This article originally appeared in Yated Neeman, Monsey NY. and is reprinted here with their permission

Rav Avraham Shaag (Zwebner) was one of the most outstanding gedolim of his time. The prized student of the Chasam Sofer, he played a leading role in the battle Torah Jewry waged against the Reform Movement in the 19th century.

He was also the beloved mentor of Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, and it was from Rav Avraham that Rav Yosef Chaim learned the art of communal leadership.

EARLY YEARS

Rav Avraham Shaag was born on the 4th of Iyar, 5561, in the Hungarian town of Freistat. His father, Rav Yehoshua Leib Zwebner, was one of the outstanding students of the Noda b'Yehuda, Rav Yechezkel Landau.

It is related that the family name, Shaag, originated from a remark made by the Noda b'Yehuda: "When words of Torah 'shoeg' 'roar' from Rav Yehoshua Leib's mouth, the world quakes."

When Rav Yehoshua Leib was a youth, the Noda b'Yehuda gave him semicha. At the top of the semicha writ, he wrote, "Aryeh shaag, mi lo yira," "A lion has roared, who isn't frightened?"

Rav Yehoshua Leib, however, passed away when Rav Avraham was just four years old. His wife asked the rav of Regendorf, Rav Yitzchok Frankel, to supervise Rav Avraham's upbringing.

Immediately recognizing Rav Avraham's brilliance, Rav Frankel enrolled him in the Chasam Sofer's yeshiva in Pressberg, where he became its most outstanding student.

Late one night, the Chasam Sofer and his son, the Ksav Sofer, passed by Rav Avraham's sleeping quarters. At that time, Rav Avraham was studying fervently, and his stirring Gemara niggun could clearly be heard outside. The Chasam Sofer turned to his son and said, "That is how Torah should be studied."

When Rav Avraham was 18, the Chasam Sofer made a match between him and the orphaned daughter of the Chasam Sofer's late friend, Rav Avraham of Spitz, the rav of Possitz. After her father's passing, the girl had been adopted by Rav Mordechai Banet, the Rav of Nikolsburg. For many years, she had fasted every Monday and Thursday, wanting to merit to marry a genuine talmid chacham.

RAV OF SHUTTLEDORF AND KOBERSDORF

When Rav Avraham was 25, he assumed the position of the rav of the Czechoslovakian city of Shuttledorf, where he founded a yeshiva.

When he arrived in Shuttledorf, it was a spiritual wasteland. He made great efforts to spread Torah and yiras Shamayim, and eventually transformed it into a vibrant Torah center.

After serving in Shuttledorf for 25 years, Rav Avraham accepted a position as rav of Kobersdorf.

Kobersdorf was one of the Sheva Kehillos, a federation of seven Jewish communities in the Austrian district of Burgenland. These communities were founded nearly 600 years ago.

Although each community had its own distinct character, all were famous for the great talmidei chachamim who presided as their rabbanim. The most well-known of these Sheva Kehillos are Mattersdorf and Eisenstadt.

Although Rav Avraham was officially only the rav of Kobersdorf, he was sensitive to the needs of all Austrian Jewry. On his travels to Vienna on behalf of Kobersdorf's yeshiva, he strengthened Vienna's Jews. The impression he made during his visits to Vienna were recalled for many years by its residents.

He also visited the towns and villages near Kobersdorf, and bolstered the local residents' commitment to Yiddishkeit. In Kobersdorf itself, he supervised every aspect of religious life. As a result, it became a model Jewish kehilla.

FIGHTING THE REFORM MOVEMENT

In the early part of the 19th century, the Reform Movement began to rear its ugly head, and the Chasam Sofer was one of its staunchest opponents.

The advocates of the Reform movement, known as Neologists, attempted to undermine religion. They were led by Aaron Choriner, who had once been a yeshiva student. When he died, Leopold Loew succeeded him.

Under Loew's leadership, the situation deteriorated. Reform temples soon began to resemble churches. References to Tziyon and to the Beis Hamikdash were expunged from Reform prayer books, and intermarriage was officially sanctioned.

The Torah Jews of Austria and Hungary strongly protested this movement. Their opposition reached its peak when the Neologists decided to found a National Jewish Congress, the goal of which was to enact bylaws and supervise the internal management of the Austro-Hungarian Jewish communities. It was obvious that the Neologists planned, in that manner, to wield their powers in order to undermine Torah observance.

Although the Neologists managed to secure the emperor's approval of the National Jewish Congress, it eventually disbanded due to the efforts of the Torah community, which claimed that the Congress violated the principles of religious freedom.

Rav Avraham Shaag lead the battle against the National Jewish Congress. In his efforts to topple it, he traveled from town to town, encouraging Jews to strengthen their religious commitment and to combat the treacherous designs of the Reform Movement.

To counterbalance the Reform-dominated Congress, he convened a Jewish congress of his own, attended by 350 rabbanim and Torah leaders throughout the country. This congress was called Shomrei Mishmeres Hadas, and instilled the Torah Jews of Austria and Hungary with a spirit of hope and determination.

Rav Avraham was chosen president of this congress, and in that capacity formulated a manifesto that denounced the National Jewish Congress.

At this gathering, the decision was made to form independent chareidi kehillos in each village, something that would eliminate the necessity for the Jewish community to rely on the National Jewish Congress for their needs. This measure enabled the independent chareidi communities to protect themselves from assimilation and from the pernicious designs of the Reform Movement.

When the Neologists saw that they couldn't make a dent in the armor of the chareidi communities by direct means, they decided to found a rabbinical seminary at which both secular and Jewish subjects would be taught - from their viewpoint, of course.

However, the gedolim of the time, among them Rav Avraham Shaag, recognized the ruse and published a penetrating manifesto that resulted in the collapse of the plan.

TO ERETZ YISROEL

When Rav Avraham Shaag was 72, he decided to fulfill his lifelong dream of moving to Eretz Yisroel. He knew that he had set up a strong organization to combat the Reform in Austria and Hungary, and that he was leaving it in competent hands.

The Jews of Kobersdorf tried to dissuade him from leaving, but he was determined to make the move.

His closest talmid was Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, who was still a young man at the time. Rav Shaag, however, felt that it would be too difficult for the young Sonnenfeld couple to move to Eretz Yisroel, especially since they had recently suffered the loss of an infant, and he made no efforts to persuade Rav Yosef Chaim to follow him.

When Rav Yosef Chaim learned of his mentor's imminent departure, he was faced with a dilemma. He knew that moving to Eretz Yisroel demanded tremendous sacrifice and hardship, and he didn't feel that he was spiritually ready to take such a step. However, he also felt that he couldn 't part with his beloved mentor.

At last, with the consent and encouragement of his wife, he decided to accompany Rav Avraham to Eretz Yisroel.

On 9 Iyar, 5633, the Shaag and Sonnenfeld families left Kobersdorf, and set out on their journey to Eretz Yisroel.

Their first stop was the Austrian city of Baden, where thousands of people came out to say farewell to Rav Avraham. They pleaded with him to stay in Austria, but he told them, "I am seventy-two now, and at this point in my life, I must put my spiritual affairs in order, something I can only do in Eretz Hakodesh."

From Baden, the two rabbanim and their families traveled to Trieste, where they boarded a Greek ship headed for Jaffa via Alexandria. The boat docked in Alexandria on a Friday afternoon and was scheduled to resume sailing after Shabbos. However, Rav Avraham and Rav Yosef Chaim did not leave the boat for Shabbos, due to the command in Shemos, 14:13, "You shall never again look upon them (the Egyptians in their land)."

HOME AT LAST

Once in Eretz Yisroel, Rav Avraham and Rav Yosef Chaim bent down and kissed the ground. Rebbetzin Sonnenfeld gathered the tears Rav Avraham had shed on Eretz Yisroel's soil, and wet her eyes with them. She later related that those tears gave her the strength to cope with the many hardships she endured in Eretz Yisroel.

The next morning the Shaag and Sonnenfeld families set out for Yerushalayim. On the way, Rav Avraham commented on the delicious fragrance of Jaffa's apple orchards.

Rav Yosef Chaim added, "The Gemara says that when Eretz Yisroel produces fruit in abundance, it is a sign that the Geula is imminent."

"Then let us press our horses to trot faster," Rav Avraham replied, "lest Moshiach arrive in Yerushalayim while we are still on the road."

IN YERUSHALAYIM

The two rabbanim and their families were met at the village of Motza by a special delegation headed by Rav Meir Auerbach, the rav of Yerushalayim at that time, and joined by Rav Shmuel Salant and Rav Nechemia Kahanov.

Not long after Rav Avraham settled in Yerushalayim, he became active in its communal affairs, joining the struggle against the local maskilim.

In an effort to modernize Jewish life in Yerushalayim, these maskilim opened a library that contained not only many Torah works, but also a large collection of haskala literature. Their aim was to attract the city's youth to the library, and then lure them into accepting their viewpoints.

A public manifesto, signed by Rav Meir Auerbach, Rav Avraham Shaag, Rav Shmuel Salant and the Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Rav Avraham Ashkenazi, disclosed the library's true aim.

Shortly after his arrival in Yerushalayim, Rav Avraham purchased a piece of land just outside Jaffa Gate. Later, when real estate values rose, Rav Avraham asked an agent to sell the property. Rav Avraham's son wondered why his father wanted to sell his land precisely when its value was steadily increasing.

"I am afraid that my grandchildren will become wealthy," explained Rav Avraham. "The dangers of wealth far surpass the dangers of poverty."

Today, that property separates the Old City's wall from the main highway.

HIS PETIRA

Rav Avraham always went to sleep two hours before midnight, rising four hours later at 2 a.m. After reciting Tikun Chatzos, he would study with Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld until daybreak and then daven at sunrise.

The day before his petira, erev Shabbos, Rav Avraham finished their study session by saying, "We will break off here." These words upset Rav Yosef Chaim, since Rav Avraham, whose every word was measured, had never before made such a statement.

The following morning, Rav Avraham didn't arrive for Shacharis. Rav Yosef Chaim and Rav Avraham's sons went to investigate the matter, and found Rav Avraham in a critical situation. He was having difficulty breathing and was nearly unable to speak.

Rav Yosef Chaim ran to the home of the nearest doctor, who was still sleeping. Since the entrance to the doctor's courtyard was locked, Rav Yosef Chaim climbed to the roof of a nearby house and jumped into the doctor's courtyard. He then woke up the doctor, and the two rushed to Rav Avraham's house. But by the time they arrived, Rav Avraham's soul had departed to the World of Truth.

Rav Yosef Chaim fractured his leg from this leap, and suffered from it intermittently the rest of his life.

Rav Avraham's levaya was held after Havdala and was attended by a large throng, which crowded Yerushalayim's squares, streets and alleyways. After a stirring hesped delivered by Rav Meir Auerbach, the levaya proceeded to Har Hazeisim. Beside the grave, the weeping Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld described the tzidkus of his great mentor, calling him a "a true man of G-d."

The lessons Rav Avraham Shaag taught lived on in through his talmid Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, who eventually became Yerushalayim's illustrious chief rabbi and great leader.