Letter handwritten and signed by the Admor of Erlau. 1977.

Letter handwritten and signed by the Admor of Erlau. 1977.

Letter handwritten and signed on official letterhead of the Admor Rabbi Yochanan Sofer of Erlau. From Vayishlach 1977. In the beginning he apologizes for the delayed response and then blesses: “I hereby pray that Hashem may send blessings and success to all that you do and everything you ask for may you succeeed…”. Then he discusses some technical matters related to the establishment of a committee of some kind, and at the end shows interest in some personal matters of the addressee: “by the way mazal tov for the birth of your sister’s daughter.” He ends: “Your beloved friend, writing very quickly because of so much anxiety, with forever loving.” Handwritten signature. Written on both sides of a leaf, 21.5x13.5cm. Folding creases.

The Admor Rabbi Yochanan Sofer of Erlau (1924-2016) was the son of the gaon Rabbi Moshe Sofer hy”d. He was a great sage and Admor of the last generation. He wrote the Imrei Sofer. He was a student of his grandfather, the Rabbi Shimon Sofer of Erlau (the Hit’orerut Tshuva), and of Rabbi Yosef Asher HaLevi Pollack and Rabbi Aharon David Deutscch. He was a member and president of the Council of Torah Sages of Agudas Yisrael. He founded and ran the Erlau yeshiva in Katamon named after the Chatam Sofer, as well as its publishing house.