“This is not the time to be silent. We must set out forcefully against them!”
The battle against Zionism and the Mizrachi party in Hungary
Long Handwritten & Autographed letter by Rabbi Yeshaya Zilberstein, Author of Maase Lamelech, to the Yalkut Sofer. Paks, 1890
Long letter, written and autographed by Rabbi Yeshaya Zilberstein, Av Beis Din of Weitzen and author of Maase Lamelech, to Rabbi Yosef Leib Sofer, Av Beis Din of Paks and author of Yalkut Sofer.
Following the first World Zionist Congress in Pressburg in 1904, Rabbi Yeshaya Zilberstein, who was a fierce opponent of Zionism and fought mightily to preserve Orthodox Judaism in Hungary waged a powerful battle to ensure that the winds of Zionism would not penetrate Jewish Hungary and ensnare unsuspecting Jews in its net. One of his first steps was publishing a public proclamation against Zionism and requested that his fellow Rabbanim in Hungary add their signatures to the statement.
In this letter, the Maase Lamelech clarifies to the Yalkut Sofer that Russian Rabbanim likewise oppose the Zionist movement. He writes,
“And I, on the contrary, heard from several Gedolim in Russia who describe that the destruction caused by this Zionist and Mizrachi movement is great, and that they are related and operate hand-in-hand.” He appeals to the Yalkut Sofer to add his signature to the proclamation, because “now that they have come to our country, it is again not the time to be silent, but we must set out forcefully against them. As long as we do not [do this], they shall pull the nation after them.”
Rabbi Yeshaya Zilberstein published a defamatory article in Tel Talpiyos, a Jewish periodical that operated under his auspices, strongly condemning the Congress, and including signatures of dozens of Rabbanim. One of the names on the list of Rabbanim was, indeed, the Yalkut Sofer’s. (See Tel Talpiyos, Av 5664 (1904), Issue 12 p. 200.)
Rabbi Yeshaya Zilberstein (1857-1930) was the son of the Shvilei Dovid and a leading Hungarian Rabbi who served as Rav of Weitzen for forty-six years. Already in his early youth, he corresponded with the greatest Torah luminaries of his times, among them Maharam Schick and Maagalei Tzedek. Throughout his life, he fought to uphold Orthodox tradition and strongly opposed the rising Neolog movement. His written legacy is eternalized in his magnum opus, Maase Lamelech on the Rambam.
Paks, 1890. Folded leaf. Handwritten on 3 sides and autographed (appears on bottom of second page). Page Size: 21×17 cm. Professionally restored in margins and folds. Sections of this letter were printed in Mizkeres Paks Vol. 2 p. 157.
