Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
Leaf Handwritten by the Chatam Sofer – Homilies for Shavuot
Opening: $8,000
Sold for: $20,000
Including buyer's premium
Leaf handwritten by the Chatam Sofer – homilies for Shavuot.
Leaf (two written pages – approx. 60 lines) handwritten by R. Moshe Sofer, the Chatam Sofer – passages from his sermon for Shavuot 1802 (published in Derashot Chatam Sofer, II, leaves 288-289).
The heading "With the help of G-d, Shavuot" is inscribed at the top of the pages.
In his homily on the verse of Shir HaShirim "Sustain me with flagons of wine, spread my bed with apples…", the Chatam Sofer discusses the customs of "scattering sweet smelling things on this holiday…", "spreading out grass to step on" and "beautifying the synagogues with greenery". The Chatam Sofer then explains at length the words of the prayer: "May we merit to live, see and inherit good and blessing…".
[1] leaf (2 written pages – approx. 60 autograph lines). Fair condition. Stains, dark dampstain. Open tear to bottom corner, affecting text.
------------------------
The Handwriting of the Chatam Sofer – Segulah for Yirat Shamayim
R. Mordechai Benet spoke the famous words that just seeing the handwriting of the Chatam Sofer is a segulah for Yirat Shamayim (fear of Heaven). R. Yosef Naftali Stern cited the following story in the name of his father-in-law R. Shmuel Alexandri Sofer, who heard it from his father the Ktav Sofer:
As an elderly man, the Maharam Benet dealt with a complex halachic issue concerning an agunah. The members of the Nikolsburg Beit Din wrote a long pamphlet on the matter and sent it to the Chatam Sofer, requesting his opinion. Upon receiving the pamphlet, the Chatam Sofer studied it for a short while and responded that same day. The Nikolsburg Beit Din was amazed at the speed of his response and began to peruse his answer. Maharam Benet took the letter from them, and upon seeing the Chatam Sofer's conclusion permitting the agunah to remarry, immediately instructed the Beit Din to issue the ruling permitting her remarriage, and resumed studying the Chatam Sofer's responsum. The members of the Beit Din thought that R. Benet had lingering doubts about the ruling, however, the Maharam Benet told them to continue with the proceedings to release the agunah and explained that he was looking at the responsum because just seeing the handwriting of the Chatam Sofer is a segulah for Yirat Shamayim.
Rabbi Aharon Kotler, who particularly cherished the teachings of the Chatam Sofer, often repeated this story.
This story is cited with minor variations in the name of the Satmar Rebbe, in Chaim Sheyesh Bahem (Mahadura Kama, Parshat Shemini, pp. 200-201): A Satmar Chassid presented his rebbe with a gift of a handwritten letter by the Chatam Sofer. At first, the Rebbe refused to accept the gift due to its great monetary value. He said that had the Chassid given the Rebbe its worth in money, the Rebbe would never have accepted the gift, and therefore refused the valuable manuscript. However, after the Chassid persisted, the Satmar Rebbe finally agreed to accept the letter. The letter by the Chatam Sofer gave him excessive pleasure and he read it over and over. On that occasion, the Rebbe recounted the story about the Maharam Benet, who while holding a handwritten responsum of the Chatam Sofer stated that although he understood its content immediately upon the first reading, "I read the words repeatedly because reading the handwriting of the Chatam Sofer is a segulah for Yirat Shamayim".
Rav Shach, dean of the Ponovezh Yeshiva, paid a consolation visit to an important rabbi in Bnei Brak who was a descendent of the Chatam Sofer. The rabbi's sons told Rav Shach that they possess an autograph leaf of the Chatam Sofer and he asked to see it, requesting that it be removed from its protective cover since actually touching the handwriting of the Chatam Sofer leads to fear of Heaven.
The holiness of the manuscripts of the Chatam Sofer are also regarded as a segulah for protection and for deliverance from various difficulties. Upon traveling, R. Shimon Sofer, Rabbi of Krakow, would take manuscripts written by his father, the Chatam Sofer, as a segulah for protection. Many Holocaust survivors attribute the miracle of their survival to the holy writings of the Chatam Sofer which they carried with them. R. Yitzchak Zilberstein of Bnei Brak often mentions in his sermons that possessing writings of the Chatam Sofer is a segulah for healing and deliverance.
Leaf (two written pages – approx. 60 lines) handwritten by R. Moshe Sofer, the Chatam Sofer – passages from his sermon for Shavuot 1802 (published in Derashot Chatam Sofer, II, leaves 288-289).
The heading "With the help of G-d, Shavuot" is inscribed at the top of the pages.
In his homily on the verse of Shir HaShirim "Sustain me with flagons of wine, spread my bed with apples…", the Chatam Sofer discusses the customs of "scattering sweet smelling things on this holiday…", "spreading out grass to step on" and "beautifying the synagogues with greenery". The Chatam Sofer then explains at length the words of the prayer: "May we merit to live, see and inherit good and blessing…".
[1] leaf (2 written pages – approx. 60 autograph lines). Fair condition. Stains, dark dampstain. Open tear to bottom corner, affecting text.
------------------------
The Handwriting of the Chatam Sofer – Segulah for Yirat Shamayim
R. Mordechai Benet spoke the famous words that just seeing the handwriting of the Chatam Sofer is a segulah for Yirat Shamayim (fear of Heaven). R. Yosef Naftali Stern cited the following story in the name of his father-in-law R. Shmuel Alexandri Sofer, who heard it from his father the Ktav Sofer:
As an elderly man, the Maharam Benet dealt with a complex halachic issue concerning an agunah. The members of the Nikolsburg Beit Din wrote a long pamphlet on the matter and sent it to the Chatam Sofer, requesting his opinion. Upon receiving the pamphlet, the Chatam Sofer studied it for a short while and responded that same day. The Nikolsburg Beit Din was amazed at the speed of his response and began to peruse his answer. Maharam Benet took the letter from them, and upon seeing the Chatam Sofer's conclusion permitting the agunah to remarry, immediately instructed the Beit Din to issue the ruling permitting her remarriage, and resumed studying the Chatam Sofer's responsum. The members of the Beit Din thought that R. Benet had lingering doubts about the ruling, however, the Maharam Benet told them to continue with the proceedings to release the agunah and explained that he was looking at the responsum because just seeing the handwriting of the Chatam Sofer is a segulah for Yirat Shamayim.
Rabbi Aharon Kotler, who particularly cherished the teachings of the Chatam Sofer, often repeated this story.
This story is cited with minor variations in the name of the Satmar Rebbe, in Chaim Sheyesh Bahem (Mahadura Kama, Parshat Shemini, pp. 200-201): A Satmar Chassid presented his rebbe with a gift of a handwritten letter by the Chatam Sofer. At first, the Rebbe refused to accept the gift due to its great monetary value. He said that had the Chassid given the Rebbe its worth in money, the Rebbe would never have accepted the gift, and therefore refused the valuable manuscript. However, after the Chassid persisted, the Satmar Rebbe finally agreed to accept the letter. The letter by the Chatam Sofer gave him excessive pleasure and he read it over and over. On that occasion, the Rebbe recounted the story about the Maharam Benet, who while holding a handwritten responsum of the Chatam Sofer stated that although he understood its content immediately upon the first reading, "I read the words repeatedly because reading the handwriting of the Chatam Sofer is a segulah for Yirat Shamayim".
Rav Shach, dean of the Ponovezh Yeshiva, paid a consolation visit to an important rabbi in Bnei Brak who was a descendent of the Chatam Sofer. The rabbi's sons told Rav Shach that they possess an autograph leaf of the Chatam Sofer and he asked to see it, requesting that it be removed from its protective cover since actually touching the handwriting of the Chatam Sofer leads to fear of Heaven.
The holiness of the manuscripts of the Chatam Sofer are also regarded as a segulah for protection and for deliverance from various difficulties. Upon traveling, R. Shimon Sofer, Rabbi of Krakow, would take manuscripts written by his father, the Chatam Sofer, as a segulah for protection. Many Holocaust survivors attribute the miracle of their survival to the holy writings of the Chatam Sofer which they carried with them. R. Yitzchak Zilberstein of Bnei Brak often mentions in his sermons that possessing writings of the Chatam Sofer is a segulah for healing and deliverance.
Manuscripts
Manuscripts