difficulties but
maps them and offers a way to confront them, transforming them into
necessary stages in the creator’s development.
The Preliminary Act: Purification and Refinement
Before the creator touches their tools, their work begins within. Rav Kook
states emphatically that one “shall not dip their pen without purity of soul and
sanctity of idea. At the very least, the thought of Teshuvah (Return /
Repentance), profound reflections of Teshuvah, must precede every
creation.” This is not a call for moral perfection or asceticism, but a demand
for awareness and intention. It is a conscious act of inner alignment before the
creative act begins.
Inner preparation is not an optional addition but a fundamental condition.
Inner work, such as the rectification of character traits and actions, does not
produce the creation but removes the obstacles preventing its revelation.
They “clear the path of stumbling blocks, which are the evil thoughts, the
corrupted traits and deeds,” and when the path is clear, “the soul ascends of
its own accord to its supreme desire.” This process is like clearing clouds
hiding the sun; the work does not create the sunlight but allows it to shine in
its full intensity.
The emphasis is radically shifted from the final product to the process and the
source. As Rabbi Sherki explains, if the creator purifies themselves, the
creation stemming from them will naturally be purified. A murky source
cannot produce clear water, even if the plumbing system (the artistic
technique) is the most sophisticated. Therefore, in a house of study (Beit
Midrash) for Pre-Prophetic creation, the practice of introspection, awareness,
and ethical development will be an integral and central part of the curriculum,
equal to technical training.
Facing the Chaos (Tohu): Creative Anxiety
When a new idea flashes in the creator’s consciousness, it first appears in its
raw, primary state—a state of pure potential, formless. At this critical
moment, the creator might be seized by the “Awe of Chaos” (Yir’at HaTohu)—
a profound anxiety facing the infinity and raw power of the new thought.
The “Tohu” (Chaos) is not emptiness, but infinite potential, similar to the
“Tohu VaVohu” before creation. The fear is not of the nothing, but of the
infinite; it is the anxiety facing the immense responsibility of giving form, of
choosing. Every choice of a developmental path for the idea necessarily
means relinquishing all its other possible paths.
This fear can lead to creative paralysis, leaving the idea in its raw state (“the
raw thought as it is”), or alternatively, to a limited and uninspired execution,
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where “the thought does not breach all the walls of its imprisonment.” In both
cases, “the creation is flawed, and the world, in need of the thoughtful
creators, dwells in darkness, hunger, and thirst.”
The Redemption of Soulic Creation: From Fear to Liberty
Overcoming the Awe of Chaos is not just a psychological challenge; it is
described in Rav Kook’s writings as a spiritual act of “Redemption” (Geulah).
The creator must “redeem the parts of their soul from their exiles, to release
the prisoners of their thoughts from their bonds, to say to the bound, ‘Go
forth,’ to those in darkness, ‘Be revealed.’” This is an act of liberation, of
granting form and freedom to the bound inner forces.
This act of redemption is intimately connected to the spark concealed in the
creator’s soul. When they muster courage and create, “an inner appearance
comes to them from the light of the Messiah, concealed in their soul, and they
generate redemption, and bring forth a new light in their world.” (The “light
of the Messiah” is a perception or illumination that comes from the future and
illuminates the present.)
Every true creative act is thus a microcosm of the cosmic redemption process.
Just as the future redemption will bring the entire world from a state of
brokenness and concealment to a state of wholeness and revelation, so the
creative process takes a raw, chaotic, and hidden idea (Tohu) and brings it to
a clear, complete, and revealed expression (Tikkun). This act demands
“absolute liberty” internally and a deep faith in the power of the Creating
Soul.
The Dialectic of Anguish and Delight
The romantic perception tends to describe creation as the fruit of serenity and
transcendence. The Doctrine of Pre-Prophetic Creation offers a more complex
and honest picture. Pure creation, writes Rav Kook, involves the “Anguish of
Creation” (Tza’ar HaYetzira), a pain paralleling the prophet’s anguish at the
moment of revelation.
The source of this anguish is the powerful, almost violent, encounter between
two opposing currents in the creator’s soul. On one hand, “revelations of
existence ascend from the depths, from the misty life within the flesh,” and on
the other hand, “revelations of life descend, from the sphere of the most
supreme soul.” This clash between the earthly and the heavenly, between
matter and spirit, involves the agony of the “destruction of inner worlds” —old
consciousness patterns must be broken to make room for a new creation.
However, and this is the key point, “Great are the agonies of creation... yet
how great is also the delight of creation.” The greatest delight is not a reward
waiting at the end of the road, but is concealed within the anguish itself. The
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engine of creation is not a linear and smooth process, but a dynamic and
tension-filled union of opposites.
While many spiritual perceptions advocate transcending the body and matter,
the Doctrine of Pre-Prophetic Creation insists that the most authentic
creation occurs precisely at the point of maximum friction between body and
soul. The anguish is the energy released in this encounter, and the delight is
the light born from their successful union. The creator, therefore, must not
flee from the anguish, but “rejoice in the sufferings, for they are the sources of
delights,” understanding that precisely in the depths of pain lies the most
sublime delight.
Part IV: The New Language — A Practical Lexicon
The transition from sublime philosophy to the artistic act requires translation.
This section aims to provide a practical toolbox, a lexicon of concepts and
techniques derived directly from the movement’s foundational principles,
offering new ways to think about cinema, narrative, and the craft of creation
itself.
The Frame as a Sacred Space: Olam, Shanah, Nefesh (Space, Time, Soul)
The wisdom of Kabbalah, in Sefer Yetzirah (The Book of Creation), offers a
three-dimensional map of reality, which reveals itself as a precise guide to the
architecture of cinematic creation. According to this model, every revelation
stands on three foundations: Olam (Space / World), Shanah (Time / Year), and
Nefesh (Soul / Consciousness). Their Hebrew acronym, ASHAN (j"wy), means
“smoke,” hinting at the moment of revelation at Mount Sinai (“And Mount
Sinai was altogether in smoke”), teaching that the encounter with the Sacred
occurs precisely through what seems elusive and intangible, similar to the
cinematic experience itself.
This model provides three fundamental questions for constructing any scene
or frame:
Olam (Space): Beyond the location or set, this is the mise-en-scéne, the
architecture of the frame. How does the physical space express the inner state
of the soul? Is the composition open and expansive (aspect of ‘Hesed’) or
closed and constricting (aspect of ‘Din’)? The cinematic space is not a
backdrop, but a living entity with a Will, a potential sanctuary for an
encounter with the sublime.
Shanah (Time): This is the inner pulse of the film, its breath. The editing
rhythm, the duration of the shots, the camera movement—all shape the
experiential time. Pre-Prophetic Cinema is not bound solely by linear time; it
strives to create a state of consciousness where past, present, and future
resonate with each other, a time that not only tells a story but prophesies.
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Nefesh (Soul / Consciousness): This is the human dimension that gives
meaning to space and time. It is the journey of the character, and through
them, the viewer, through the world the film creates. The creator’s role, as the
Mishnah in Pirkei Avot teaches, is to find “for every thing its place” (Olam)
and “for every person their hour” (Nefesh and Shanah).
Editing as a Redeeming Act: Time as a Spiral
The Jewish conception of time is neither a straight line nora closed circle, but
a spiral with direction and hope. The word “Shanah” (Year) is related to
“Shinui” (Change), and “Chodesh” (Month) to “Chidush” (Renewal). This
conception offers three revolutionary concepts of time for the editor: Et (The
Moment / The Shot), Olam (Eternity / The Whole Narrative), and Moed (The
Encounter / The Cut).
The cut is not just a technical splice, but a “Moed,” a moment where the
editor, aS a partner in creation, brings the momentary and the eternal
together, creating new meaning. From here, a “Soul Montage” can be
developed, an editing theory based on the dialectical structure of the Sefirot
in Kabbalah, striving for the unification of opposites:
The ‘Hesed’ Cut: A connection creating expansion and flow (e.g., dissolve,
smooth transition, connection based on harmonious movement).
The ‘Din / Gevurah’ Cut: A connection creating constriction and tension
(e.g., jump-cut, sharp graphic contrast).
The ‘Tiferet’ Connection: The synthesis. This is not just a new intellectual
idea (as in Eisenstein), but a moment of beauty and harmony unifying the two
poles. It is the perfect connection between a shot of expansion and a shot of
constriction, generating a moment of poetic truth, an aesthetic revelation.
Furthermore, the ability to do “Teshuvah” (Return / Repentance) teaches that
time is not irreversible. The flashback, then, is not just a tool for revealing
information, but an opportunity for “cinematic Teshuvah”—presenting a past
event in a new light that changes the meaning of the present.
Narrative Structures of Revelation: PaRDeS, Midrash, and Talmud
Western cinematic language is largely bound by Aristotelian narrative
structures. The Jewish tradition offers an alternative narrative toolbox—
models for multi-layered meaning and revolutionary approaches to
storytelling—that can lead to a quiet revolution in how we experience images
and time.
Film as PaRDeS: The Architecture of Meaning (0’7752 »70): A Pre-
Prophetic film is not flat. Like the Torah, it is built layer upon layer of
meaning. The model for this is the ancient Jewish hermeneutic framework:
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PaRDeS (Orchard / Paradise). This describes four layers of depth, which are
four layers of cinematic being:
Pshat (nw5) — The Visible Reality: The narrative layer, the plot, the physical
actions. This is the necessary foundation, the outer garment of truth.
Remez (127) — The Symbolic Reality: The layer where the physical world hints
at what lies beyond. A network of visual motifs, symbols, and hidden
connections creating the film’s inner language.
Drash (t77) — The Human Reality: The psychological and moral layer, where
the film interprets the human condition. It is created through the connection
and collision of elements (montage, character development, emotional
journey).
Sod (710) — The Revealed Reality (Metaphysical): The layer where the film
becomes revelation. The “Sod” (Secret) is not a decipherable message, but a
direct experience of inner reality.
Any attempt to “translate” (Targum) the secret into logical language is, in
Gematria (numerical equivalence) and in essence—Tardema (Slumber).
Therefore, the film’s role is not to explain the secret, but to place one secret
against another. As Rav Kook teaches: “Secrets must be explained... precisely
by secrets.”
The Synthesis: The goal is to understand that the Secret (Sod) is the True
Literal Meaning (Pshat). The highest revelation is seeing the simple, everyday
reality in its infinite depth.
Midrashic Cinema (‘W772 11517): The Midrash creates meaning by layering
image upon image and using different languages simultaneously. In cinematic
translation, this is a film unafraid of radical montage, combining diverse
visual styles (documentary, animation, narrative) to create an associative flow
that speaks directly to the viewer’s subconscious and conveys meaning
beyond the boundaries of the literal text. It seeks to transform “frozen text”
back into “living speech.”
Talmudic Directing (7129 "17"2): One of the prominent features of Talmudic
discourse is the deliberate blurring between the center and the periphery.
The discussion can deviate from the central topic to a seemingly negligible
detail, understanding that a great truth might be concealed within it. In
cinematic translation, this is a revolution in mise-en-scéne. The “Talmudic”
camera does not focus solely on the protagonist; it might suddenly linger on
an object in the room or a secondary character. Every detail in the frame
becomes a potential central meaning, inviting the viewer into an intensive
dialogue of discovery.
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The Redeemed Gaze and the Third Archetype
At the foundation of Pre-Prophetic creation lies the deepest human need: to be
seen. Not just physically, but to be seen in full complexity, with a
comprehensive and loving gaze. As analyzed in the article on Chaplin’s “City
Lights,” redemption arrives at the moment someone truly sees you, beyond
the masks and illusions.
This task requires the development of a “Redeemed Gaze”—a gaze adopting
an elevated, Divine viewpoint that sees the inner good in every person, and
simultaneously, an intimate gaze allowing a person to see themselves deeply.
This gaze is essential to break the false dichotomy of Jewish representation in
cinema, trapped between the “Dreyfus Archetype” (the Jew as victim,
righteous and weak) and the “Conqueror Archetype” (the Israeli as forceful,
strong, and unjust).
Global cinema, and consequently Israeli cinema, has been trapped since the
Dreyfus affair between these two flat representations. Israeli creation
struggles to this day to break free from this false dichotomy. It fears the third
possibility, the truly complex hero.
The new Israeli cinema is called to create the missing “Third Protagonist”: the
Archetype of the Prophetic Creator. This figure, whose prototypes are Moses
and Theodor Herzl, is complex. It combines knowledge of the practical world
(the “political science” Moses learned in Egypt) with spiritual depth (the
“sciences of prophecy” learned in Midian), and is capable of connecting the
universal with the national. This is a protagonist who does not just react to
reality but creates it through the power of their vision and Will. Creating such
figures is one of the missions of Pre-Prophetic Cinema.
The Pre-Prophetic Poetics (N'NiI2) DTpn Np'VUNIDN)
At the heart of the Pre-Prophetic Cinema doctrine lies a revolutionary call: the
search for a new artistic language, one that is not content with familiar
expression but strives to be a vessel for revelation. This is an aspiration to
create “Crowns for the Letters” (Tagim La’Otiot)—new layers of meaning
born from the artistic act itself, a revolutionary language stemming from deep
inner listening to the secret of existence and clothing it in a modern,
groundbreaking guise.
This new language requires a New Poetics, one that replaces Aristotle’s
drama of conflict with a poetics of Encounter, similar to the act of the High
Priest. Instead of conflict and constant war between gods and humans, it
offers encounter and partnership in the act of creation. Unlike Greek drama,
which staged actors wearing masks of gods to “play” and direct revelation,
Pre-Prophetic poetics does not need this. It does not need to direct revelation,
because it aspires to stem itself from revelation. The creation becomes a
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dialogue between the creator’s soul and the viewer’s soul, and since the soul
is infinite, it becomes a rare encounter between “two pieces of eternity.”
To achieve such an encounter, the creator themselves must undergo an inner
journey, a graded “Ladder of Creation” beginning with strengthening the
body, continuing through the purification of imagination and emotion,
ascending to the clear intellect, and culminating in receiving inspiration from
a supreme source, from the “sparkling of the Holy Spirit.”
The creator who undergoes this process learns to direct with humility and
listening. In such a Directing Lesson, nature is no longer a still background,
but a living entity with a Will. The director’s role is not to control reality, but to
turn the creation into a conduit through which the sanctity in nature can be
revealed.
Thus, the artistic act becomes an “Initiated Exile.” This idea resonates with
Shklovsky’s theory of “Defamiliarization” (Hazara / Ostranenie), but it is
deeply rooted in Hebrew thought, which recognizes the power of exile—
departure from the familiar place—to refresh consciousness. Just as Shabbat
and Shmita (Sabbatical year) are mechanisms of “initiated exile” in time and
space, forcing us to fight the force of habit and see reality anew, so creation
operates. It takes us from our familiar place, distances us from common
perceptions, and thus opens us to acquire new knowledge in an experience of
exile and redemption in miniature.
This approach unites two seemingly opposite ways of creation: that of
Eisenstein, the active creator building meaning from the clash of images, and
that of Tarkovsky, the listening observer revealing hidden truth. The
prophetic creator is both the listener and the intervener; they draw from
existence and simultaneously generate reality within it.
The final result of this process is a multi-dimensional creation, a Film as
PaRDeS: it has a revealed narrative layer (Pshat), a symbolic layer (Remez), a
psychological and moral layer (Drash), and at its peak—a metaphysical layer
where the film becomes revelation (Sod).
The Synthesis of All Songs (The Song of Songs)
Modern consciousness is characterized by fragmentation and conflict.
Ideologies struggle against each other: individualism versus nationalism,
nationalism versus universalism, humanism versus an ecological-cosmic view.
Rav Kook, in his essay “A Quadruple Song,” diagnoses this situation poetically
and precisely. He describes four basic “songs” existing in being: The Song of
the Soul (individual), The Song of the Nation (nation), The Song of Humanity
(humanity), and The Song of the World (cosmos). The tragedy, he explains,
begins when each song becomes a separate ideology and starts fighting the
others.
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The solution is not in choosing one song over the others, but in creating
harmony. Herein lies, according to Rav Kook, the unique virtue of the soul of
Israel: the ability to sing a fifth song, “The Song of Songs.” This song has no
content of its own, but its role is “to unify and include all the other songs,” so
that “all of them together merge within it at all times and in every hour.”
This is not just a poetic metaphor, but a concrete artistic and cultural mission.
Pre-Prophetic creation aspires to be the embodiment of “The Song of Songs.”
It seeks to create works of art that demonstrate, on an aesthetic and
emotional level, how the different and seemingly conflicting aspects of human
identity can coexist in harmony. In this way, art becomes a model for a whole
and unified human consciousness, offering a remedy, even for a moment, to
the rifts and fragmentations of the modern world.
Sacred Audacity: A Call to Action
The path to realizing such a radical vision cannot be polite or hesitant. It
demands spiritual courage, daring, what Rav Kook and the Kabbalists call
“Sacred Audacity” (Chutzpah D’Kedusha). This is not insolence, but the
courage to break conventions, “to establish illegal outposts in the field of
creation,” and to forge new paths “to the wondrous, the sublime, the roots,”
without waiting for approval from any artistic or spiritual establishment. This
is a call for creators to be pioneers, to be a true avant-garde, and to embrace
the messianic daring inherent in the “Creative Intellect.”
To the creators, readers of this manifesto, we call:
Awaken, revolutionaries! Arise, heroes of valor, courageous spirits. Do not
wait any longer for inspiration to come from outside; listen to the song of your
soul that flows always.
Do not fear the chaos of the new idea, the Tohu preceding creation; redeem
the prisoners of your thoughts and grant them form and liberty. Do not recoil
from the Anguish of Creation; know that within it is concealed the most
supreme delight.
Stop merely depicting the world as it is, and start creating it as it ought to be.
Refine your Will, elevate it to the roots of reality, and connect it to the Divine
Will that sustains everything. Create works that are an encounter, that are a
prayer, that are a revelation. Create art that unifies the Song of the Soul, the
Nation, Humanity, and the World.
Our creation will not be rebellion for the sake of rebellion, but a new creation.
If the revolutionaries of the past discovered the subconscious, we are called to
rediscover the super-conscious, the power of the soul, the sanctity concealed
in reality, and the miracle hidden in the mundane.
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This is a call for a great cultural revolution, seeking to restore the Hebrew
spirit to its rightful place as a creative and leading force in the world.
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Ill. The Creating Soul
The Unceasing Song of the Soul: Creation, Revelation, and Redemption
At the core of the revolutionary thought of Rav Kook, the concept of soulful
creation stands not as a peripheral activity or an acquired talent, but as a
fundamental state of being—a direct expression of the soul’s divine essence.
This perspective views creative activity as the key to understanding profound
processes within the individual psyche, the destiny of the Nation of Israel, and
the entire cosmic purpose (Tachlit).
Part One: Soulful Creation and the Creating Soul
The Fountain and the Lightning Bolts: The Ontology of the Creating Soul
The Soulful ‘Self’ vs. The Psychological ‘Ego’
At the foundation of Rav Kook’s doctrine of creation lies a radical distinction
between two levels of human identity: the acquired psychological “Ego”—the
product of experiences and emotions that form a personality—and the soulful
“Essential Selfhood” (Atzmiut)—an original entity, described in Hebrew as
Chelek Eloha MiMa’al (veritably a portion of the Divine from above), which is
not constructed but revealed. This ‘Selfhood’ is the deepest, unique layer of
the soul (Neshama), constituting the source of its authenticity and creative
power.
From this vantage point, soulful creation is not self-expression of the acquired
ego, but the self-revelation of the Neshama. It is not an “invention” ex nihilo,
but an “Appearance” or “Emergence” (Hofa’ah) of what always exists in the
depths.
The soul’s essential nature is defined as a “constant and unceasing thirst for
its source.” This thirst is not an expression of lack, but of infinite divine
abundance seeking revelation in the world. Creation is the language through
which the soul speaks its infinite longings for its divine source. The “inner
spark” of the soul is the foundation of original thought. All external study only
“fans the flames” of this spark; but if it is not given space to appear in its own
light, “then all that comes to him from the outside will be of no avail.”
“The Soul Always Sings”: Creation as a Natural State of Being
The most revolutionary principle in Rav Kook’s theory of creation is the
assertion that creation is not an effortful act, but the natural, constant, and
spontaneous state of the soul. The soul, by its very nature, “always sings” and
“always pours out its waters.” The flow of innovation never stops, and it beats
at a pace of constant renewal. This concept challenges classic models of
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creativity, which are based on intellectual effort, emotional outburst, or rare
inspiration coming from outside.
Rav Kook bases his view on the paradigm of divine creation itself, which was
made “without labor and without end.” The soul, being divine in essence,
carries within itself the same creative nature; it operates from an inner
abundance, like a spring that flows naturally, and not like a pump that
requires external force.
Rabbi Uri Sherki demonstrates this principle through the figure of the holy
Ari, who, according to tradition, could not commit his Torah to writing,
because innovation flowed from him constantly, at a faster rate than the
physical ability of writing.
It follows from this that creative inertia and stagnation are not the natural
state of the soul, but rather a symptom of disconnection from its source, which
results from the fact that “the creator thinks that creation is labor.”
Resolving the Paradox of the Fountain and the Lightning Bolts
Alongside the image of the constant fountain, the experience of creation is
also described as a stormy, fragmented dynamic of “lightning bolts.” The
divine thought appears, is grasped for a moment, and immediately recedes, in
the manner of Ratzo VaShov (Running and Returning, a key Kabbalistic
concept describing the dynamic ebb and flow of energy), “like the appearance
of a flash.”
The contradiction is not in the source, but in the reception. The Fountain is
the ontological reality of the soul—an infinite divine stream. The Lightning
Bolt is the phenomenological experience of the finite human consciousness
encountering this stream. Consciousness, being limited, cannot contain the
infinite continuously, and therefore perceives it as momentary flashes.
The “interruptions” are necessary times of “spiritual digestion.” Inspiration
does not “arrive” from outside; it is always “present” within. The creator’s
challenge is to expand and refine their conscious vessels to contain more of
the existing flow. A “creative block” is thus understood as a blockage in the
channel between the soul and consciousness.
And man must elevate himself to the height of meeting his soul.
The Crucible of the Spirit: The Phenomenology of the Creative Process
“Great Are the Pangs of Creation”: The Dialectic of Suffering and Pleasure
The creative process takes place within a crucible of struggle, described as a
dialectic of “intense suffering and supreme pleasure.” The source of this pain,
the “Pangs of Creation” (Yissurei HaYetzira), is metaphysical. It stems from
the immense gap between the infinite divine light seeking revelation and the
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finite human vessels attempting to receive it. The pain is evidence of the
magnitude of the encounter.
“The Shattering of the Vessels” (Shevirat HaKelim) as a Psycho-Creative Model
Rav Kook uses the Kabbalistic drama of Shevirat HaKelim (The Shattering of
the Vessels) to describe a profound creative process. He describes the
“destruction of the ancient worlds residing entirely within the soul” that
occurs before a higher revelation. Shevirat HaKelim is not a tragedy, but a
necessary engine of development. It represents the inevitable failure of
existing paradigms to contain a new abundance of light. Creative genius lies
in the courage to allow the old structures to shatter when a higher light
demands it.
The chaos and negative emotions accompanying deep creation are the raw
energy of Tohu (Primordial Chaos / Unformed Potential) that must be
harnessed and rectified through Tikkun (Restoration / Rectification). Rav
Kook’s doctrine offers a “philosophy of crisis,” teaching the creator to see
disintegration as an opportunity to ascend to a higher level of construction
and Tikkun.
From Tohu to Tikkun: The Journey of the Idea
A creative idea is born as a “nebulous quality”—vague, pre-verbal, yet potent.
The creative process is a journey of clarification, moving the idea from its raw
state of Tohu to a “Luminous Clarity” (Aspaklaria Me’ira—literally, an
illuminating lens). This transition requires spiritual courage to confront the
“Fear of Tohu,” the paralyzing fear of the unformed.
The Orchestra of the Soul: The Forces Active in Creation
The Will (Ratzon): The Foundational Force
Deeper than the intellect and the imagination stands the Will (Ratzon). It is
“the foundation of life.” The peak of creation is the unification of the private
will with the general divine will, a state in which the person becomes an active
partner in the act of Genesis. The power of the righteous (Tzaddikim) to
create worlds stems from the perfection of their Ratzon.
The Intellect (Sekhel) and the Imagination (Koach HaMedameh): Dialogue and
Struggle
The dynamic relationship between these two forces is the heart of the creative
process. They are in constant “fermentation,” “clashing,” and from this, “all
the spiritual aspects of man are renewed.” Imagination (Koach HaMedameh)
is the breakthrough force, perceiving holistic and supra-rational visions; it
“animates the world in its spiritual nature.” The Intellect (Sekhel) is the
analytical force, giving structure and form to the visions of the imagination; it
is the “body” for the “soul” of the imagination, and it is what builds the
systems of Halakhah. Imagination must be refined by holiness (Kedusha) lest
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it become a source of delusion. The intellect must receive inspiration from a
higher source lest it be barren.
“The Speculative Worlds” (Olamot HaHash’ariim): The Common Source
All faculties of the soul emanate from a single, higher source: “The
Speculative Worlds.” This concept, drawn from the Zohar, refers to a pre-
rational state of intuition, a space of infinite potential where the laws of logic
have not yet crystallized. The authentic creator is called to “sail through all
the expanses” of these worlds—whether quantitatively or qualitatively—to
draw the raw materials of their creation, and only then to process them with
the tools of reason and imagination. Absolute freedom of thought is a
necessary condition for great creation.
Part Two: Revelation, Unveiling, and the Appearance of the Soul
“| et the Prisoners Go Free”: The Essence of Soulful Revelation
Terminological Distinctions
In Rav Kook’s writings, the terms ‘Appearance’ (Hofa’ah), ‘Unveiling’ (Gilui),
and ‘Revelation’ (Hitgalut) map the development of consciousness.
‘Appearance’ (Hofa’ah) describes the initial eruption of the soulful light into
consciousness. ‘Unveiling’ (Gilui) refers to the active process of exposing
what was covered. ‘Revelation’ (Hitgalut) is the highest term, describing the
full encounter with the divine light in the soul, a state of prophetic
consciousness.
Revelation as a Natural Process
The soul holds inner divine knowledge. Revelation is the process by which this
knowledge moves from potential to actual. This is not an external miracle, but
the natural development of the soul when conditions ripen. It is described
“like the sun breaking through the clouds”—the light is always there; the work
is to disperse the concealment.
Creation as the External Expression of Inner Revelation
Revelation and creation are two aspects of the same essential process.
Revelation is the inner experience of absorbing the light of the soul. Creation
is the external act of giving form and expression to this light. As noted, “It is
impossible to stop creation from one whose soul is always creative by nature.”
Creation is the necessary and joyful result of the revelation of the soul.
Preparing the Vessels: The Moral and Practical Conditions for Revelation
“Removing the Stumbling Blocks”: The Role of Purification (Taharah)
Revelation demands purification (Taharah). The process begins when one
“clears the path before it from the stumbling blocks, which are the evil
thoughts, the corrupted traits, and the flawed deeds.” Purification enables the
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light to shine. It is an act of turning the soul into a transparent “glass vessel.”
“The glassy elevation of the soul” enables it to unite with “the interiority of all
existence” and be close to the illumination of Ruach HaKodesh.
From the Ladder Upward: The Degrees of Soulful Inspiration
From General Appearance to Ruach HaKodesh
Soulful inspiration develops in stages. It begins as a general “soulful
appearance.” When this stabilizes, it becomes Ruach HakKodesh. Ruach
HakKodesh (The Spirit of Holiness / Divine Inspiration) is a specific Hebrew
concept denoting a high level of divine inspiration, distinct from general
inspiration and below full prophecy (Nevuah). It is a stable state of elevated,
divinely infused consciousness allowing for the direct perception of divine
truth, integrating intellect, imagination, and will.
Ruach HakKodesh and Prophecy (Nevuah)
Ruach HakKodesh is the necessary preparation for the renewal of prophecy
(Nevuah). Prophecy is the mature, explicit form of the creative potential
inherent in the soul. Soulful creation is the process of training the psychic
tools required for prophecy, foremost among them a “refined and powerful
imagination.” The return of prophecy is a cultural project, requiring a society
that sanctifies these faculties.
There is a direct link between the MHalakhic act (observance of
commandments) and the prophetic capacity. The commandments achieve
purification; purification enables revelation; revelation is expressed in
creation; and creation develops the tools for prophecy. The Halakhic
framework is the infrastructure that enables the highest creative freedom.
Part Three: Conclusion — Vocation and Redemption: Creation as a
Redemptive Project
The Redemption (Geulah) of the Individual, the Nation, and the World
Creation as “Prophecy for the Collective” and the Liberation of the Soul
Every act of authentic creation is an act of Redemption (Geulah). On a
personal level, the creator “redeems the parts of his soul... from their exiles”
and “says to the prisoners, ‘Go free.’” On a collective level, it is “a kind of
prophecy for the collective, the exposure of a facet of the nation’s soul to
itself.”
The Unification of the Holy (Kodesh) and the Profane (Chol)
Redemptive creation does not flee from the physical world, but penetrates
and sanctifies it. Its goal is not to abolish the profane (Chol), but to build the
Holy (Kodesh) upon a “foundation of the profane, full of strength.” It strives to
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show how “the spirit of divine life... walks in all the ways of life,” transforming
all spheres of life into a sanctuary.
“The Air of the Land of Israel Makes Wise”: The Ideal Space for Complete
Revelation
The Metaphysical Role of the Land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael)
The connection between creation, redemption, and prophecy reaches its peak
in the Land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael). The Land has a unique spiritual
atmosphere, the “Air of the Land of Israel” (Avira d’Eretz Yisrael), which
enables the highest revelation. “The imagination of the Land of Israel is clear
and bright... prepared for the explanation of prophecy and its lights.” The soul
of the nation can reach its complete expression only on its own soil.
The Ontological Connection between the Nation’s Revival, Creation, and Prophecy
The physical return to the Land is a necessary condition for the spiritual
revival. “The Torah of the Land of Israel is awakening, along with the revival
of the building.” The Land is an active participant in creation. It is the
“hardware” specifically designed to run the unique “software” of the Israeli
soul.
The Creator as Partner in the Act of Genesis
Rav Kook’s vision places artistic creation at the center of the theological
drama of Redemption (Geulah). The artist and the thinker receive a priestly
role, and the studio becomes a kind of “minor sanctuary” (Mikdash Me’at).
The journey begins with the recognition of the divine ‘Selfhood’ (Atzmiut) of
the soul. This core seeks expression through ‘Appearance’ (Hofa’ah),
requiring moral purification. This revelation is expressed as ‘soulful
creation’—an effortless expression integrating intellect and imagination. The
ultimate goal is the full integration of Kodesh and Chol, where the inner light
of the soul sanctifies every aspect of life.
This process lays the foundation for a renewed prophetic culture, where the
voice of God is heard not as an external command but as the deepest song of
the soul itself. In this, the physical building of the Land and the spiritual
creation become two sides of the same coin, both necessary for the realization
of Israel’s destiny—to be a channel of divine revelation to the entire world.
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IV. Prophetic Culture
The Germination of the Light of Prophecy: A Study in Hebrew Prophetic
Thought, from Its Ancient Culture to Its Modern Revival
Introduction: The Prophetic Imperative in the Era of Redemption
The philosophy of Israeli Redemption, as elucidated in the teachings of Rabbi
Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook and his prominent interpreters, does not
view the Return to Zion as a merely political process. At the heart of the
national revival pulses a deeper rhythm, a_ spiritual demand for
comprehensive renewal, the essence and pinnacle of which is the renewal of
prophecy.
This essay will argue that prophecy, according to this view, is not an exotic
addition or a spiritual “bonus” for a nation returned to its land, but rather
constitutes the normal and natural ontological state of the Israeli nation. Its
prolonged absence, spanning nearly 2,400 years, is nothing less than a
“defect and disease,” a spiritual-national pathology which the process of
redemption is obligated to heal.
This document will trace the dialectical journey of the prophetic spirit:
beginning with its holistic and complete expression in antiquity, through its
fragmentation, decline, and atrophy during the long exile, and concluding
with the renewed and elevated synthesis toward which it strives in the
modern era of revival.
Furthermore, the essay will expose the unique and surprising connection
between the revival of prophecy and the world of modern creation and art.
According to Rabbi Uri Sherki’s interpretation of Rav Kook’s teachings, the
unprecedented intensification of the power of imagination in contemporary
culture—manifested in literature, mass media, and especially the art of
cinema—is not necessarily a sign of degeneration. Beneath the veneer of the
profane, and sometimes even the Klipah (husk), a profound “pre-prophetic”
process is taking place: a chaotic yet necessary preparation of the collective
imaginative vessel for its future sanctification and reintegration into a
complete and rectified spiritual framework.
To substantiate these claims, the essay will rely exclusively on the analysis
and synthesis of key philosophical sources: the mystical-philosophical
writings of Rav Kook, as they appear in his book Orot HaKodesh (Lights of
Holiness), and the modern, original interpretations of thinkers continuing his
path, primarily Rabbi Yehuda Leon Ashkenazi (Manitou) and Rabbi Uri
Sherki. The goal of the essay is to create a coherent and profound conceptual
tapestry, exposing a systematic and comprehensive understanding of Hebrew
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prophecy as a living, dynamic phenomenon, more relevant than ever to the
era of revival.
Part A: The Essence of the Prophetic Experience
1. The Prophetic Dialogue: “Face to Face” with the Personal God
At the root of the distinction between prophetic consciousness and all other
forms of thought, primarily philosophy, lies a conceptual revolution
concerning the very essence of divinity and the relationship to it. While
philosophy, at its best, deals with an abstract and impersonal God—a primary
principle, a “First Cause,” or an “Active Intellect”—prophecy is first and
foremost an interpersonal encounter.
The prophetic God is not a concept but an entity possessing Will, initiating a
direct and intimate dialogue with man by saying “Anochi” (I am). This address
in the first person, as explained by Rabbi Yehuda Leon Ashkenazi (Manitou), is
the essential turning point distinguishing Hebrew revelation from all
philosophical thought. The God of the philosophers, being devoid of will and
personality, is incapable of saying “I.”
Contrary to the prevailing Western perception, which views prophecy
primarily as foretelling the future, the essence of Hebrew prophecy does not
lie in knowing what is to come. As Rabbi Uri Sherki emphasizes, this
perception reduces the prophet to a meteorologist and is a fundamental
misunderstanding of the phenomenon. The core of prophecy is not what is
said, but the very fact that “God speaks to man.” It is a phenomenon of
dialogue, an encounter between two personalities, two subjects: the divine
and the human.
The opening of the Ten Commandments, “I am the Lord your God” (77 *338
77>), establishes the divine as an “I,” a personality capable of initiating
discourse. This stands in stark contrast to the God of the philosophers, who is
an impersonal principle, a “He” about whom one can speculate but not
converse with.
Manitou’s foundational distinction between the Hebrew paradigm of ‘hearing’
(MDW) and the Greek paradigm of ‘seeing’ (7x7) illuminates this point.
‘Hearing’ implies relation, dialogue, the reception of the voice of the Other.
‘Seeing’ implies observation, objectification, and the construction of a theory
from a distance. The philosopher observes the world; the prophet listens to
the word of God that constitutes the world.
It follows that philosophy arises precisely from the absence of prophecy, from
a state in which the divine voice is no longer heard. Moreover, according to
Rabbi Sherki’s interpretation of the Book of Genesis, prophecy is not a
supernatural “bonus,” but the normative and defining state of humanity.
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Adam was created, and immediately God spoke with him. The loss of prophecy
is therefore a deviation, a state of exile from our human essence.
Manitou’s original analysis of the Revelation at Sinai reveals that this
revelation not only did not stem from a human need but was imposed upon a
nation entirely uninterested in it. The plan of the Exodus generation was
purely national-political: to reach the promised Land of Canaan. The stop at
Mount Sinai and the demand to receive the Torah were perceived as an
undesirable deviation from the original goal, an invention of Moses exploiting
his status to impose a foreign “religious philosophy” upon them.
This textual fact serves as a decisive answer to the classical critique of
religion, which argues that revelation is a human invention stemming from a
deep psychological need for connection with the divine. The biblical narrative
itself testifies that the recipients of the revelation naturally rejected it, and it
was given to them despite their opposition.
The uniqueness of the revelation at Sinai is intensified by the identity of the
revealing God. As Manitou emphasizes, in all revelation stories worldwide,
except those stemming from Judaism, the revealing god is an immanent
entity, a force of nature, or a lesser deity that is part of the cosmos. Israeli
prophecy is the only one in human history describing the revelation of the
transcendent Creator of the world, who stands outside and above creation.
The utter improbability of such an event—the idea that the Creator of the
universe would reveal Himself to command the details of daily life—is so alien
to the human psyche that it itself becomes evidence of its truth. There is no
natural inclination in the human soul to invent such a story.
This distinction between prophetic and philosophical consciousness is
sharpened through the concepts of Rabbi David Cohen, “the Nazirite,” who
distinguished between “Auditory Logic” (‘yaw yim) and “Visual Logic” (}172°7
*m9an07). Western-philosophical logic is visual: based on sight, objective
analysis, and the aspiration for intellectual control over reality. In contrast,
Israeli-prophetic logic is auditory: based on listening, acceptance, humility,
and patience. Prophecy belongs to the world of hearing, which acknowledges
the existence of a truth external to man, a truth to be received in dialogue.
Philosophy, conversely, belongs to the world of sight, where man is the center
of cognition and determines the standards of truth himself. The struggle
between “Jerusalem” and “Athens” is not just an ideological struggle, but a
clash between two models of human consciousness: the dialogic-receptive
consciousness versus the autonomous-conquering consciousness.
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2. The Synthesis of the Soul’s Powers: Intellect, Imagination, and Will in Prophetic
Consciousness
Prophecy, according to the thought of Rav Kook and Rabbi Sherki, is not the
activation of a single psychic power, but a state of perfect unity and harmony
among all the central powers of the soul: the Intellect (92), the Imagination (
yva7), and the Will (137). The prophet is a complete person, an integrative
personality whose powers have reached the peak of their development and
operate in full synthesis, each illuminating and fertilizing the others. This
state of inner unity is a necessary condition for receiving the divine influx, for
“Shekhinta la sharya be’atar pagim” (0129 oval ATW ATS TyDwT)—the Divine
Presence does not dwell in a flawed or partial place.
Rav Kook, in his writings, describes the relationship between intellect and
imagination in prophecy as a dynamic process of ascension. It is not about the
intellect controlling the imagination, as rationalist philosophy argued, but
about “the complete congruence of the intellect with the imagination.” This
process involves “the elevation of the imagination to the nobility and purity of
the intellect,” and ultimately, “the unification of these two powers in the
utmost perfection.”
Imagination is not perceived as an inferior force to be restrained, but as a rich
and creative life force, a “mirror of reality,” which, through a process of
refinement and sanctification, unites with the clear intellect to create a higher
consciousness capable of grasping supernal secrets.
Achieving this high level of psychic perfection is not merely an intellectual
matter but requires comprehensive moral and emotional training. The
sources detail the necessary conditions for prophecy, as summarized by
Maimonides (Rambam): the candidate for prophecy must be “Wise, Heroic,
and Rich.” “Wise”—possessing developed intellectual ability; “Heroic”—
conquering his inclination, possessing self-control and mental balance; and
“Rich”—content with his lot, possessing emotional and spiritual stability.
Above all these stands another fundamental condition: Joy. “Prophecy does
not dwell except out of joy.” Maimonides saw the absence of joy in exile, under
“the rule of the foolish gentiles,” as the central reason for the cessation of
prophecy. This demand for personal perfection transforms morality into
ontology: good character traits are not just external “rules of conduct,” but
constitute the inner structure of the healthy and complete soul. A moral flaw,
therefore, is not just a behavioral failure, but a cognitive and ontological
defect, distorting the ability to perceive true reality and preventing contact
with the divine influx.
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3. Active Prophecy vs. Observant Wisdom
In his book Orot HaKodesh, Rav Kook makes a fundamental distinction
between two forms of spiritual cognition: “Active Prophecy” (n9»15 78123) and
“Wisdom” (7927). While wisdom, even at its highest level, is an “observation” (
mi5anon) of reality—whether superficial or profound—it remains external to it
and does not act upon its essence.
In contrast, prophecy is an “observation of life,” a consciousness in which “the
action and creation of reality, its orders and its inwardness, are intertwined
together with it.” The prophet is not merely a passive observer of existence;
he is inherently involved in it, seeing it “from the aspect that he and his
selfhood are intermingled with it in its totality,” and therefore, his
consciousness and creation act upon reality and change it. This is the reason,
explains Rav Kook, that the ability to perform miracles and control limited
reality is closely linked to prophecy in Israel.
Even after the cessation of prophecy in its full and overt sense, its power did
not disappear entirely. There remained in the world an “appearance like a
remnant of prophecy” (781237 7w5 7y5h17)—a spiritual and creative revelation,
a spark of that active consciousness, which continues to pulse in the souls of
select individuals in Israel, albeit in a more limited and concealed form. This
remnant is the source of all true innovation and all original creation stemming
from the depth of the soul.
This distinction connects to the essential difference between “Sacred
Wisdom” (wiip7 noan) and “Secular Wisdom” (inn naan). Worldly wisdoms,
explains Rav Kook, can depict sublime matters, but they lack the “operational
quality” to influence the essence of the learner. They touch only his scientific
faculty. In contrast, Sacred Wisdom, stemming “from the source of the Life of
life,” carries the power to “imprint a new and prominent form upon the
contemplating soul” and transform man into a “new creation.” It does not
merely describe reality; it generates it, both in the world and in the soul.
Prophecy, then, is the supreme expression of this active Sacred Wisdom,
which reunites cognition with existence, and thought with action.
Part B: The Lost World and the Long Silence
1. A Living Tradition: Reconstructing the Culture of Prophecy in Antiquity
Prophecy in ancient Israel was not a random experience of isolated
individuals, but a developed and organized socio-cultural phenomenon. The
sources, as explained by Rabbi Sherki, describe a historical reality of a
complete prophetic culture, which included dedicated institutions for the
training of prophets. “Schools for Prophets” operated throughout the land,
where “the sons of the prophets” (o°s"27 132)—students of prophecy who
Sus
walked in “bands” (n1p77)—devoted themselves to acquiring the tools required
to attain the Holy Spirit.
The curriculum in these institutions was holistic, aiming to develop the
complete person, not just their intellectual abilities. The studies included
comprehensive training in several key areas: Music, which served as a central
tool for inspiring joy and spiritual elevation, necessary conditions for
prophecy; Seclusion and Meditation, designed to develop concentration,
intention (73113), and deep inner listening; Physical Training, intended to
ensure the health of body and mind, in accordance with the requirement that
the prophet be “heroic”; and first and foremost, special emphasis was placed
on the “Refinement of the Imagination” (}17977 7193w).
Imagination was not perceived as an inferior force to be restrained, but as a
vital cognitive tool, a central conduit for receiving the divine influx, which
must be refined, purified, and sanctified.
This pedagogical-spiritual model reveals that prophecy was perceived as a
broad social phenomenon, an integral part of the political, religious, and
cultural fabric of the nation. The Sages testify that “Many prophets stood for
Israel, twice the number of those who left Egypt,” meaning that over a million
prophets (male and female) were active throughout the generations. This fact
indicates that prophecy was not the domain of a select few, but a national
talent, an Israeli virtue (Segula), systematically and organizationally
cultivated at the heart of society.
2. Causes of the Decline: Exile, Moral Failure, and Spiritual Fragmentation
The decline of this magnificent prophetic culture and the complete cessation
of prophecy stemmed from a combination of physical, moral, and spiritual
factors, which created a profound crisis in the nation’s identity.
First and foremost, there is a necessary and unbreakable connection between
prophecy and the Land of Israel. Orot HaKodesh firmly states that “Sacred
Wisdom does not shine except in the Land of Israel.” The Land is not just a
geographical backdrop, but a living “spiritual fountain,” a vital source of
inspiration for the nation’s soul. The physical exile from the Holy Land was,
therefore, the central and direct cause of the spiritual exile of prophecy.
Alongside the geographical factor, Rabbi Sherki points to moral failure as a
central reason for the decline. The prophets, despite their spiritual power,
“failed in their mission to elevate the moral state of man.” The persistent lack
of response by the people to the word of the prophets, and the descent into
idolatry, moral corruption, and bloodshed, ultimately led to the destruction of
the Temple, exile, and the cessation of the prophetic conduit.
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The cessation of prophecy was not just the disappearance of a phenomenon,
but a process of internal fragmentation and disintegration of the complete
human consciousness. The holistic profile of the prophet, which united
intellect, imagination, and emotion, split apart. As Rabbi Sherki explains the
Talmudic statement, prophecy “was given to fools (unbridled imagination), to
the wise (analytical intellect), and to infants (pure emotion).”
The era of wisdom and Halakha (Jewish law) that followed prophecy was an
era of the rule of the intellect, operating detached from the holistic experience
and the vital forces of imagination and emotion. This is a “great trouble of
exile,” as Rav Kook calls it, a state of internal separation where Halakha and
Aggadah (lore), Torah and the Holy Spirit, struggle to unite.
The cessation of prophecy, then, is not only a punishment but a necessary
stage in the development of human consciousness, a “descent for the sake of
ascent,” in which humanity was required to develop its autonomous
intellectual power (“wisdom”) separately, so that in due time a higher
synthesis could be created between this wisdom and the returning prophecy.
The period of exile and the Talmudic-Halakhic culture were not just passive
preservation, but an intensive development of a necessary faculty—the
analytical intellect—which will be a vital component of future prophecy.
Part C: Dawn of Renewal: Prophecy in the Modern Era
1. The Return to Zion as the Engine for Prophetic Revival
The connection between prophecy and the Land of Israel is not unidirectional.
Just as the exile from the Land brought about the cessation of prophecy, so the
physical return to the Land is the necessary condition and the central engine
for its renewed awakening. “The air of the Land of Israel makes one wise” (
Doma DSW ~AST N71), and the return to the geographical and spiritual source
of the nation generates a profound process of awakening the latent spiritual
forces dormant in exile.
Rav Kook offers a bold theology of secularism, viewing the national revival,
even in its most secular and material form, as an initial revelation of “the
powers magnificent in holiness” latent in the nation’s soul. The practical
energy, the working of the land, the building of the army and the economy—all
these are perceived as an external garment, the national body being built,
which prepares the infrastructure for the renewed appearance of the
prophetic soul. From the character revealed initially in a lowly form, and even
in the character of Chutzpah (audacity), is destined to emerge “a light of
splendor... a holy and polished light, upon which the radiances of the lights of
prophecy will appear.”
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The process of redemption, according to this view, depends on repentance
(Teshuvah). However, this is not the repentance of individuals returning in
personal repentance, but a “Great Repentance” (Teshuvah Gedolah), “which
will revive the nation... a repentance stemming from the Holy Spirit which will
increase within it.” The national-historical process of the Return to Zion is the
platform and the catalyst for this collective spiritual awakening, which will
sprout forth the renewed light of prophecy.
2. The Rise of Imagination: Art and Cinema as a “Pre-Prophetic” Awakening
One of the prominent characteristics of modern culture is the unprecedented
intensification of the power of imagination. Rabbi Sherki analyzes this
phenomenon, manifested in art, literature, and most distinctly in cinema and
visual media, as a complex dialectical process. On the surface, it appears to be
a negative process of sinking into fantasies, often superficial and corrupted.
However, from a deeper perspective, based on Rav Kook’s teachings, this is a
necessary stage of the “husk preceding the fruit.”
According to Rav Kook, there is a hidden “counsel of God” in history, whose
purpose is “to complete the imaginative faculty, because it is a healthy basis
for the supernal spirit that will appear upon it.” After many generations in
which the power of imagination was suppressed and neglected for fear of
deviations, modern culture, through art and media, is intensively developing
and empowering the collective imagination. It is preparing the vessel, even if
in a raw and chaotic manner, for its future sanctification and transformation
into an imagination of holiness, as it was in the original prophetic culture.
The vision of “Pre-Prophetic Cinema” seeks to translate these insights into a
creative-practical language. The goal is not to create “religious cinema” in the
narrow sense, but to develop a new cinematic language that expresses a
prophetic consciousness. This language will be characterized by breaking
conventional boundaries, by opening new dimensions of depth and vitality
within the frame, and by giving voice and personality to every detail in
existence, from the sprouting asphalt to the singing factories.
The transition from “prophecy” to “pre-prophetic cinema” is not just a
metaphor, but an indication of a possible change in the medium of revelation.
If in the past the primary medium was speech and hearing, in the modern,
visual, and experiential era, the new medium may be audio-visual art, whose
tools can become theological instruments for expressing prophetic
consciousness.
3. Towards Prophetic Art: The Vision of New Hebrew Creation
True creation, according to Orot HaKodesh, is not a product of technique or
external talent, but stems directly from the depth of the soul. “It is impossible
to stop the creation of one whose soul creates always by its nature.” In the era
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of redemption, there is an inner demand for the “redemption of the soulful
creation”: to liberate the inner creative power from the shackles of alienation,
fear, and exile mentality, and allow it to erupt in its full force.
Future prophecy, then, will not be an archaeological return to ancient
prophecy, but a higher and more complex synthesis. It will integrate the
analytical wisdom, the Halakhic precision, and the depth of thought
accumulated over thousands of years of exile, with the rich, vital, and
renewing power of imagination of the modern era. Art, and especially cinema,
is the central arena, the spiritual laboratory, where this fateful synthesis can
begin to take shape and mature.
Conclusion: The Future of the Prophetic Spirit
The journey of the prophetic spirit, as reflected in the sources examined, is a
powerful dialectical journey. It begins with an ancient holistic unity, where all
the powers of the soul operated in harmony and the dialogue with the divine
was a living reality. It continues through a profound break and fragmentation
in exile, a period of divine silence in which the complete consciousness
disintegrated into its components—intellect, imagination, and emotion—each
operating separately.
Now, with the Return to Zion and the national revival, we stand at the
threshold of a new era, a period of renewed and higher synthesis. The vision of
the future, arising from this philosophy, is a vision of a renewed Israeli
culture, finding its uniqueness and strength not in imitating foreign cultures,
but in a renewed deepening of its original prophetic genius. This culture will
foster a holistic art, uniting the sacred and the profane, body and soul,
intellect and imagination.
It will offer a unique message to itself and to the entire world—the message of
listening to the Divine voice walking in every detail of existence, and the
message of the ability to turn this listening into a living, active, and world-
rectifying creation.
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About the Author
Sasha Netzach Agarunov is an Israeli filmmaker, actor, and thinker, and the
founder of Pre-Prophetic Cinema (*812 077 9177p), a cultural and philosophical
movement he established in 2015 to renew Jewish and Israeli art from the
prophetic roots of Hebrew culture. Born in Baku in 1976 and an immigrant to
Israel at seventeen, he is a graduate of the Sam Spiegel Film & Television
School in Jerusalem. He won the Ophir Award — the prize of the Israeli
Academy of Film and Television — for Best Actor for his leading role in The
Loners (2009 ,2"77127, dir. Renen Schorr), and received a commendation at the
Jerusalem Film Festival. As an actor he has appeared in films by Yossi
Madmoni, Gur Bentwich, Tamar Yarom, Arnon Zadok, and Eran Kolirin, and in
television series including Shtisel and Srugim; he has also written and
directed short films. He has taught Bible and Jewish thought in the Nativ
program and lectured at the Ma’aleh School of Film in Jerusalem, where his
courses included “Montage Theory: Between Rav Kook and Eisenstein” and
“Midrash and Cinema” — themes that run throughout the present collection.
Identifiers and links
Website — prophetic-culture.com
ORCID — orcid.org/0009-0001-2357-4184
Wikidata (author) — wikidata.org/wiki/Q16132655
Wikidata (Pre-Prophetic Cinema) — wikidata.org/wiki/Q140189818
IMDb — imdb.com/name/nm3498742
Wikipedia (Hebrew) — he.wikipedia.org/wiki/3131738 100
Sam Spiegel Film School — jsfs.co.il — alumni profile
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Pre-Prophetic Cinema: Collected Essays on Modern, Prophetic, and Avant-Garde Jewish Art
Sasha Netzach Agarunov