Samuel Benjamin Sofer
Encyclopedia
Avraham Shmuel Binyomin Sofer, , also known by his main work Ksav Sofer (trans.
Writ of the Scribe), (1815 - 1871), was one of the leading rabbis of Hungarian
Jewry in the second half of the nineteenth century and rosh yeshiva
of the famed Pressburg Yeshiva
.
(now Bratislava) on March 13, 1815. His father, the famed Chasam Sofer
, Rabbi of Pressburg, was the leader of Hungarian Jewry and one of the leading Rabbi's of Europe
an Jewry. His mother Sarel (1790-1832) was the daughter of Rabbi Akiva Eger
, Rabbi of Posen
, one the greatest Talmud
ic scholars of his time.
When he was six years old, his family fell ill and among them little Shmuel Volf, as he was called. The doctors had already given up on him. As a segulah they added "Avraham" to his name, but to no avail. They already called the Chevra Kadisha
and lit candles as was the custom
of the time and they said the last rites. Then the doctors approached his father the Chasam Sofer and said "We know that you are a G-dly and holy man; if with your prayers you cannot help your son; on our part, all hope is lost". After hearing this; the Chasam Sofer went to a corner where all his manuscripts were; and said a short prayer. At that time the sick child Avraham Shmuel Binyomin in his great weakness started screaming the Shema, and their prayers were answered; Shmuel Binyomin's condition took a turn for the better. The doctors bewildered said to the Chasam Sofer; now we truly know that you are a G-dly man; for which he answered I hadn't given up hope, not even for a second. The great pupils of the Chasam Sofer later testified that the Chasam Sofer said at the time that "for one Jubilee
, I begged him out"; as Shmuel Binyomin lived for another fifty years and died at age fifty six.
His first teacher was Rabbi Mordechai Ephraim Fishel Sofer (not a relation, that we know); then he entered his fathers famous Yeshiva
; and became one of its outstanding students.
At age eighteen in 1833 he married his Rebbetzin
Chavah Leah who was the daughter of a Tzadik
Rabbi Yitzchok Weiss from Görlitz
who gave a dowry
and promised to support them for six years. The wedding was held in the town of Kamaren then they settled in Pressburg where he continued his studies and helped his father with the Yeshiva.
. Everyone in attendance stood in awe at the sight of him writhing in pain and at the same time he was able to remember and say all these blessings. Then he closed it by saying "Your grandfather Akiva will stand to your right hand; Your grandfather the Maharsheshach
will stand on your left side; and a certain angel will stand over your head; and I will be close behind to fulfill your wishes".
Another son, Rabbi Shimon Sofer
was apponited as Rabbi of Erlau (Eger
). Shimon's grandson Rabbi Yochanan Sofer
has established numerous Synagogues in Israel
and one in the USA, naming them Kehila Kdosha (trans.
Holy Congregation) Ksav Sofer.
Portrait of the Ksav Sofer
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
Writ of the Scribe), (1815 - 1871), was one of the leading rabbis of Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Jewry in the second half of the nineteenth century and rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
of the famed Pressburg Yeshiva
Pressburg Yeshiva (Austria-Hungary)
Pressburg Yeshiva, established in 1807 in the city of Pressburg, Austrian Empire by Rabbi Moses Sofer , was the largest and most influential yeshiva in Central Europe...
.
Early years
Shmuel Binyomin Sofer was born in PressburgBratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
(now Bratislava) on March 13, 1815. His father, the famed Chasam Sofer
Moses Sofer
Moses Schreiber, known to his own community and Jewish posterity as Moshe Sofer, also known by his main work Chasam Sofer, , , was one of the leading Orthodox rabbis of European Jewry in the first half of the nineteenth century...
, Rabbi of Pressburg, was the leader of Hungarian Jewry and one of the leading Rabbi's of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an Jewry. His mother Sarel (1790-1832) was the daughter of Rabbi Akiva Eger
Akiva Eger
Rabbi Akiva Eger, or Akiva Güns, , was an outstanding Talmudic scholar, influential halakhic decisor and foremost leader of European Jewry during the early 19th century....
, Rabbi of Posen
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, one the greatest Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic scholars of his time.
When he was six years old, his family fell ill and among them little Shmuel Volf, as he was called. The doctors had already given up on him. As a segulah they added "Avraham" to his name, but to no avail. They already called the Chevra Kadisha
Chevra Kadisha
A chevra kadisha is a loosely structured but generally closed organization of Jewish men and women who see to it that the bodies of Jews are prepared for burial according to Halacha and are protected from desecration, willful or not, until burial...
and lit candles as was the custom
Minhag
Minhag is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. A related concept, Nusach , refers to the traditional order and form of the prayers...
of the time and they said the last rites. Then the doctors approached his father the Chasam Sofer and said "We know that you are a G-dly and holy man; if with your prayers you cannot help your son; on our part, all hope is lost". After hearing this; the Chasam Sofer went to a corner where all his manuscripts were; and said a short prayer. At that time the sick child Avraham Shmuel Binyomin in his great weakness started screaming the Shema, and their prayers were answered; Shmuel Binyomin's condition took a turn for the better. The doctors bewildered said to the Chasam Sofer; now we truly know that you are a G-dly man; for which he answered I hadn't given up hope, not even for a second. The great pupils of the Chasam Sofer later testified that the Chasam Sofer said at the time that "for one Jubilee
Jubilee (Biblical)
The Jubilee year is the year at the end of seven cycles of Sabbatical years , and according to Biblical regulations had a special impact on the ownership and management of land in the territory of the kingdoms of Israel and of Judah; there is some debate whether it was the 49th year The Jubilee...
, I begged him out"; as Shmuel Binyomin lived for another fifty years and died at age fifty six.
His first teacher was Rabbi Mordechai Ephraim Fishel Sofer (not a relation, that we know); then he entered his fathers famous Yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
; and became one of its outstanding students.
At age eighteen in 1833 he married his Rebbetzin
Rebbetzin
Rebbitzin or Rabbanit is the title used for the wife of a rabbi, typically from the Orthodox, or Haredi, and Hasidic Jewish groups...
Chavah Leah who was the daughter of a Tzadik
Tzadik
Tzadik/Zadik/Sadiq is a title given to personalities in Jewish tradition considered righteous, such as Biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The root of the word ṣadiq, is ṣ-d-q , which means "justice" or "righteousness", also the root of Tzedakah...
Rabbi Yitzchok Weiss from Görlitz
Görlitz
Görlitz is a town in Germany. It is the easternmost town in the country, located on the Lusatian Neisse River in the Bundesland of Saxony. It is opposite the Polish town of Zgorzelec, which was a part of Görlitz until 1945. Historically, Görlitz was in the region of Upper Lusatia...
who gave a dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
and promised to support them for six years. The wedding was held in the town of Kamaren then they settled in Pressburg where he continued his studies and helped his father with the Yeshiva.
Pressburg (Bratislava)
On October 3, 1839 his father, the Chasam Sofer, died and the mantle as Rabbi of Pressburg passed to him. As the Chasam Sofer was on his deathbed he blessed his son with an extremely long blessing in which he mentioned every single blessing found in TanachTanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
. Everyone in attendance stood in awe at the sight of him writhing in pain and at the same time he was able to remember and say all these blessings. Then he closed it by saying "Your grandfather Akiva will stand to your right hand; Your grandfather the Maharsheshach
Samuel Schotten
Rabbi Shmuel Schotten HaCohen , known as the Mharsheishoch, became Rabbi of the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1685.- Life and work :...
will stand on your left side; and a certain angel will stand over your head; and I will be close behind to fulfill your wishes".
Death and legacy
On December 31, 1871 the Ksav Sofer died in Bratislava and the mantle as Rabbi of Pressburg passed to his son, Rabbi Simcha Bunim Sofer known as the Shevet Sofer.Another son, Rabbi Shimon Sofer
Shimon Sofer (II)
Shimon Sofer was the Rav of the Hungarian city of Eger and the progenitor of the Erlauer Hasidic dynasty. His grandson, Rabbi Yochanan Sofer, is the present-day Erlauer Rebbe in Israel.-Early life and family:...
was apponited as Rabbi of Erlau (Eger
Eger
Eger is the second largest city in Northern Hungary, the county seat of Heves, east of the Mátra Mountains. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, historic buildings , and red and white wines.- Name :...
). Shimon's grandson Rabbi Yochanan Sofer
Yochanan Sofer
Rabbi Yochanan Sofer is the Rebbe of the Erlau Hasidic dynasty, a small-sized movement in Orthodox Judaism. He was born in Erlau , Hungary, where his father and grandfather served as Grand Rabbis...
has established numerous Synagogues in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and one in the USA, naming them Kehila Kdosha (trans.
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
Holy Congregation) Ksav Sofer.
See also
Portrait of the Ksav Sofer