R. Akiva Joseph Schlesinger, (1837–1922), one of the first visionaries of modern Zionism. Born in Pressburg, Schlesinger was a graduate of Hungarian yeshivot and a student of Kabbalah. He was one of the spokesmen of the extreme religious elements of the Hatam Sofer (see Moses Sofer) school of thought, which advocated complete separation from the "enlightened" and "neologic" elements. In his book Lev Ivri ("Hebrew Heart," 1865), he sharply attacked the "meshannim" and "mithaddeshim" ("innovators" and "reformers"). In 1870 Schlesinger went to Erez Israel out of a conviction that the sole hope for religious Jewry lay in the establishment of a religious Jewish community in the Land of Israel. In 1873 he published the book Hevrat Mahzirei Atarah le-Yoshnah or Kolel ha-Ivrim ("The Society for the Restoration of Things to Their Former Glory" or "The Community of Hebraists"), in which he expounded his plan for the establishment of a world-wide association for the consolidation of religious Jewry. This association would set up a network of schools to educate the young generation in a religious spirit; its center would be in Jerusalem and its aim would be the establishment of a Jewish community living off the fruits of its own labor and in the spirit of the Torah. In his book Schlesinger expressed ideas similar to those which were later adapted by the Zionist movement (collection of contributions and tithes for the upbuilding of the country, renaissance of the Hebrew language, agricultural settlement, organization of self-defense, abolition of the barriers between communities and kolelim and their amalgamation into one - Kolel ha-Ivrim). Schlesinger was the leader of a group of Jerusalemites who tried to change the halukkah system and divert the funds to agricultural settlement. The halukkah trustees, who feared Schlesinger's ideas as a threat to their hegemony, boycotted and persecuted him, and he reponded with harsh polemic. In 1878 Schlesinger was one of the founders of Petah Tikvah and, with the establishment of the new settlement, he called on religious Jewry to establish their own settlement movement to encompass truly religious Jews, without "heretical and outside elements."

The second work, Kohelet Shelomo, is responsa from the geonim and others, arranged by R. Solomon Aaron Wertheimer (1866–1935). A rabbinical scholar and bibliophile R. Wertheimer, born near Pressburg (Bratislava), in Slovakia, grew up in Jerusalem. He became interested in the many rare books he found in Sephardi yeshivot and, despite penury, began to collect Hebrew books and manuscripts, particularly oriental ones, including some unique specimens. Wertheimer was one of the first to publish some of the Cairo Genizah treasures.

His Midrash collections, containing some hitherto unknown works, are Battei Midrashot (4 parts, 1893–97), Leket Midrashim (1903), and Ozar Midrashim (2 parts, 1913–14). A revised and enlarged two-volume edition of these collections appeared during 1948–53, edited by his grandson A. J. Wertheimer. Wertheimer also published geonic and medieval responsa: Kohelet Shelomo (1899), Ginzei Yerushalayim (3 parts, 1892–97), Zikkaron la-Rishonim (1909), and Ge'on la-Ge'onim (1925). Among his original works are: Darkah shel Torah (1891), on the methodology of halakhah and aggadah; She'elot Shelomo (2 parts, 1932–33), responsa; Be'ur Shemot Nirdafim she-ba-Tanakh (1924;19532), a work on biblical synonyms. The revised edition of the last by his sons includes a biography and a bibliography of his published books and numerous manuscripts, among them commentaries on Bible and Mishnah, a siddur, a Passover Haggadah, and a supercommentary on Nahmanides' Bible commentary. Wertheimer also contributed to learned periodicals and was active as a preacher.

בשולי השער שמו של המחבר: Adresse: A. J. Schlessinger, Jerusalem. כ דף: "שמרו משפט <תנינא>". כעין המשך לספרו שמרו משפט, ירושלם תר"ס. דף א-לג: "רעינים". אוסף ביאורים קצרים ורעיונות בענייני אגדה, "אינם מחברים ומסודרים ... אין מוקדם ואין מאוחר". דף לד-סט,א: "פזמונים". שירים מאת שלזינגר (בלתי מנוקדים). דף סט,ב-פד: "שיחות". דרשות בעניני השעה.

קהלת שלמה בו נקהלו ... שאלות ותשובות הגאונים הקדמונים ז"ל וביחוד רב שרירא ורב האיי בנו והרב ר' יצחק אלפאסי ז"ל. אשר היו עד כה בכת"י .. ויוצאים עתה פעם ראשונה לאור ... עם הערות תקונים וציונים ומבוא מאתי שלמה אהרן ווערטהיימער ...

"התשובות ... בלשון עברית הצגתי כתמונתן וצלמן, ואשר היו כתובות בלשון ערב העתקתי לעברית בסיועת החכם ... מו"ה יצחק בר"ב חר"ש יחזקאל יהודה נ"י (וההערות שאצל התשובות הנדפסות בלשון ערב מאתי יצאו) והתשובה ... סימן נו נעתקה לעברית ע"י החכם ... מו"ה אברהם אלי' הרכבי נ"י" (פתח דבר, עמ' ד). עמ' טו-יט (מן הספירה הראשונה): "ראש דבר לקונטרס טו >סימן נו< ... מאת ... מו"ה אברהם אלי' הרכבי נ"י". עמ' עד-צד: "התשובות הכתובות בלשון ערבי [באותיות עבריות], ונעתקו למעלה ... בעברית".