Rav Kook once visited a cooperative agricultural settlement (a kevutzah) and noticed that its members were very meticulous about their work, but not about the laws of the Torah.

My sons, he said, let me tell you a true story.

A wise, old man contracted a disease which made him forget all twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The doctors with whom he consulted said: 'Nothing can be done to restore your memory. You must go back to kindergarten and start from scratch.'

So, the old man entered his local kindergarten and began learning the alef-bet anew. After a while, the teacher noticed that his new pupil was acting like a young child, hitting his classmates and doing other childish things. Said the teacher: 'It is true that your level of learning is like that of a child, but do not forget that you are a wise, old man.'

Rav Kook concluded,

"The same is true regarding the Jewish people. Ever since we were exiled from our Land, we have forgotten how to serve God properly, so we are starting again from scratch. Nonetheless, let us not forget that we are a wise, old nation."

(from 'An Angel Among Men' by R. Simcha Raz, translated by R. Moshe Lichtman, pp. 424-425)