10 Thoughts and Sayings of Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l
Compiled by Rabbi Yair Hoffman
These thoughts and sayings were culled from the first volume of Mishnas Rabbi Aharon
- One must empathize even when the other gains no benefit.
- One who does not feel another’s pain, and certainly a community’s pain, violates a grave sin.
- A man’s actions are measured by how much desire he had to do them in the first place.
- Spiritual losses are far more devastating than material losses. Spiritual gains far outweigh material gains.
- A person’s innermost intent, for good or bad, has ramifications for generations to come.
- The main growth of a human being lies in his ability to accept rebuke.
- Man was created to help others. If instead he hurts others – he has lost the justification for his existence.
- One who does not correct his friend’s errors is as if he had caused them.
- The path to self-perfection involves eliminating contradictions within oneself.
- All earthly punishment is actually kindness – in that it reduces one’s ultimate punishment.