19 Tevet · Yahrzeit
Avraham Shmuel Binyamin Sofer - the "Ktav Sofer"
Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Binyamin Sofer - son of the great Chatam Sofer and grandson of the great Rabbi Akiva Eiger, later became a spiritual leader of the Jews of Hungary and Slovakia in his own right.
Yahrzeit - 19 Tevet
Resting place - Židovská náboženská obec, Kozia, Bratislava, Slovakia
Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Binyamin Sofer - son of the great Chatam Sofer and grandson of the great Rabbi Akiva Eiger, later became a spiritual leader of the Jews of Hungary and Slovakia in his own right.
At the age of 6, Shmuel Binyamin fell gravely ill (at that time the name Avraham was added to his name). A few months later the illness worsened, and all the doctors predicted a fatal outcome. Members of the burial society were called, and they placed candles around the child's head and waited in sorrow for the end. And when there was no longer any hope left, the child's father turned to the wall and poured out his whole being in prayer to G-d. Suddenly the child came out of his comatose state and began praying together with his father. As the members of the chevra kadisha were gathering up their candles and other items that were no longer needed, the Chatam Sofer confided to his students: "I have prayed for him a yovel - another 50 years of life." (Chut HaMeshulash)
Avraham Shmuel Binyamin studied Torah under his father's guidance. At age 14 he began writing chidushim. No one in the house knew that he studied every night - in the evening the young man would lie down in bed and wait until his father went to sleep, then get up and study until dawn. By age 17 he was already engaged in halachic correspondence with the leading Torah authorities of Europe, and people turned to him to resolve disputed questions.
At 18 he married Chava Leah Weiss, daughter of a wealthy merchant from the Galician town of Gorlice, who, according to the marriage contract, supported the young family for the following six years. All those years the young couple lived in Pressburg, near the Chatam Sofer.
At age 22 he completed his first book, called "Ktav Sofer" (The Scribe's Handwriting) - analytical notes on the Talmudic tractate Gittin.
After his father's death, the 25-year-old son took his place at the head of the Pressburg community and the city's yeshiva, in which more than 500 young men studied.
For 30 years Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Binyamin was one of the foremost halachic authorities for the Jews of Austria-Hungary - his numerous responsa were collected into the volume "Sheelot U'Teshuvot Ktav Sofer" (Questions and Answers of the Ktav Sofer).
On the first day of the month of Adar, one of his closest students entered the room of Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Binyamin, who by then was already the universally recognized spiritual leader of the generation, and found him in tears. "Rabbi! What happened?! Why are you crying?" the student asked in confusion. "Today I turned 54," the sage explained, "and I ask myself what I have spent all these years on, looming over my head like a wall. How many precious moments have I wasted in vain?! I see that I still do not possess knowledge of Torah, nor wisdom, nor righteousness - and how can I not weep over the wasted days that can never be returned?!" (Maasei Avoteinu, Vayeshev).
Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Binyamin Sofer - the Ktav Sofer - passed away in Pressburg on 19 Tevet, 5632 (1871), at the age of fifty-six.
Half a Shekel
There was a wedding in the home of a respected member of the community, attended by all the greatest rabbis of Hungary. Everyone was rejoicing and dancing, fulfilling the mitzvah of gladdening the bride and groom. During the meal, when everyone was especially joyful, Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Binyamin stood up and asked for silence. He addressed those present: "Esteemed guests! In honor of this joyous occasion and in honor of the hosts of this house, I have brought something very rare and valuable to show you." He took a coin out of his pocket, raised it so everyone could see, and said: "Before you is a genuine half-shekel from the time of the Second Temple. In honor of today's event, I will pass the coin around so everyone can examine it." The coin was passed from hand to hand, and each person examined it with wonder. After a while, Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Binyamin asked for the coin to be returned to him, but it was gone. Everyone tried to remember who had seen it last, but the coin could not be found. Then someone said that since the coin had not been returned to its owner, someone must have put it in their pocket. The host of the house stood up and ordered the doors to be locked. Then he addressed those present: "Esteemed guests! This is unpleasant, but everyone, young and old alike, will have to empty their pockets and lay out everything in them on the table." Everyone was about to do so when the great sage Maharam Asad stood up and asked them to wait half an hour and not conduct the search immediately. His request was granted, and the meal continued.
After half an hour the coin still had not been found, and Maharam Asad asked for a further delay of another quarter of an hour. People began to whisper, since no one understood why such a Rav would need this delay. Nevertheless, his request was granted. Maharam Asad himself quietly prayed that the coin would be found. And indeed, at that moment one of the waiters came in carrying the coin, which he had found in the trash. Apparently, when the coin was being passed around, it had fallen onto the table, and then the waiters had cleared the table and the coin had accidentally ended up in the garbage bin. Now all eyes turned to Maharam Asad, waiting for him to explain his behavior. Then Rav Asad stood up and took out of his pocket a coin exactly identical to the one Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Binyamin Sofer had shown everyone. He said: "You see, if the pockets had been searched right away, an identical coin would have been found on me. Then you would have suspected that I stole it, and no one would have believed that I, too, happened to have an identical rare coin. That is why I asked for the delay - and during that time I prayed to the Almighty to spare me from disgrace, so that the coin would be found and His Name would not be desecrated. Praise G-d, Who accepted my prayer - the coin was indeed found!"
(From the book "Branch of the Fathers' Tree," commentary of Rav Ovadia Yosef on "Pirkei Avot")