Bidspirit auction | Songs of the Chasam Sofer:

Songs of the Chasam Sofer: Shiras Moshe – First and Extremely Rare Edition – Pressburg, 1857 * A collection of holy songs and expressions of spiritual yearnings, composed by the Chasam Sofer, to be sung on Shabbos and Yom Tov. The songs include compositions for Friday night, Shabbos day, Seudah Shelishis, Melaveh Malkah, Chanukah, Sukkos, Simchas Torah, Rosh Chodesh, and more, as well as the song “Tzamah Nafshi” by the Ibn Ezra, which the Chasam Sofer would sing with great fervor every Shabbos. Most of these songs were composed by the Chasam Sofer during his years in Dreznitz, prior to assuming the mantle of public leadership, in the lofty days between Yom Kippur and Sukkos, when he was entirely immersed in dveikus d’kedushah. The Chasam Sofer also wrote a commentary on the songs, though most of it has been lost. The songs quickly gained wide circulation, as his talmid Rabbi Yehudah Leib Landsberg recalled: “Everywhere his talmidim traveled, they sang ‘Shiras Moshe, ’ and until today, his talmidim and their talmidim continue to sing the songs of Rabbeinu on Shabbos and festivals” (Eileh Toldos Rabbeinu, Pressburg 1876, p. 18). This is the first and exceedingly rare edition of the sefer, of which only a handful of copies are known worldwide! The present edition was printed in Pressburg in 1857 and contains twelve leaves; only a few months later, at the beginning of 1858, the publisher issued a new and corrected edition containing sixteen leaves. Most bibliographers never saw the 1857 edition. It was not recorded by Ben-Yaakov, Friedberg, in P.Y. HaKohen’s list “HaDefus HaIvri BePressburg” (Kiryat Sefer, 1956), nor even in Winograd’s Otzar HaSefer HaIvri. The 1858 edition, by contrast, was recorded by them. See the article in the journal “HaMaayan, ” under the title: “An Unknown Edition of the Sefer Shiras Moshe” (photograph attached). Printed in honor of the Ksav Sofer, as stated on the title page, by the talmid of the Chasam Sofer, R’ Mendel Frankfurter. Pressburg, 1857. First and rare edition. Page Count: 12 leaves. Size: 17.9 cm. Condition: Good condition. New binding. Stamps of two tzaddikim of Tzfat: Rabbi Berish Zaltz (who was close to Rabbi Shlomo Eliezer Elphandari), and the Admor Rabbi Aharon Malik of Stratyn (d. 1907). — — — — — — — — — — — — — The Chasam Sofer’s Words on the Importance of Singing Zemiros: “I heard from the holy mouth of my revered teacher, the Hafla’ah zt”l, an explanation of the verse ‘Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy’… that one should serve Hashem with joy, songs, and zemiros. The word ‘zemiros’ is from the term ‘zemer aritzim’ — cutting down the mighty — for through songs and zemiros, one cuts away the kelipos (impure forces that block holiness), just as a vineyard is pruned through trimming” (Drashos Chasam Sofer for 7 Av 1810).