The Haskalah Controversy: Mecholat HaMachanayim. Copy that Belonged to the Sacred Gaon Rabbi Chaim Sofer, Author of ...

The Haskalah Controversy: Mecholat HaMachanayim. Copy that Belonged to the Sacred Gaon Rabbi Chaim Sofer, Author of Machaneh Chayim - The Major Warrior against the "Enlightenment"

Sefer Machaneh Chayim - responsa about customs of prayer and synagogues, by the gaon Rabbi Yisrael David Margaliot Jaffe of Pezing, known as Rabbi David Sered. Pressburg, 1859. First edition. 

The signature of the sacred gaon Rabbi Chaim Sofer, av beit din of Munkacs, author of Machaneh Chayim, appears on the title page. The following leaf bears a lengthy inscription (blurred and difficult to read) by "his son and disciple, the youth Yosef Tzvi Sofer." attesting that the sefer belongs to his father, Rabbi Chaim.

This sefer is considered one of the first sefarim to fight against the Neologs' changes. The sefer is especially concerned with the custom of placing the bimah in the center of the synagogue. The Chatam Sofer's immortal words, "Chadash assur min haTorah" were known to have been stated in a responsum dealing with the bimah's location in a synagogue.

This copy of the important sefer dealing with the status of religion is so beautiful and distinguished; it was the personal copy owned by the Machaneh Chaim, one of the Chatam Sofer's leading disciples, known as one of the leading defenders of pure preservation of religion, as was the approach of his teacher and rabbi, the Chatam Sofer.

Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of the gaon Rabbi Chaim Sofer, av beit din of Munkacs.

[1], [1]-3, 6-80, [3] leaf. Lacking leaves 4-5. 17 cm.

Overall fine condition. Light wear in the margins of the title page. Two leaves are bound out of place. Adhesions in several leaves. Beautiful new leather binding, placed in a matching slipcase.

Several ink stamps appear along the leaves of the sefer. "Yehudah Scheinfeld of Kielce, presently in London" - the Admo"r Rabbi Yehudah Scheinfeld of Kielce-London, son-in-law of Rabbi Elimelech Ya'akov Yitzchak Rabinowitz of Suchedniov, son of the sacred Rabbi Pinchas of Kinsk.

Unusually, the sefer bears a gift document from the owners of the sefer, one of the leading dayanim in Europe - gifting the sefer as a full gift to his son, stating as follows: "This sefer belonged to the gaon Yisrael Rabbeinu Chaim Sofer, author of Machaneh Chayim. It has been given by me as a gift to my dear son ..., with deep feelings of love, from your father, who prays for your success (stamp location)"