Rabbi Yoselman of Rosheim’s Daring Rescue

A Ride Against Time

It was a Thursday evening in 1533, and a lone rider tore down the slopes of the Sudeten Mountains, racing toward the region of Silesia. Frightened cows leapt from the trail, and peasants watched in stunned silence. For two days straight, the man had been riding without rest.

With the sun sinking behind the hills, the rider, Rabbi Yoselman of Rosheim, recited the Mincha prayer while galloping. Suddenly, a thick tree branch struck his face. His eye was badly injured, but without pausing, he ripped fabric from his shirt, bandaged his eye, and pressed on.

Through the night and into the next day, the exhausted horse tried to slow, but Rabbi Yoselman urged it forward with his spurs. By Friday, just minutes before midday, the ghostly pair thundered into the main square of a Silesian town. Rabbi Yoselman leapt into a colorful procession, crying: “Stop! In the name of the king!” He unfurled a royal decree and collapsed. His horse died moments later.

Saving 200 Jewish Lives

Weeks earlier, 200 Jews had been falsely accused of desecrating Christian holy objects. The local duke of Silesia, notorious for his cruelty, had seized on the blood libel to arrest them. Peasants were bribed to serve as false witnesses, and the Jews’ property was slated to be divided as spoils among the conspirators.

Rabbi Yoselman, officially appointed by Emperor Maximilian I as the “Spokesman for the Jews of the German Empire,” sprang into action. He launched a diplomatic offensive across the fractured Holy Roman Empire, lobbying nobles, church leaders, and officials.

The emperor himself, Charles V, was sympathetic but notoriously hard to reach. Rabbi Yoselman, then 56 years old, waited patiently at a spa town for an audience, using every connection he had. When he finally received the imperial decree halting the execution, he discovered he had only three and a half days to deliver it. That’s when he began his legendary ride.

Though he lost vision in one eye, the Jews of Silesia were saved. It was only one of many daring interventions in Rabbi Yoselman’s remarkable life.

A Scholar and Advocate

Beyond his dramatic rescues, Rabbi Yoselman of Rosheim was also a renowned Torah scholar. He served as the chief rabbi of the Alsace region near the Rhine River and authored works on both halacha (Jewish law) and kabbalah. He was a descendant of Rashi, making him a direct descendant of King David.

Throughout his life, he worked tirelessly to defend Jews from persecution, expulsion, and the burning of Talmudic texts. He documented his efforts in his detailed memoirs, which remain a powerful testament to his wisdom, bravery, and dedication to his people.

Rabbi Yoselman’s ride was not merely a race against time. It was an act of self-sacrifice that became legendary. His legacy lives on as a symbol of what one person can achieve with unwavering faith, courage, and love for the Jewish people.