"Crowns for the Letters": Towards a New Revolutionary Language

Last Shabbat, I read an "Open Letter" written by Rav Kook in 1905, a year after his immigration to the Land of Israel. In the letter, he addresses "our young brothers who grasp the Torah" and calls on them to take up the pen, to adopt literary-artistic talent, and to establish a new literary movement that will stem directly from the inner dimension of the Torah and the secrets of the world, the Torah of the Secret (תורת הסוד).

In those days, literature was the main cultural field. I tried a little exercise: to replace every instance of the word "literature" in the text with "cinema," and "pen" with "camera." The result was amazing. Rav Kook's call is relevant today, perhaps even more than ever. It is a call for an artistic revolution, one that will reveal to the world the "Hebrew secret" in modern, contemporary, and groundbreaking attire.

But the truly interesting discovery came from another text. Parallel to the open letter, correspondence was published between associates of the Rav who struggled to understand his style and requested clarifications. In his response, Rav Kook explains that his unique style is an attempt to dress the Torah of the Secret in literary attire. And then, within the explanation, he plants a paragraph that is, in my eyes, a guide, a precise roadmap, for any creator seeking a new language.

Here it is, from "Igrot HaRa'ayah" (Letters of Rav Kook):

Here it is, from "Igrot HaRa'ayah" (Letters of Rav Kook):

"When the soul becomes capable of sensing on its own, through subtle hints, what is stored in the inwardness of things, of deeds, and of sayings, then that talent transforms within it into a force of life, not just some mere completion, of some mere education. And as this life-force develops and comes into action, the power of speech also becomes enriched, until it can reveal large parts of what is hidden within the soul. And with the way of the revelation itself, come crowns for the letters (תגים לאותיות), in which are hinted matters more sublime, more courageous and great, which stand in the strong hiding place of the thought, which preserves the richness of its life deep within." (Igrot HaRa'ayah, Letter 216.)

Not Poetry, but a Roadmap

One must read this paragraph and understand: this is not poetic or flowery writing. Rav Kook is describing here a precise four-stage process, which guides how an inner secret becomes a work of art:

Stage 1: The Qualification of the Soul (Intuition): The process begins when the soul "becomes capable of sensing on its own." This is the development of an intuitive ability to sense the inner meaning, what is "stored in the inwardness of things."

Stage 2: Creation as a Life Force: This talent is not just a technical ability, but it "transforms within it into a force of life." Creation becomes a vital force, an existential need.

Stage 3: The Enrichment of the Power of Speech: As this life force develops, so does the ability to express it ("the power of speech") become enriched. The creator receives new tools to express what he has discovered.

Stage 4: "Crowns for the Letters" (The Added Value): This is the most beautiful part. During the process of discovery and expression, added value is created. "Crowns for the letters" are added – new layers of meaning, subtle hints of even more sublime matters, which are revealed only through the artistic act itself.

This paragraph is a practical guide for anyone seeking a new artistic language and wanting to break new ground. It is a call to establish an "illegal outpost" in the field of art, out of deep inner listening. And this is the essence of Pre-Prophetic Cinema.