Grave

Daniel of Prostitz

Av Beit Din of Pressburg

Yahrzeit (Hillula)

6 Adar — Rabbi Daniel Prostitz - Pressburg
4 Adar — Rabbi Daniel Prostitz - Pressburg

Gaon Rabbi Daniel of Prostitz (1759-1846), a disciple of the Maharam Barby, was Av Beit Din of Pressburg and served as a dayan in Pressburg from the time of Rabbi Meshulam Igra, who several years later was appointed head of the Beit Din. In 1807 he initiated the appointment of the Chatam Sofer as rabbi of Pressburg and remained his devoted friend. His son, Rav Meir, was born in 1916 and was circumcised by the Chatam Sofer (as mentioned in the booklet of circumcisions). The Great Sages of Pressburg The great sages of Israel were renowned for their extraordinary humility. Here is what is told in the book "Chut HaMeshulash" about Rabbi Akiva Eiger and the Chatam Sofer. Rabbi Daniel of Prostitz (a member of the court of Rabbi Moshe Sofer, author of "Chatam Sofer") suggested to Rabbi Moshe Sofer (who was a widower) that he marry, as his second wife, the daughter of the great Rabbi Akiva Eiger. Rabbi Moshe Sofer knew nothing about the proposed bride and sent a request to Rabbi Akiva Eiger asking him to tell him about her. In his reply, Rabbi Akiva praised the bride, writing that she was G-d-fearing, pleasant, and pious, and would make a wonderful wife, but at the end of the letter he added: "But surely you, esteemed sir, desire with your whole pure soul to fulfill everything said by our sages, and in particular what is said (Pesachim 49a): 'A man should sell all that he has in order to marry the daughter of a Torah scholar.' And I, to my great shame, have not yet merited the title of Torah scholar." To this letter, Rabbi Moshe Sofer replied as follows: "I believe your words about your daughter's virtues as I would the words of a hundred witnesses. But my conscience troubles me, for our sages said (Pesachim 49b): 'A man should even sell all that he has in order to marry off his daughter to a Torah scholar.' And I doubt that I have reached the level of a 'Torah scholar,' and therefore I am not certain that I am worthy of being your son-in-law." In the end, Rabbi Daniel of Prostitz managed to persuade these two great men, emphasizing the following formulation: "the daughter of one who studies Torah marries one who studies Torah." (Rabbi Ovadia Yosef on Pirkei Avot, Chapter 4, Mishnah 4)