There was family pressure on Baruch Meir to return from Eretz Israel.
A letter –from his father in Brisk– begged him to stop being active for the public interest, as it involves dealing with quarrelsome and antagonistic people, and to return immediately to his wife, who does not want to settle in Eretz Israel, and to his Torah studies.
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| ..a letter...begging him to stop... |
At length, he returned but continued to be active, got in touch with Rabbi Mohliver in Bialystok, wrote letters to Rothchild and Baron Hirsh to support the pioneers of Yissud Ha’Ma’ala . He described all his hardships in obtaining the bill of sale, etc.
Edelboim records in the Mezritch Yizkor Book a letter Rabbi Baruch Meir sent to Khovevey Zion in Warsaw: Baruch Meir recounts the history of the settlement of the pioneers from Mezritch in Eretz Israel and begs their help for the settlers. This letter is kept as a historical document. It carries the date of 20th Av 5644 [August 11, 1884]. [pages 104-107]
Continued Land Acquisition Activities
Edelboim tells that upon Baruch Meir's return from the Land of Israel, he continued to represent Mezritzh in the Zionist movement. He excelled especially as "propagandist". Baruch Meir told Edelboim that in those early times, whenever he came to deliver a speech in a beit-midrash of one of the very Hassidic shtetls, he was bullied and disgraced. Edelboim confers upon Baruch Meir the title The Public's Favorite Speaker of Mezritch.
In his soul-searching entries Baruch Meir says more modestly:
I delivered a sermon in favor of Zionism. I have become, sometimes, a darshan to large audiences, and thank God I talk in good taste.
In 1890 Baruch Meir notes in his diary that the Russian government that had prohibited organization of Khovevey Zion- gave permission to the organization and: This month [February] there was a meeting of Khovevy Zion in Odessa and then R' Amuel Malin AB"D of Bialistock with other wealthy people to Eretz Israel
Three months later:
On the 27th of Iyar 5650 [May 1890] ,
people from here [Mezritch] formed a group to buy lands in Eretz Israel, and 7 people, and I among them, were chosen for the committee.
Baruch Meir writes down that he learned ritual slaughtering as preparation for Aliya on January 1891.
Baruch Meir records the departure for Eretz Israel of two emissaries: R' Shimon Mintz and R' Smuel Khayim Blimentkatz, in the interest of the group, in May 1891. He also records one after the other the Aliah of family members and acquaintances to Eretz Israel.
He is excited by the good news:
On 4th Adar A' [March 1891] I received the good news that Moshe HaCohen bought for me a piece of land…close to Jerusalem. I hope all will end successfully and I will live to settle there in the holy land.
A few months later:
On the 26 of Tevet [6.1.1891] the emissaries R' Zisha Sheinboim and R' Leib Rabin travelled to buy a piece of land in Eretz Israel for some families from here and other towns. May God help them succeed.
The group is very active in purchasing land. Baruch Meir refers again to the purchase of land in April, and says that he started learning the art of ritual slaughtering as preparation for settling in Eretz Israel. On September 1891, R' Mintz succeeded to purchase another piece of land for the group.
He is thrilled to discover, in 1907 that in the 27 colonies in Eretz Israel the number of agricultural workers has increased to 8,000 and the overall Jewish population has increased from 24,250 to 87,600 between 1882 and 1907.
