Five Interesting Letters from Rabbi Shlomo Alexandri Sofer - Regarding the Biography of his Grandfather the Chatam ...

Five Interesting Letters from Rabbi Shlomo Alexandri Sofer - Regarding the Biography of his Grandfather the Chatam Sofer - Seret, 1914
Five letters handwritten and signed by R. Shlomo Sofer, son of R. Shimon Sofer Rabbi of Kraków the Michtav Sofer. Seret (Siret), Adar-Iyar 1914. Addressed to the historian Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Leib (Louis) Lewin Rabbi of Kempen (Kępno), the letters contain various inquiries regarding the biography of his grandfather the Chatam Sofer, and his great-grandfather R. Akiva Eger, as well as questions regarding the genealogy of the family. R. Shlomo Sofer mentions the manuscript Sefer HaZikaron authored by his grandfather the Chatam Sofer, which is in his possession, and his efforts to assist his cousin R. Shlomo Sofer Rabbi of Beregsaz to publish the writings of the Chatam Sofer and his biography (Chut HaMeshulash, Sefer HaZikaron, and Igrot Sofrim). He asks Rabbi Dr. Lewin to send him letters and copyings of letters from R. Akiva Eger, so that he can publish them in Igrot Sofrim. The letters incidentally disclose a few details about R. Shlomo Alexandri's public activism. In a note in the margin of the postcard from Adar, he inquires whether a branch of Agudat Yisrael had been established in Kempen, and asks: "Has the Agudat Israel society taken root in your town? Here, many are arising to set up branches of this society" (in those days, the preparations for establishing Agudat Israel had gone into high gear, yet the outbreak of WWI in the summer of 1914 interrupted the arrangements, and only in summer 1923 was the first Knessia Gedolah of Agudat Israel held in Vienna). In a different letter, dated Iyar, R. Shlomo relates about himself: "I am available to assist whoever approaches me almost every day, whether merchants… or community leaders and some rabbis regarding public matters, the one seeking counsel, and the other requesting a favor to petition before a minister, I have never sent anyone away empty handed, if it was only possible, I did not spare efforts nor expenses...". R. Shlomo Alexandri Sofer (Tishrei 1856-Nissan 1924), son of R. Shimon Sofer Rabbi of Kraków, and grandson of the Chatam Sofer. Son-in-law of the philanthropist R. Moshe Wachs from Seret (Bukovina; father-in-law of the Harei Besamim and of R. Shlomo Ladier son of the Torat Chessed). An outstanding Torah scholar, he devoted his entire life to Torah study and worship of G-d, without requiring an official position, thanks to his father-in-law's wealth. He served as rabbi of Seret for short periods of time, only as an interim rabbi. A respected figure, he was amongst the leaders of Jewry in his country, entertaining friendly ties with the royal court, who revered him as an exalted person. Even more so was he esteemed by all ranks of Jewish society, be it rabbis and activists, maskilim or the masses. Many manuscripts from his father, the Michtav Sofer, and his grandfather the Chatam Sofer, were in his possession, and he published them together with his son-in-law R. Yosef Naftali Stern, who toiled devotedly throughout his life to arrange and publish the writings of the Chatam Sofer and the Michtav Sofer. R. Shlomo Alexandri was also a reliable treasure trove of numerous thoughts heard from the Chatam Sofer and leading scholars of his generation (there is a well-known tradition documenting the reaction of the Chatam Sofer to the words of the Yismach Moshe, who explained the difference between the root of his soul and that of the Chatam Sofer - see Otzrot HaSofer, issue 18, p. 181). 5 postcards. Approx. 14X9 cm. Good condition. Postmarks. Stains to some postcards. Meoran shel Yisrael - Biography of R. Akiva Eger (Brooklyn, 2011, pp. 442-448) and the Otzrot HaSofer anthology (issue 14, p. 37) include several other letters which R. Shlomo Alexandri sent to R. Dr. Yehuda Leib Lewin Rabbi of Kempen in that period, and they complete the picture of the circumstances behind these letters.