Rav Shimon Sofer of Erlau zt"l
הרב שמעון בן אברהם שמואל בנימין סופר זצ"ל
Sivan 21 , 5704
Rav Shimon Sofer of Erlau zt"l
“Rav Shimon HaTzaddik,” as he was fondly called by Rav Yehoshua of Belz, was born in Pressburg, Slovakia, to Rav Avrohom Shmuel Binyomin (the Ksav Sofer, son of the Chasam Sofer) and Rebbetzin Chava Leah. Before his bar mitzvah he had already completed Maseches Beitzoh sixty times!
He absorbed a wealth of Torah in his father’s home, where his father affectionately called him “Shimon the Chassid.” In fact, Rav Shimon later developed a fondness for Chassidus, and on occasion met with the Divrei Chaim of Sanz.
Rav Shimon married the daughter of Rav Yitzchok Fried of Kleinvardein, but his Rebbetzin passed away at a young age, still childless. He later remarried and lived in Russia for a while. After a divorce, he married Rebbetzin Esther Malka, the daughter of Rav Zalman Spitzer, son-in-law of the Chasam Sofer. His sons were Rav Akiva of Stanislav; Rav Shmuel Chaim, Rav in Zhgrev; Rav Moshe, Dayan in Erlau; Rav Avrohom, Rav in Guritzia; Rav Zalman of Vienna; and Rav Yaakov of Uhel. He also had four daughters.
For six years, beginning in 5634/1874, he lived in Russia, where he was venerated by all the local Gedolei Torah. In 5640/1880, at the age of thirty-one, he was called upon to assume the rabbanus of Erlau, Hungary, northeast of Budapest, where he served for sixty-four years. In Erlau, he was also the Rosh Yeshiva, delivering intricate shiurim to the bachurim, and giving several daily shiurim to the townspeople.
In old age, when his vision failed, someone would read the text for him and he would expound on it, continuing to deliver his dynamic shiurim as before.
He greatly honored his grandfathers. Often, in his older years, he would ask that certain pieces of Chiddushei Rav Akiva Eiger, his great-grandfather’s writings, be read to him. At such times he would rise in respect.
Even though the salary that he earned in Erlau was meager, he refused more prominent positions, such as the rabbanus of Budapest and Ungvar. Nevertheless, he became one of Hungary’s uncontested manhigim, and he stood at the forefront of the battles to preserve Torah-true Yiddishkeit.
The Rav once mentioned that he did not have enough money to print the sefarim of his grandfather, the Chasam Sofer. The Rebbetzin immediately went out and sold all her jewelry. Rav Shimon subsequently printed many of the Chasam Sofer’s sefarim.
His own sefarim were She’eilos U’Teshuvos Hisorerus Teshuva and Shir Maon al HaTorah, which he printed anonymously. He added the following to every page: “Do not rely on this sefer for halachah l’maaseh.”
Rav Shimon was meticulous in observance of mitzvos. Nothing could inspire him with simcha like davening, learning, or sitting in the sukkah. He donned Rashi, Rabbeinu Tam, and the Shimusha Rabba tefillin every day.
Along with three thousand of his fellow Jews, Rav Shimon was transferred from the Erlau Ghetto to Auschwitz, where the ninety-five-year-old Rav was sent, in his wheelchair, to the gas chambers. His son, Rav Moshe, was also killed on this day. Hy”d.
The current Erlauer Rav, Rav Yochanan Sofer, shlit”a, is the son of Rav Moshe.
Zecher Tzaddikim livrocha.
www.hamodia.com/features/day-history-21-sivanjune-19/