“Glory of the time and its majesty, glow of the era and its radiance … my dear brother-in-law … Rabbi Moshe Sofer”
Lengthy and beautiful letter, with an exceptionally touching section on family, entirely handwritten by the gaon Rabbi Shlomo Eiger av beit din of Poznań, son and successor of the gaon Rabbi Akiva Eiger. Written to his brother-in-law, the Chatam Sofer, on the occasion of the latter’s marriage to Rabbi Shlomo’s sister, Sarel. Warsaw, 1813. From his responsa notebook (unsigned). Unprinted.
Authentic family letter unlike any other. This letter demonstrates the as-yet unknown familial aspects of the personalities of the two giants of the generation, quite different from what is already familiar to us. Family letters like this between gedolim are rare, primarily because there was not usually a special Torah-related reason to preserve them. Fortunately, the second part of this letter deals with a halachic responsum, so the gaon Rabbi Shlomo Eiger copied it into his responsa ledger with an eye to writing his book of responsa. As such we are privileged to have this rare letter of blessings on the occasion of the Chatam Sofer’s wedding.
At the beginning of the letter, the gaon Rabbi Shlomo Eiger quotes the Chatam Sofer in a previous letter. The unusual expressions of love shared by the Chatam Sofer with his brother-in-law, the gaon, are especially interesting: “I will love you with eternal love; my heart is bound to you … Let’s make a covenant, you and I together. We will be joined in the form of brotherly love, joined like one person …” It is especially exciting to read Rabbi Shlomo Eiger’s reply to these words of love from the Chatam Sofer, with every word of Rabbi Shlomo’s response radiating Rabbi Akiva Eiger’s famous humility so generously bequeathed to his son.
“[Your] sacred words from the twelfth of the month of Adar Rishon came to me. How precious is [your] grace to draw me close with [your] arm to say in [your] letter: My friend and my comrade, I love you with an eternal love; my soul is bound to you. Have you ever seen anything like this? The peak of the highest cedar among the trees of Eden in an overflowing garden, sent to a lowly thorn bush, a juniper in the wilderness. Let’s make a covenant – you and I together, let us be close in brotherhood, joined together as one man – Is this not excessive humility on [your] part? [You are named Moshe] because every hint of genius and pride has departed [מש] from [you], to the extremely perfect, low and humble extent.”
The gaon Rabbi Shlomo Eiger then blesses the Chatam Sofer and his own sister, Sarel, with many blessings for righteous children “greater than the Chatam Sofer”! He adds a blessing that his father the gaon Rabbi Akiva Eiger be privileged to see this.
“May all this be [your] reward. May Hashem grant [your] joining my modest sister to produce offspring wise as [you] who bring joy to the world with their righteousness. May the world be filled with their wisdom. May Hashem grant that they be even greater than [you]. May our sacred father [the gaon Rabbi Akiva Eiger] and I be privileged to see them. Amen, may it be His will, and more.”
The gaon Rabbi Shlomo Eiger concludes the family part of the letter with a report on how he is doing, how his children are faring, as well as how his father is – the rabbi of the entire Jewish people, the gaon Rabbi Akiva Eiger.
Now I will tell [you] what is happening with us – I, my family and the family of my father-in-law, the expert gvir , are all in the best of health and wellness. Last week, I received a letter from my father, the gaon – and he is well. I hope to hear from [your] honor and my sister – and I will express my appreciation in advance for [your] reply – and I hope to hear from [you] in the future as well.
This letter, written between two gedolei hador could obviously not be without any significant halachic component. The second part of the letter – longer than the family part and even extending onto the next page, deals with a lengthy and comprehensive halachic responsum regarding the halachahs of netilat yadayim and ta’arovot .
The letter as it appears here has certainly never been published. The halachic part only has been printed with changes in the wording in Shu”t Rabbi Akiva Eiger , 221:9.
Refer the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of the gaon Rabbi Shlomo Eiger .
[1] leaf from Rabbi Shlomo Eiger’s ledger, written on both sides (the second page has only one line). 24 cm. Thick, high-quality paper, with water marks. Entirely in his hand, without a signature.
Fine-very fine condition. Stitching perforations. Tear marks.
Expert’s confirmation included from Dr. Yisrael Mordechai Peles of HaMercaz L’Cheker Kitvei Yad attesting to the manuscripts’ authenticity.