Chassam Sofer
| Moses Sofer (Schreiber) | |
|---|---|
| Chasam Sofer | |
Original lithography by Josef Kriehuber, circa 1830; now displayed in the Albertina.
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 26, 1762 (7 Tishrei 5523 Anno Mundi) Free Imperial City of Frankfurt, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | October 3, 1839 (aged 77) (25 Tishrei 5600 Anno Mundi) Pressburg, Kingdom of Hungary, Austrian Empire |
| Buried | Chatam Sofer Memorial, Bratislava |
| Parents | Samuel and Reizel Sofer |
| Spouse | Sarah Malka Jerwitz Sofer (1st); Sorel (Sarah) Eiger Sofer (2nd) |
| Children | Abraham Samuel Benjamin Sofer; Shimon Sofer; Joseph Sofer; additional seven daughters |
| Occupation | Rabbi |
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 Torat Moshe 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 to the Reform movement in Judaism, which was attracting many people from the Jewish communities in Austrian Empire and beyond. As Rav of the city of Pressburg, he maintained a strong Orthodox Jewish perspective through communal life, first-class education, and uncompromising opposition to Reform and radical change.
Sofer established a yeshiva in Bratislava (Pressburg in German), the Pressburg Yeshiva, which became the most influential yeshiva in Central Europe, producing hundreds of future leaders of Hungarian Jewry. 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. His posthumously published works include more than a thousand responsa, novellae on the Talmud, sermons, biblical and liturgical commentaries, and religious poetry. He is an oft-quoted authority in Orthodox Jewish scholarship. Many of his responsa are required reading for semicha (rabbinic ordination) candidates. His Torah chiddushim (original Torah insights) sparked a new style in rabbinic commentary, and some editions of the Talmud contain his emendations and additions.
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