Rabbi Moshe Schick - Maharam Schick

Rabbi Moshe ben Yosef Schick (1879) - talmid of the Chatam Sofer Yahrzeit - 1 Shevat Burial Place - Hungary Rav Moshe Schick, Rav of Chust, was a unique figure of his generation. All the great qualities that the sages saw in the great men of Israel were found in him. He was immersed in Torah and at the same time wise in the ways of the world. He spoke the truth and judged fairly. He was pious and humble, and feared no one. He sat constantly in the tent of Torah study and wrote his responsa quickly; he was a scholar with a sharp mind, and he was loved and respected. He was a true prince of Torah in his generation and drew to himself all who came to ask him about halacha and to seek his counsel for their troubles. Rabbi Moshe was born on the 21st of Adar 5567 (1807) in the small town of Rezava, Hungary. His father, Rabbi Yosef, who lived honestly and righteously, died when Moshe was only six years old. Moshe's sharp mind was evident from childhood. He was extremely diligent and always reviewed what he learned in school. By the age of 10 he knew the entire Tanach and the six orders of Mishnah by heart, and at a very young age he had a reputation as a genius of extraordinary proportions.   Pressburg At the age of 11 he left his mother to study Torah in the yeshiva of his uncle, Rabbi Yitzchak Frenkel. He remained there for three years, returning to his mother knowing several tractates and numerous Talmudic discussions by heart. He then decided to travel to the city of Pressburg to study Torah with the Gaon Moshe Sofer, author of the "Chatam Sofer." However, having no means to hire a carriage for the journey, he went on foot, passing from town to town and village to village until he reached Pressburg. He arrived two days before Yom Kippur with only four cents in his pocket. After the Mussaf prayer on Yom Kippur, the Chatam Sofer would customarily say a few words of Torah to his students. A short young man listened attentively to the Rav's words. Then he unexpectedly offered his own opinion on a certain matter, even bringing proof directly relevant to the Rav's topic. The Chatam Sofer's attention was drawn by what he said, and the Rav asked the boy his name. He answered, "My name is Moshe of Rezava." The Chatam Sofer said to him, "Moshe, after the fast you will eat at my house." From that moment the boy became attached to his Rav for the rest of his life. He remained in the Pressburg yeshiva for six years, during which he absorbed all the Torah of his teacher, the Chatam Sofer. The Chatam Sofer said that the boy was blessed and destined for greatness, treated him with great love, and rejoiced in his words of Torah. He soon became familiar with all areas of Torah. He was greatly loved by the students of the yeshiva, because in addition to his greatness in Torah, his fear of G-d, and his fine character traits, he was humble and modest. He had a gentle temperament and a pleasant disposition, and everyone loved him. He also spoke calmly and loved every Jew. At the age of 20 he married the daughter of a very wealthy man, Rabbi Peretz Frenkel of the city of Galitosh. He lived with his father-in-law for ten years, studying Torah day and night. At that time the community of Yergin was seeking a great rav and turned to the Chatam Sofer for advice. He replied, "If you are looking for a gaon and a tzadik as your rav, take Rabbi Moshe Schick." Rabbi Moshe remained in the small town of Yergin for 25 years, caring for the community like a compassionate father. His genius was not only intellectual but also a genius of the heart. He loved doing good, and he was overjoyed whenever he managed to help someone with a problem. One day a peasant came to him on the very day he had received his wages for the previous three months. The man cried out that his life was in great danger, since he owed a government minister 100 gold coins (an enormous sum at the time) for liquor he had purchased from him. The minister had threatened to kill him if he did not pay his debt. The Rav told the Jew to deliver a letter from him to the minister, but the man replied, "I'm afraid he'll kill me before he even reads it!" The Rav answered, "In that case, send the letter with a messenger." The Jew did so, and later, when he heard a knock at his door, he opened it to find the minister laughing. "It seems your rabbi is very wealthy," he said. As one might expect, the letter that the Jew delivered to the minister from the Rav contained the money he owed him. Rabbi Moshe was content with little. He hated corruption and avoided gifts. One day he noticed that the shamash who usually brought him his salary had brought more than expected. He immediately sent for him and said, "This time you must have made a mistake with my salary." The shamash replied, "I did not make a mistake. The community leaders decided to give you a raise." The Rav refused to accept this raise, saying, "The teachers requested a raise several months ago, but the community leaders refused, claiming they had no money for it. They also did not raise the salaries of the dayanim or the shochtim." When the shamash relayed the Rav's words to the leaders, they gathered and decided to raise the salaries of the dayanim, shochtim, teachers, and the shamash. Only then did the Rav accept the raise. In 5621 (1861), Rabbi Moshe was appointed rabbi of the large city of Chust in Hungary. In this growing community, new horizons opened for him. He founded a large yeshiva, from which leaders of the Jewish people emerged. He also oversaw the city's "Talmud Torah" and examined the schoolchildren there every week. During his time, the Reform movement began in Germany, a movement whose aim was to permit what our fathers and ancestors had forbidden. Rabbi Moshe Schick wrote many responsa exposing the evil intentions of the reformists. All Jewish customs were sacred in his eyes, and he fought with all his strength to defend tradition. When some people wanted to abolish the custom of the groom wrapping the bride in his tallit under the chuppah, the rabbi explained its beauty: "This garment is a sign of the covenant of love between the couple until death, for only death can separate them." He also fought against those who changed their names, adopting new names common in their country, for he saw in this practice a danger to the survival of the Jewish people. He often said, "When a royal decree was issued that all Jews must take a surname in addition to their holy name, the first in our family to do so was at first unwilling to comply, since for him this was a serious matter. When he was forced to take an additional name, he said, 'I will call myself Schick, a name formed from the initials of Shem Yisrael Kadosh [the name of Israel is holy].'" On Shabbat, the 1st of Shevat, 5639 (1879), the soul of Rabbi Moshe Schick departed this world in holiness and purity. The greatest men of his generation praised him, saying: "From Moshe [Rabbeinu] to Rabbi Moshe, the Chatam Sofer, there has not arisen one like Moshe [Schick]."   Concentration during study The Gaon Yanuka relates about the Maharam Schick how he would advise those who lacked concentration during Torah study that they were nevertheless obligated to persevere. The Maharam Schick himself struggled with concentration and would review his studies 40 times.   (https://hevratpinto.org/tzadikim_eng/119_rabbi_moshe_schick.html)