The Chasam Sofer: Part I

00:00 This evening, we begin, im yirtzeh Hashem, a new title, The Chasam Sofer. The Chasam Sofer are titles of the famous sefarim written by Rab Moshe Sofer. He was born in Frankfurt in five five two two, seventeen sixty-two. In later years, he relocated to Pressburg, where he was the Av Beis Din and Rosh Yeshiva in the yeshiva in Pressburg. He was niftar on the twenty-fifth of Tishrei in the year five six hundred, eighteen thirty-nine. In this series, we will discuss in part one a brief introduction. Part two will be the Chasam Sofer and Chassidus. Part three, stories of the Rebbe relating to the Chasam Sofer's sefarim. And part four, references in Halacha and Minhag where the Chasam Sofer and Chabad are parallel. Among the great halachic authorities and Torah disseminators throughout the generations, the Leah Nehman, the teacher of all the Jewish people, and the one who raised the banner of Torah in the lands of Hungary and Czechoslovakia was Rab Moshe Sofer, known as the Chasam Sofer. In responsa of our rabbeim, the Tzemach Tzedek and the Rebbe Rashab, one finds references to the teshuvot of the Chasam Sofer. I once heard years ago that the Rebbe Rashab said that it would be inappropriate that a chassidishe rav does not have in his house the shailot and teshuvot of the Chasam Sofer. The Rebbe had a particular affection for him, mentioning him publicly, quoting his rulings, and referring in his talks and letters to his conduct. The Rebbe also showed special closeness toward his descendants.

02:10 Once, when the Israeli deputy consul in the United States accompanied the consul who came to receive dollars for Tznius on the fifteenth of Elul, the year tinose, nineteen ninety-one, and spoke with the Rebbe, the Rebbe gave an additional dollar to the deputy consul, saying, "This is for helping the consulate." The man said that he was a descendant of the Chasam Sofer. The Rebbe responded, "Surely you know that the Chasam Sofer was the basic halachic authority for all the Jewish people, and may it be God's will that all the rulings of the consulate be of such a kind that the Jewish people will be happy to fulfill them." In a letter of Yemei HaShlichot, tav shin tes vav, nineteen fifty-five, printed in the Igeres Kadesh, volume eleven, page four hundred, the Rebbe writes, "Regarding what you write about the calculation of their number, in all our countries, it is the simple custom to do so in cases of some need or reason." The Rebbe's referring to secular calendar dates. And the Rebbe continues, "And who is greater than the Ramah, Rabba Akiva Eger, and also the Chasam Sofer, where he writes about it in the Sefer Igeres Sefarim, and in Shaales and Teshuvot Chasam Sofer, Even Ha'ezer, first part, chapter eighty-three, and others." We will im yirtzeh Hashem continue in the next installment.