The Jewish Nationalist Movement, which represented the yearning of Jews to re-establish the land of Israel as a land of their

own, had several prominent leaders. Yehudah Alkalai was one such leader who had a very strong influence in developing the dream of revival of the land of Israel into a reality. His practical outlook--which required much detailed plans of action, such as organizing companies, establishing an assembly of elders, and reviving Hebrew as the common languagetogether with his faith in the coming of the Messiah, undoubtedly mark him as an essential precursor of the modern religious Zionist movement. Rabbi Alkalai, scion of a prominent rabbinic family and cabbalist, believed that the land of Israel would ultimately be redeemed in full by the Messiah. However, he argued that to bring about the Redemption, the Jews must engage in tshuvah. To Alkalai this term meant collective return, not individual repentance, and signified that all Israel should return to the land which is the inheritance of our fathers, to receive the Divine command and to accept the yoke of Heaven (Hertzberg 106). Despite his firm religious belief in the redemptive role of the Messiah, Alkalai held the conviction that the Jews must be practical; they must start the process of redemption themselves. The process would begin slowly, by establishing colonies of poor settlers who would receive financial support from Jews still living in the Diaspora until they could sustain themselves. These colonies would be created by mans own effort, as the necessary preamble of the Redemption (Hertzberg 103). In his book Minhat Yehuda, Alkalai insisted that The redemption will begin with efforts by the Jews themselves; they must organize and unite, choose leaders, and leave the lands of exile (41). It was not enough for the Jews to keep hoping for miracles and to pine for the Messiah. If they wanted a country of their own, namely, Israel, they had to be practical in pursuing their goal.

The most practical aspect of Alkalais goal to ready the land and the Jews for the Redemption was that the Jews should organize organize a company, on the mode of the fire insurance companies and of the railroad companies (41). Such a company would take its cue from Abraham in the Bible who bought the field of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite (Hertzberg 104), and approach the Turkish Sultan with an offer to buy or rent ancestral Jewish land. If this approach proved successful, as Alkalai believed it would, it would inspire more and more Jews to donate funds for the venture, thereby turning it into a formidable political tool for the resurgence of the Jews in their own sovereign land. None of the aspects of his plan would, however, bring about the final Redemption, wrote Alkalai, unless an authorized assembly of elders is put in place, which will guide the Jewish people in re-acquiring the land (41). This assembly is to be composed of men of piety and wisdom who are chosen by our greatest magnates, upon whose influence we all depend (qtd. in Hertzberg 107). Moreover, this body of elders will help the Jews regain and re-affirm the strength of the religion and arrange for the observance of those commandments which apply, in particular, in the Holy Land (qtd. in Hertzberg 107). Alkalai continued to pursue the practical development of modern religious Zionism by suggesting that a common language, namely Hebrew, had to be revived, modernized, and put to daily use in the redevelopment of the land. He bemoaned the fact that because Jews are dispersed throughout the world they speak many different languages which divide them and are an obstacle to the Redemption (qtd. in Hertzberg 106). A linguistically divided community could not succeed, he wrote. As a man of faith, Alkalai pointed out that a true revival of our Hebrew tongue by natural means had been prophesied by Joel: I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy. (106) Alkalai took this passage to mean that in

the era of the Redemption, people will prophesy in a common language which they would know and be able to use (106). Therefore, it is of the utmost importance, argued Alkalai, to redouble our efforts to maintain Hebrew and to strengthen its position by making it the basis of our educational work (106). Alkalais interest in the future of the community of Jews as a self-ruled people was no doubt based on his religious piety and his faith in the Almightys promise to eventually redeem his people. Nonetheless, he stressed that the Jews must take upon themselves the hard work of re-acquiring their land and not wait for miraculous events to hand it to them. To this end, the Jews had to unite themselves and organize the funding and re-settling of their ancient homeland with proper planning and timing. They had to be educated in their true language of Hebrew so that they could conduct business and live together in unity. To guide them religiously and morally in keeping the Almightys commandmentsthe practice of which would sustain them in their renewed landan assembly of pious and faithful elders had to be appointed. All these practical elements were necessary precursors to the Jewish peoples ultimate Messianic Redemption. Alkalais blend of faith and practicality invites all Jews, religious and secular alike, to unite in the mission of rebuilding the land of Israel.