Moses Sofer
Moses Sofer (Schreiber) | |
---|---|
Joseph Sofer; Akiva Sofer Reimann ;
Yitzchok Leib; additional eight daughters Hindel, Gitel, Chana, Yitel, Simcha, Rechel, Esther, Reizel, | |
Parent(s) | Samuel and Reizel Sofer |
Occupation | Rabbi |
Buried | Chatam Sofer Memorial, Bratislava, Slovakia |
Moses Schreiber (1762–1839), known to his own community and Jewish posterity in the Hebrew translation as Moshe Sofer, also known by his main work Chatam Sofer, Chasam Sofer, or Hatam Sofer (trans. Seal of the Scribe, and acronym for Chiddushei Toiras Moishe Sofer), was one of the leading Orthodox rabbis of European Jewry in the first half of the nineteenth century.
He was a teacher to thousands and a powerful opponent of the
Sofer established a yeshiva in Pozsony (Pressburg in German; today Bratislava, Slovakia), the Pressburg Yeshiva, which became the most influential yeshiva in Central Europe,[2] producing hundreds of future leaders of Hungarian Jewry.[citation needed] This yeshiva continued to function until World War II; afterward, it was relocated to Jerusalem, under the leadership of the Chasam Sofer's great-grandson, Rabbi Akiva Sofer (the Daas Sofer).
Sofer published very little during his lifetime; however, his post-humously published works include more than a thousand
Early years
Sofer was born in
Education
At the age of nine, Sofer entered the yeshiva of Rabbi Nathan Adler at Frankfurt, a kabbalist known for its strict and unusual ritual practices.[4] He was a pupil of Pinchas Horowitz of Frankfurt for one year, leaving in 1776 for the yeshiva of another rabbi, David Tebele Scheuer, in the neighboring city of Mainz where he studied in 1776 and 1777, then returned to his native city.
First positions and marriage
In 1782 Nathan Adler became rabbi of Boskovice, Moravia, and on Adler's advice Sofer went to Prostějov, Moravia.[citation needed]
There, on 6 May 1787, Sofer married Sarah,
In 1794 Sofer became rabbi of Strážnice after he had received government permission to settle there. In 1797, he became rabbi of Mattersdorf, one of the seven communities (known as the Siebengemeinden, or Sheva Kehillot) of Burgenland, where he established a yeshiva. His pupils there included Meir Ash, the rabbi of Uzhhorod.[citation needed]
Pressburg (Bratislava)
Sofer declined many offers for the rabbinate, but in 1806, he accepted a call to Pressburg (Pozsony in Hungarian; today Bratislava, capital of Slovakia). There, he established a yeshiva, which was attended by as many as 500 pupils. Hundreds of these pupils became the rabbis of Hungarian Jewry. Among them were:
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For a short period of time during the
, where he organised a charity for his fellow citizens affected by the war.Second marriage and children
Sofer's first wife Sarah died childless on 22 July 1812.[3]
In 1813 (23 Cheshvan 5573), he married for the second time, to Sarel (Sarah) (1790–1832, d. 18 Adar II 5592), the widowed daughter of Rabbi Akiva Eiger, Rav of Poznań. She was the widow of Rabbi Avraham Moshe Kalischer (1788–1812), Rabbi of Piła, the son of Rabbi Yehuda Kalischer, author of Hayod Hachazoka.
With his second wife, Sofer had three sons and eight daughters. All three of his sons became rabbis:
Sofer's descendants named their works after the Hebrew translation of Schreiber (scribe), Sofer's civil surname, along the lines of Sofer's work Chasam Sofer; as, for instance, Michtav Sofer (son), Ktav Sofer (son), the Shevet Sofer (grandson), the Chasan Sofer (grandson), the Yad Sofer (great-grandson), the Daas Sofer (great-grandson), the Cheshev Sofer, and Imrei Sofer (2x great-grandson).
Sofer and his family lived at the end of Zamocka Street, where the Hotel Ibis is now located.
Influence against changes in Judaism
Sofer led the community of Pressburg for 33 years, until his death in 1839. It was his influence and determination that kept the Reform movement out of the city. From the late 18th century onwards, movements which eventually developed into Reform Judaism began to develop. Synagogues subscribing to these new views began to appear in centres such as Berlin and
For Sofer, Judaism as previously practiced was the only form of Judaism acceptable. In his view, the rules and tenets of Judaism had never changed — and cannot ever change. This became the defining idea for the opponents to Reform, and in some form, it has continued to influence the Orthodox response to innovation in Jewish doctrine and practice.[8]
Sofer applied a pun to the Talmudic term chadash asur min haTorah, "'new' is forbidden by the Torah" (referring literally to eating chadash, "new grain", before the Omer offering is given) as a slogan heralding his opposition to any philosophical, social or practical change to customary Orthodox practice. He did not allow the addition of any secular studies to the curriculum of his Pressburg Yeshiva.
Universal Israelite Congress
The Universal Israelite Congress of 1868-69 in Pest was influential in affecting the direction of Judaism in Europe. To try to unify all streams of Judaism under one constitution, the Orthodox offered the Shulchan Aruch and surrounding codes as the ruling code of law and observance. The reformists dismissed this notation and in response, many Orthodox rabbis resigned from the Congress to form their own social and political groups. Hungarian Jewry split into two major institutionally sectarian groups, Orthodox and Neolog. Some communities refused to join either of the groups and called themselves Status Quo.
Actions of students and descendants
Sofer's most notable student, Rabbi
In 1877, Rabbi Moshe Schick demonstrated support for the separatist policies of Rabbi
In 1871, Shimon Sofer, Chief Rabbi of Kraków, founded the Machzikei Hadas organisation with the Hasidic Rabbi Yehoshua Rokeach of Belz. This was the first effort of Haredi Jews in Europe to create a political party; it was part of the developing identification of the traditional Orthodoxy as a self-defined group. Rabbi Shimon was nominated as a candidate to the Polish Regional Parliament, under the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph. He was elected to the "Polish Club", in which he took an active part until his death.
Another notable group is
Starting in 1830, about twenty disciples of Sofer settled in
and Hasidim, they formed an approach to Judaism reflecting those of their European counterparts.Notable disciples of the Pressburg Yeshiva who had major influence on mainstream Orthodoxy in Palestine were Rabbi
In 1932, Sonnenfeld was succeeded by Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, a disciple of the Shevet Sofer, one of Sofer's grandchildren. Dushinsky founded the Dushinsky Hasidic dynasty in Israel, based on Sofer's teachings.
Death and burial place
Sofer died in
Today, a modern Jewish memorial, containing Sofer's grave and those of many of his associates and family, is located in Bratislava. It is situated underground below Bratislava Castle, on the left bank of the Danube. The nearby tram and bus stop is named after him.
The preservation of these graves has a curious history. The Jewish cemetery in Bratislava was confiscated during the
Following the declaration of independence by Slovakia in 1992, new negotiations were undertaken to restore public access to the preserved graves. In the mid-1990s, the International Committee for Preservation of Gravesites of Geonai Pressburg was formed, to support and oversee relocation of tram tracks and building of a mausoleum. Construction of the mausoleum was completed after overcoming numerous technical and religious issues, and opened on 8 July 2002. Access to the mausoleum can be arranged through the local Jewish community organisation.
Legacy
Many synagogues and yeshivas worldwide bear the name and follow the legacy of the Chatam Sofer.
Erlau yeshiva and community
The most notable recent living descendant and heir to the Sofer legacy was Rabbi
Yochanan's father, Rabbi
In 1950, he immigrated to Israel, together with his students, and, for a short while, merged his yeshiva with the Pressburg Yeshiva of Rabbi Akiva Sofer (Daas Sofer). In 1953, he founded his own Yeshiva in Katamon, Jerusalem, as well as the Institute for Research of the Teachings of the Chasam Sofer. The Institute researches and deciphers hand-written documents penned by the Chasam Sofer, his pupils, and descendants, and has printed hundreds of sefarim.
Over the years, Rabbi Yochanan founded many synagogues, chederim, and kollelim, which he named after his ancestors. The Ezrat Torah Campus in Jerusalem is named Beth Chasam Sofer, as is the Erlau Synagogue in Haifa. The chederim are named Talmud Torah Ksav Sofer, after the Chasam Sofer's son; the kollelim and synagogues are named Yad Sofer, after Rabbi Yochanan's father; and the main yeshiva campus in Katamon is named Ohel Shimon MiErlau, after his grandfather. He has authored numerous Torah commentary works, naming them Imrei Sofer.
The Erlau community is considered Hasidic style, though strictly follows
The Pressburg Yeshiva of Jerusalem
The Pressburg Yeshiva of Jerusalem (
The yeshiva building includes a
The main beis medrash doubles as a synagogue where some neighborhood residents also pray on Shabbat. The complex also includes a general neighborhood synagogue which functions as Givat Shaul's main nusach Ashkenaz synagogue.
Chasan Sofer Yeshiva, New York
The Chassan Sofer Yeshiva in New York is considered the American yeshiva of the Chasam Sofer legacy. It was founded by Rabbi Shmuel Ehrenfeld, who was born and raised in Mattersdorf, Austria. His father, Simcha Bunim Ehrenfeld, the rabbi of Mattersdorf, whose father, Rabbi Shmuel Ehrenfeld (the Chasan Sofer), was a grandson of the Chasam Sofer.
Rabbi Shmuel was rabbi of Mattersdorf from 1926 until 1938, when the congregation was dispersed by the Nazis. He escaped to America, and immediately re-established the Chasan Sofer Yeshiva in the
The yeshiva currently enrolls over 400 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, and operates a
Chug Chasam Sofer, Bnei Brak
During the 1950s and 1960s, many synagogues in Israel were built by Hungarian Jewry, and named Chug Chasam Sofer. This network of synagogues were founded in
. These synagogues still operate, but have been integrated into the larger community, with no distinct character of their own, besides for that of Bnei Brak, founded by Rabbi Yitzchak Shlomo Ungar, and that of Petach Tikva, founded by Rabbi Shmaryahu Deutch.Rabbi Ungar, a descendant of the Chasam Sofer, founded a yeshiva named Machneh Avraham, and a kashrut organization named Chug Chasam Sofer, which are both very active and well known. After Rabbi Ungar's passing in 1994, the yeshiva appointed Rabbi Altman as rabbi and rosh yeshiva, with Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Stern remaining the head of the kashrut organization.[12]
Pressburg Institutions of London
The Pressburg institutions in
Dushinsky, Jerusalem
The Dushinsky community considers itself a continuation of the Chasam Sofer dynasty – not by genealogy, but, rather, by school of thought.
The founder of the Dushinsky dynasty was Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky (1865–1948), who was a disciple of Rabbi Simcha Bunim Sofer (the Shevet Sofer), the son of the Ksav Sofer at the Pressburg Yeshiva. The Dushinsky dynasty has been more integrated into the Hasidic community, with many of their customs derived from Nusach Sefard, but still remains true to the teachings of the Chasam Sofer. This is mainly due to Rabbi Yosef Tzvi's appointment as Chief Rabbi of the Edah HaChareidis, and the Dushinsky alignment with the teachings of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum of Satmar.
See also
References
- ^ Great Leaders of Our People: Rabbi Moshe Sofer (The Chasam Sofer) Archived 2012-09-10 at archive.today
- ^ "Crash Course in Jewish History: Pale of Settlement, aish.com". Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ Frankfurt am Main: Institut für Stadtgeschichte Karmeliterkloster., the newsletter of German-Jewish Genealogical Research
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) This 32-volume collection of transcribed genealogical records of the Jewish community of Frankfurt am Main, covering the years 1241 to 1824 is available at the Leo Baeck Institute. Additional details about the work can be seen in the December 1996 issue (no. 11) of 'Stammbaum - ^ Lowenstein, Steven M. (2005). "Sofer, Mosheh". In Jones, Lindsay (ed.). Encyclopedia of Religion. Vol. 12 (2nd ed.). Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA. pp. 8506–8507. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
- ^ "אמרי דוד - חולין - שיק, דוד (Page 5 of 193)".
- Jewish Encyclopedia.
- ^ "The Chasam Sofer" Archived 2008-09-07 at the Wayback Machine, (Yated Neeman, Monsey)
- JSTOR 3622572.
- ^ "Schick, Mosheh", YIVO Encyclopedia
- ^ Jewish Gen
- ISBN 978-0-88125-844-8.
Pressburg Yeshiva Jerusalem.
- ^ he:חוג חת"ם סופר
- ^ בית סופרים חלק א' ב' ג' , זמירות וכו