Rabbi Kook

We all know that even though the Torah already cared about kindness to animals 3,000 years before it's time, yet humans are clearly more important than animals. Accordingly, how can we explain that sometimes being kind to animals even supersedes being kind to people?!

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Join us for a 10 Shiurim series on Rabbi Kooks attitude to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai

I learned that if a rabbi takes a position that opposes that of all the other rabbis in his generation, he is not to be listened to. Would this not apply to Rav Kook who was a lone voice in his generation?

From age 14 (!) & on, Rav Kook had a long going love-affair with the concept of Kerem B'Yavneh, & dreamt of starting a new universal, modern & Zionist yeshiva there. The beginning of this class mentions the various stages of the implemention of this dream, which was ironically realized after his, & his benefactor, R. Gutz's passing. But the main topic dealt with is Rav Kook's explanation why this is the only yeshiva, & only "stop" of the Sanhedrin, which was uniquely & consistently called: Kerem (vineyard)? Rav Kook thought that if the Torah left Jerusalem via Yavneh, than it should conversely, 1st return to Yavneh, with the dream of Yr-m coming later. He connects this to division which enables indiv. development, & exile/sparks gathering.