Kalischer, Zevi Hirsch (1795-1874)
Kalischer, Zevi Hirsch (1795-1874)
Kalischer was a Polish rabbi and Zionist
thinker.
In addition to his books on halakhah and Jewish philosophy,
Kalischer's great contribution to Jewish thought was his belief that the
settlement of Erez Israel was a necessary first step before the coming
of the Messiah. He believed that there had to be an active human
element in the redemption of the Jewish people, expressed in a national
movement of the Return to Zion.
Pointing to the ongoing struggles of
European nations for their independence, Kalischer criticized his fellow
Jews for being the only people without national aspirations. In his book
Derishat Ziyyon, he explained his idea of the return to Erez Israel and
stated his theory that redemption would come in two stages: the natural
one through return to Erez Israel and working on the land, and the
supernatural one which would follow. Furthermore, he preached that the
first stage should involve a healthy economic foundation for the yishuv,
a foundation which could only come about through the development of
agriculture on a large scale. Accordingly, he recommended the
establishment of an agricultural school for the younger generation.
From the time he published Derishat Ziyyon, Kalischer devoted his life
to traveling through Europe to enlist support for his idea from the
Jewish groups and leading Jewish personalities of the time. In addition,
he continued to write sermonizing articles for many Hebrew newspapers
and journals as well as works in the field of halakhah.
Shortly before
his death, Kalischer saw the beginning of his ideal realized when an
agricultural school was opened at Mikveh Israel in 1870. Although
Kalischer had planned to settle there to supervise the observance of the
mitzvot connected with Erez Israel, his plan was not realized. After his
death, his son Ze'ev Wolf Kalischer continued his father's activities,
and at his initiative a tract of land near Rachel's tomb was purchased
from the funds of Kalischer's estate.
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