Bidspirit auction | Extremely Rare: Will of the

Extremely Rare: Will of the Chasam Sofer, First Edition – Vienna, 1863 * The will of the illustrious Rabbi Moshe Sofer of Pressburg, author of Chasam Sofer, containing guidance in avodas Hashem and proper paths of conduct. In this will, written for future generations, the Chasam Sofer sets forth the principles of his worldview and path in avodas Hashem, which is followed to this day by tens of thousands of Jews. One of the most famous statements of the Chasam Sofer appear in the will: “Do not touch the books of רמ”ד, and you will never go astray, ” referring to Moses Mendelssohn, one of the early founders of the Haskalah (Jewish enlightenment) movement. The Chasam Sofer also instructs that the Chumash be learned with the commentary of the Ramban. The Chasam Sofer was deeply attached to the Torah of the Ramban, for he revealed that the root of his neshamah was from the neshamah of the Ramban. The will was read during the Chasam Sofer’s levayah, as recorded in Likutei Chaver Ben Chaim, vol. 5, leaf 28b. - - - - - - - - - - The first edition of the will was distributed in three different forms. The present one is the rarest of them all. The first form contains a short title page with the printing details, ”Wien 1863,” followed by a four-leaf section containing the will. This is the present copy. The second form contains the same four-leaf section of the will, completely identical to the first, but with the booklet Na’ar Ivri by Rabbi Akiva Yosef Schlesinger appended at the end, printed in Vienna at another printing press; its title page is longer and includes additional lines about Na’ar Ivri. The title page contains the printing details: Wien 1863. The third form is identical to the second, except that the title page was changed; the true printing details were omitted and replaced with the false statement: “Printed in Stettin.” In the Institute for Hebrew Bibliography and the National Library of Israel, only the third form is recorded. The details of the forms of the first edition were recorded by R’ Avraham Shisha in his article “When was the will of the Chasam Sofer first printed?” (periodical HaMaayan, 1969, issue 9; a photocopy is attached). The will was later printed many times, and a lengthy commentary was even written on it: Lev HaIvri by Rabbi Akiva Yosef Schlesinger, Ungvar, 1865. The will was printed in Lashon Hakodesh, with a Yiddish translation at the bottom of the pages. According to R’ Avraham Shisha in the above-mentioned article, the translator of the will was Rabbi Akiva Yosef Schlesinger. Vienna, 1863. First and rare edition. Page Count: [5] leaves. Size: 18.9 cm. Condition: Good, stains, tiny marginal tears. New binding.