Rav Kook did not live to see the Genocide. It must matter that he could not factor in that element into his comprehension and grasp of what all, historically, the Jewish people were undergoing in his time.
The test for the Jewish people was not only to embrace glorious values of the re-building of the homeland but also, and at the same time, to reject what had by then become the decadent values of the Diaspora.
Joshua's task was to conquer the Promised Land after Moshe completed his task of taking the people out of Egypt. In the modern era the order is reversed: we have taken purchase of the homeland before we were able to leave Egypt. The work of Moshe has yet to be done.
Moshe’s work is the true challenge of the task that lies before us. It feels like the destiny of the Jewish people depends crucially on their ability to understand both their ancient teachings as well as the significance of their recent, atrocious history. It feels like the destiny of the Jewish people depends crucially on their ability to take responsibility for that history and its atrocity. It feels like the future of the people in their homeland depends of their ability to interpret the meaning of their calamity: to learn from it and not only to endure and to survive the losses it inflicted on the people.
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