“Our livelihood should come through permitted means, with dignity.”
An Interesting and Rare Letter in the Holy Handwriting of the Miracle Worker Rabbi Moshe Yosef Hoffman, the Dayan of Papa
A complete letter, handwritten and signed by the holy and extraordinary Gaon Rabbi Moshe Yosef Hoffman of Papa, who merited revelations from Eliyahu HaNavi (as testified by his student, Rabbi Yoshe Buxbaum of Galanta).
In the letter, Rabbi Moshe Yosef discusses whether it is permissible for a Jew to employ a non-Jew on Shabbos in cases where refraining from doing so would result in significant financial loss.
To this, Rabbi Moshe Yosef responds:
"This is what we pray for – that our livelihood should come through permitted means, with dignity and not disgrace. When seeking ample livelihood, we do not need to rely on leniencies…"
A similar sentiment was expressed by the Chasam Sofer and his son, the Ksav Sofer, when they were asked about such matters. Rabbi Moshe Yosef, a disciple of the Ksav Sofer himself, references this in the present letter.
This is an early letter, written while still in Papa, just a few years before Rabbi Moshe Yosef’s immigration to Eretz Yisrael.
A holy man of God and miracle worker,
Rabbi Moshe Yosef Hoffman of Papa (1843-1928) was born to his father Rabbi Michael, a disciple of the Chasam Sofer. Already in his childhood, Rabbi Ezra Tzoref said about him that he was sanctified from birth and would illuminate the eyes of Klal Yisrael with Torah and holiness (Tmunas HaGedolim, Újpest 1925). He studied under Rabbi Yehuda Assad and the Ksav Sofer (whom he refers to in the present letter as "my teacher").
From the time he became an adult, he never slept for more than three consecutive hours and only lay in bed on Shabbos and Yom Tov. He testified that he had studied Maseches Makkos tens of thousands of times, and stated that it would accompany his bier after his passing (Kuntres M"i Ha’Ish, within: Mei Be’er Mayim Chaim p. 57).
In 1906, he immigrated to Eretz Yisrael and settled in Batei Ungarin. Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld considered himself his disciple.
He was known to have merited revelations from Eliyahu HaNavi, and a page in his handwriting describing a revelation from Eliyahu HaNavi that he experienced in 1875 has survived (ibid p. 53).
His primary student Rabbi Yoshe Buxbaum once responded to a student who asked whether the Dayan of Papa had Ruach Hakodesh: "Ruach Hakodesh, I do not know, but this I do know – that Eliyahu, of blessed memory, appeared to him." (Or Pnei Yehoshua Vol. 1 p. 10).
The letter was printed with textual errors in Otzros HaSofer collection, 30, pp. 26-27.
Papa, 1900. Entirely handwritten by Rabbi Moshe Yosef. Size: 14.5 x 22.8 cm.
Condition: Good, reinforcement on reverse of letter. Minor tears at margins.
