Recipient: The heads of the Betzalel organization for Jewish art. The head of Betzalel, Boris Shatz, had been a yeshiva student before studying sculpture, which puts the style of the letter in perspective.
Body: This piece relates specifically to halachic concerns within the realm of art, which Rav Kook raised for Betzalel to adopt.
Our ancient nation came into the world and found humanity in a state of wild childhood, with a wild sense of emotion, missing delicateness and refinement, which was conquering the world. Beauty itself was in danger of becoming, in the hands of the unrefined masses, some sort of fatty cake and intoxicating drink, making it important that it also “ingested” from the grandeur of intellectual truth and morality.
Paganism, with all of its abominations, rested its blood-dripping hands on the pleasant flower that is beauty and art, and it almost succeeded in severing it from its purity. The Nation of Israel did its part, using the strength and grandeur of the truth that was revealed to it, as flashes of light in the valley of darkness, to save the pleasant rose, the gentleness of beauty. This prevented its being totally trampled, crushed, and defiled by the coarse hand of repulsive paganism.
“Hashem came from Sinai and shone forth from Se’ir; He appeared from the Mountain of Paran” (Devarim 33:2). He did this with a right hand that pushed [sinfulness] away and a left hand that drew [the sinners] closer. “Do not make before Me gods of silver and gods of gold” (Shemot 20:19). “Do not make for yourselves an idol” (Shemot 20:3). “You shall not make for yourselves molten gods” (Shemot 34:17).
It goes further than that. The pasuk (Shemot 35:30-35) says, “See that Hashem called out in the name of Betzalel ben Uri ben Chur of the Tribe of Yehuda, and He filled him with the spirit of Hashem, with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, and the ability to do all sorts of craftsmanship, and the ability to weave and work with gold, silver, and copper, and the engraving and filling of stones, to do all sorts of work of artisanship. And He put in his heart to instruct others, both he and Ohaliav the son of Achisamach of the Tribe of Dan. He filled them with knowledge of the heart to do all work of carpentry and tapestry, and embroidering with blue and red dye and linen and to weave, those who do all artisanship.” [Thus, it suffices to avoid using art for bad, as there is a strong tradition of using craftsmanship for the holiest matters, such as the Mishkan.]
Even after the great victory, as Judaism has come close to defeating paganism on the cultural stage of the world, one element has been left within [the religious life of] Israel, which is mandated by the pillar of its national existence, the written and oral Torah. Admittedly, this element is now “shorter” in the measures of the wisdom of religious instruction related to the needs of life, in the proper realistic and philosophical realm. [In other words, our religious energies these days are not as focused on avoiding idol worship as they were for Jews thousands of years ago.] Nevertheless, in the shade of this singular factor, which will always remain throughout history, there still remains a great spiritual element, which will give expression to our victories over paganism in the past and the great aspirations for the future.
Next week be"H, we will finish this letter.
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