Rav Hirsch Opposed "Religious" Zionism too

"My mind is too small to recognize the good and truth that will result, according to you, from your efforts in colonizing Eretz Yisroel. What you consider a mitzvah and a great obligation does not seem so in my humble opinion. I have no knowledge of secret matters, and I see nothing better than to continue on the road paved by our fathers and predecessors, who made it their goal only to improve our Torah observance, and to look forward to the redemption, which might come any day, if we only listen to G-d’s voice. They never approached redemption through the improvement of the Holy Land, only through the improvement of our hearts and deeds."

Rav Hirsch, Shemesh Marpei, p. 211

Years later, in 1886, Rabbi Hirsch wrote to Rabbi Yaakov Lipshitz, personal secretary of Rabbi Yitzchok Elchonon Spector, regarding the pressure he was receiving from Rabbi Kalischer. “I was completely opposed to Rabbi Kalischer on this subject. More than three or four times he wrote to me and sent me his books and pressured me to take a leading role in his movement to settle Eretz Yisroel, until he finally came to me and accused me of delaying the redemption. And I asked him to leave me alone on this matter, for what they consider a great mitzvah is in my eyes no small sin, and therefore it is impossible to reach common ground.” (Shemesh Marpei, p. 216.) 

beatitude in this world

 Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch on Pinchas: G-d wants us to be happy | ערוץ 7 (israelnationalnews.com)

Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch on Pinchas: G-d wants us to be happy

​​​​​​​The Torah calls for joy and serenity – in this world.  A “suffering servant” is not the Jewish ideal.

by Dr. Elliot Resnick

“Judaism leaves other disciplines to teach that by renunciation of this world one wins the next world. It reserves for itself the teaching that by a life of G-d-acknowledging duty one can attain beatitude in this world; life in the next world can begin here in this one.”

So writes Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch in relation to Sukkot – the “most joyful of all the Jewish festivals” – on this week’s parshah.

We tend to ascribe great importance to Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur, but both of these serious days last a mere 24 hours (according to Torah law, although Rosh Hashannah is celebrated for two days ). In contrast, Sukkot – to which Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur are merely preparatory – lasts seven days during which we’re supposed to “rejoice before Hashem” (Leviticus 23:40).

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a FULL chair

 A woman once wrote a letter to the Lubavitcher rebbe, she wanted to add another empty chair at the Seder table —in memorial of the victims of the Holocaust, in order to educate her children. The Rebbe replied to her: "Don't add a empty chair. Add a FULL chair. Bring another Jew to sit the table with you!" Our victory and revenge is to have another Jew in the world —another Jew who feels Jewish, who is proud, whose ways of life will be more Jewish.  This is our real victory!

22nd yahrzeit of the Rav Avigdor Miller

 

The 22nd yahrzeit of Rav Avigdor Miller z'l is today, the twenty-seventh of Nissan (April 18th).  Rav Avigdor Miller on Visiting The Grave of A Tzadik Q: What is the function of going to a kever of a Tzadik?  A: And the function is what we spoke about today. And that is, in order to advertise to the world that the greatest thing in the world is to be a tzadik. And in the zechus of you going there and demonstrating that you appreciate the greatness of a tzadik, Hashem will reward you and listen to your tefilla. But you’re not praying to the tzadik, chas v’shalom. Hakodosh Boruch Hu says, “If you understand how much I love this man, and not only him, but I even love his body because his body was kadosh. And now you come there, where his body was placed, for that purpose of showing that you appreciate the greatness, the holiness, of his body, then I’m going to reward you by listening to your tefilla.” That’s the purpose of kivrei tzaddikim. TAPE # E-8 (May 1995) Q: How should one pray at the grave of a tzadik? A: At the grave of a tzadik you're supposed to pray to Hashem in the merit of this tzadik, in the zechus of this tzadik. Suppose he gets on his knees and prays, “Tzadik,” he says, “Tzadik, please save me.” That's wrong. You don't say, “Tzadik save me.” You can say “Tzadik, please pray to Hashem for me. Your zechus should help me.” TAPE # 689 (June 1988)

teach hebrew

In the 1948 meeting notes for the Maimonides school, we see the following:

Question was raised of teaching children Hebrew in Hebrew. Mrs. Soloveitchik pointed out that the Hebrew Dept. of the school stressed the religious content so that the Hebrew language had been neglected. However, for the past few years, the Rabbi [Soloveitchik] has asked the Hebrew teachers to use more Hebrew and great attention to the language and grammar is now being paid. (Minutes book of the Maimonides School, May 29, 1948, p. 16 in Farber, An American Orthodox Dreamer, p. 116)