YISHUV ERETZ YISROEL

Biography of the Gaon and Tzaddik, Rabbi Joseph Schlesinger

Rabbi Schlesinger was born in the year of 5620, to his father, Rabbi Mordechai Schlesinger, the Grand Rabbi of Kirchberg, Austria. Ever since he was taught to read, he never wasted a moment, but always spent his time learning, emulating his father's holy ways. After his Bar Mitzvah, his father sent him to learn in the great Yeshiva of Preshburg, under the Famous Rosh Yeshiva, the K'Sav Sofer, son of the Holy Chasam Sofer. In the Yeshiva, he was known to be from the elite, and all who saw him, knew that this young man will grow up to be a Gadol Hador. (Great men of our times). For six full years he studied there, until his marriage in the year of 5640. Only six years later, the City of Ragindorf (of Hungary, Slovakia) appointed him as their Rav where he made major changes for the good. He established a Talmud Torah (school for young boys), a Yeshiva, (High School) as well as Chevra Mishnayos etc& He fought with all his energy against the Reform movement, and tried to make sure the purity of Judaism in his city won't be influenced by the Reformers. Rabbi Schlesinger wrote a lot of Holy Seforim, among them, the Mili D'Avos, Kintres Metzitza, Kintres Yishuv Eretz Yisroel, and many more that weren't published.

When the Zionist movement was founded, and Zionists tried influencing all of Jewry to immigrate to Israel Rabbis Schlesinger understood that this wasn't their true intention. The Zionists were not interested in following our holy Torah's commandments, and only used this Mitzvah as a way to reach their goal. Their only intent was to settle in, and build up a land for Jews, with a Government comprised of their own people, and primarily, to change the age old custom of the Jews.

Rabbi Schlesinger therefore, actively sought to spread the word and let everyone know about the terrible effect the Zionist movement will have on the Jews.

He also wrote a Sefer (book), where he brings proof of the above mentioned claims, from our holy Torah, as well as Shas, and Poskim, Shulchan Arech, and more. He writes in his introduction, how unworthy the Zionists are, and besides for the fact that they wanted to establish their own land which is against the Jewish Law, how unpractical a Jewish Land will be, in our Anti-Semitic World. He explains that this won't bring the Messiah, and only G-d can bring the ultimate salvation, and bring an end to this Exile.

Although it's not possible to write down all the details of the Sefer in a few lines, we'll try our best to bring you the key points. On page six of his introduction, he writes as follows: I have great sorrow from what I hear, that the Zionists are planning to go up to Israel, and acquire it, and bring a mass population of Jews to inhabit its land. This is the same path that the tribe of Ephraim took while we were in the Exile of Egypt. They went out before the time G-d promised the salvation, and they tried to bring an end to the exile themselves. This is brought down in the Tractate of Sanhedrin, pg 92. The Targum explains, that the people of Ephraim did a terrible transgression since we have a Shevuah from G-d that we will never try to bring an end to the Exile on our own.

He also states that he doesn't find in any of the writings of our previous sages, any mention of this Mitzvah, only in the Ramban on whose words the Zionist based their whole propaganda. On Pg 45, he explains why the Zionist didn't comprehend the words of Ramban, who says that the Mitzvah is only for a resident of Israel, and does not apply at all to someone who lives out of Israel. (It's interesting to note, that the Satmar Rabbi ZY'A in his Sefer V'Yoel Moshe, who never had a chance to read the Sefer, {as the manuscripts were only recently found} says the same thing about the theory of the Ramban. [ed.]

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