Times for Torah

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KALISCHER, ẒEBI HIRSCH:

By: Isidore Singer, Max Schloessinger

Table of Contents

• Palestine Colonization.

German rabbi and colonizer; born March 24, 1795, at Lissa, Posen; died Oct. 16, 1874, at Thorn, on the Vistula. Destined for the rabbinate, he received his Talmudic education from Jacob of Lissa and Akiba Eger of Posen. After his marriage he left Lissa and settled in Thorn, where he spent the rest of his life. Here he took an active interest in the affairs of the Jewish community, and for more than forty years held the office of "Rabbinatsverweser" (acting rabbi). Disinterestedness was a prominent feature of his character; he refused to accept any remuneration for his services, his wife, by means of a small business, providing their meager subsistence.

Ẓebi Hirsch Kalischer.

In his youth he wrote "Eben Boḥan," commentary on several juridical themes of the Shulḥan 'Aruk, Ḥoshen Mishpaṭ (Krotoschin, 1842), and "Sefer Moznayim la-Mishpaṭ," commentary, in three parts, on the whole Ḥoshen Mishpaṭ (parts i. and ii., Krotoschin and Königsberg, 1855; part iii. still in manuscript). He also wrote: glosses on Shulḥan 'Aruk, Yoreh De'ah, published in the new Wilna edition of that work; "Sefer ha-Berit," commentary on the Pentateuch; "Sefer Yeẓi'at Miẓrayim," commentary on the Pesaḥ Haggadah; "Ḥiddushim" on several Talmudical treatises; etc. He also contributed largely to Hebrew magazines, as "Ha-Maggid," "Ẓiyyon," "Ha-'Ibri," and "Ha-Lebanon."

Palestine Colonization.

Inclined to philosophical speculation, Kalischerstudied the systems of medieval and modern Jewish and Christian philosophers, one result being his "Sefer Emunah Yesharah," an inquiry into Jewish philosophy and dogma (2 vols., Krotoschin, 1843, 1871); an appendix to vol. i. contains a commentary (incomplete) on Job and Ecclesiastes. In the midst of his many activities, however, his thoughts centered on one idea—the colonization of Palestine, in order thereby to provide a home for the homeless Eastern Jews and transform the many Jewish beggars in the Holy Land into a useful agricultural population. He proposed to collect money for this purpose from Jews in all countries; to buy and cultivate land in Palestine; to found an agricultural school, either in Palestine itself or in France; and to form a Jewish military guard for the security of the colonies. He thought the time especially favorable for the carrying out of this idea, as the sympathy of men like Crémieux, Montefiore, Rothschild, and Albert Cohn rendered the Jews politically influential.

To these and similar Zionist ideals he gave expression in his "Derishat Ẓiyyon" (Lyck, 1862), containing three theses: (1) the salvation of the Jews, promised by the Prophets, can come about only in a natural way—by self-help; (2) colonization in Palestine; (3) admissibility of the observance of sacrifices in Palestine at the present day. The appendix contains an invitation to the reader to become a member of the colonization societies of Palestine.

This book made a very great impression, especially in the East. It was translated into German by Poper (Thorn, 1865), and a second Hebrew edition was issued by N. Friedland (ib. 1866). Kalischer himself traveled with indefatigable zeal to different German cities for the purpose of establishing colonization societies. It was his influence that caused Ḥayyim Lurie, in Frankfort-on-the-Main in 1861, to form the first society of this kind, and this was followed by others. Owing to Kalischer's agitation, the Alliance Israélite Universelle founded the Palestinian colony Miḳweh Yisrael (Agricultural Colonies), the rabbinate of which was offered to him, but he was too old to accept it. Although all these endeavors were not attended with immediate success, Kalischer never lost hope.

By exerting a strong influence upon his contemporaries, including such prominent men as Heinrich Grätz, Moses Hess (see "Rom und Jerusalem," pp. 117 et seq.), and others, he is considered to have been one of the most important of those who prepared the way for the foundation of modern Zionism.

Bibliography:

• Allg. Zeit. des Jud. 1874, p. 757;
• Jüdischer Volkskalender, pp. 143 et seq., Leipsic, 1899;
• Sefer Anshe Shem, pp. 31a et seq., Warsaw, 1892.

See also:

TALMUD TORAH: SETTING FIXED TIMES FOR TORAH STUDY

Parshas Shelach

Talmud Torah: Setting Fixed Times for Torah Study

By Rabbi Dovid Zauderer

Hesder Yeshiva

The idea of hesder yeshivas is attributed to Yehuda Amital, a rabbi and Israeli politician who served in the Haganah, fought in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. After writing an essay about the religious and moral aspects of military service, he envisaged a program for combining army service and Torah study. Following the Six-Day War, Rav Amital became the founding Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion, a Hesder Yeshiva in Alon Shevut that Amital headed for 40 years.

The first yeshivat hesder, Kerem B'Yavneh, was established in 1953 modelled on Nahal, a unit combining time on a (frontier) agricultural settlement with army service.

In 1991, the hesder yeshiva program was awarded the Israel Prize for its special contribution to society and the State of Israel.

A new Knesset law on Haredi yeshiva student exemptions addresses the legal status of Hesder service and yeshivot.

In 2011, there were 68 hesder yeshivas in Israel, with a total of over 8,500 students.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesder

See also This Day in Jewish History A Yeshiva Head and Settler Who Had a Change of Heart Is Born, Haaretz, David Green Oct 2014

A mechina kdam-tzvait (Hebrew: מכינה קדם צבאית; "pre-military preparatory", plural מכינות‎ mechinot) is an autonomous unit of specialized educational institutions valuing non-formal education and pre-military training in Israel. They are funded and supported by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Defense, as well as by the Israel Defense Forces. As of 2017, there were 46 mechinot, whose mission is to prepare for conscientious service in the army and to educate leaders of local communities that have the ability to affect society and state. Educational program blocks mostly include Judaism and Jewish identity, Zionism, development of leadership skills, volunteering, and elements of military training. Most mechina programs last one academic year.

graduates in the officer is even higher relative to the national average; Over 80% are fighters compared to about 40%, 40% go to command compared to about 11%, 18% volunteer for an officer's course compared to about 5% and among the girls 23% volunteer for an officer's course compared to about 4% for the girls enlisting in the IDF. In Operation Tzuk Eitan , over 12% of the IDF soldiers were graduates of the pre-military preparatory schools.

See: https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%94_%D7%A7%D7%93%D7%9D-%D7%A6%D7%91%D7%90%D7%99%D7%AA#cite_note-hok-1 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechina

See also:

��Redefining Orthodoxy/ Haredi��

The Rabbis, Modernity & Haskalah

hidden rabbinic manuscript from 1810
Censored story from 1778
By R. Yechiel (aka Yochanan Lowen - Rav Dude)
2024
Unedited Draft

The Yeshiva at Ein Tzurim 'Shiluv' Yeshiva

The yeshiva in Kibbutz Ein-Tzurim (archive photo)

The first 'Shiluv' (integrated) yeshiva opened in 1975, and was aimed at educating the residents of the religious kibbutzim located in southern Israel. When the yeshiva was moved to Ein-Tzurim, enrollment was opened to the general public.

Students in happier days

The yeshiva interweaves traditional rabbinical studies with an academic, post-modern approach. Its student body and faculty largely hold moderate political views. As ardent believers in combining 'Torah and work,' the yeshiva founders encourage military service and integration into all fields of Israel's society.

Rabbi Aviya HaCohen, who along with Rabbi Yoel Karchmer led the yeshiva through its lean year, told Ynet: "There are many other good places, but the closing of 'Shiluv' is a mark of disgrace for the religious Left."

HaCohen spoke of the yeshiva's singularity, the only one of its kind open to those who identify with the Left. "I'm not talking about symposiums, I'm talking about people who study and love the Torah. Many people found their spiritual home here, and the new reality has literally brought many to tears," he said.

As for the root causes that led to the crisis, HaCohen too cites the loss of the yeshiva's uniqueness once the prep institutes opened.

A sister yeshiva was founded in 1993 in another religious kibbutz - Ma'ale Gilboa.

But over the past few years enrollment has plummeted, casting a shadow of doubt on its future. The proliferation of hesder yeshivas and pre-army prep institutions (mechinot) both contributed to the loss of interest in the yeshiva's once unique program. Last year the yeshiva tried to limit its operations, and budget, cutting loose several prominent teachers, including yeshiva head Rabbi Yoel Ben-Nun.

But as the new school year approached, it was decided not to enroll new students.

See: Swan Song for Kibbutz Yeshiva, Ynet August 2010