Important Historic Letter on Matters of Religious Zealotry by Rabbi Zalman Spitzer, with Teachings from his Father-in-Law the Chasam Sofer
A long letter of 4 large pages, in the handwriting and signature of the Chasam Sofer’s son-in-law, the Gaon Rabbi Zalman Spitzer, Av Bais Din of the God-fearing community in Vienna.
It was sent to his teacher the Maharam Schick and is filled with ideas and insights on weighty issues regarding communal leadership, some of which are relevant even today.
A unique letter of special historical importance!
Vienna, 1871
In the same year the letter was written, 1871, a law was passed allowing the God-fearing to split from the reformers and establish separate communities. Consequently, the Maharam Schick instructed his prime disciple, Rabbi Zalman, to leave his community in Vienna and establish a separate community. However, Rabbi Zalman felt that in his community such a separation might cause more harm than good, as there was concern that simple good Jews would not join the new God-fearing community but would remain in the old community that would be run only by the Reform Jews.
In the present letter in which he replied to his teacher the Maharam Schick, Rabbi Zalman expands on the matter, with self-nullification to his teacher on the one hand, yet standing firm on his halachic opinion on the other. He describes the ideal ways of battle, the ways of the zealots who disrespect him, and when he is obligated by Torah law not to listen to his teacher, and additional issues.
Rabbi Zalman mentions several times in the letter novel insights and traditions from "our holy teacher my father-in-law of blessed memory", which is a reference to the Chasam Sofer" and he includes his famous saying:
".החסיד מימין מחלל, והאפיקורוס משמאל זורק ומולל, והפרוש בתווך עומד וחולל"
Rabbi Shimon Sofer, son of the Chasam Sofer, explains this to mean that it is preferable for a Torah scholar to remain silent when he disagrees with a zealot, so that the heretic will not say that even among themselves the righteous are divided.
At the end of the letter he writes that he will do whatever his teachers the Maharam Schick and his brother-in-law the Ksav Sofer tell him, and if they instruct him in any case to leave, he will leave the country entirely, "for all my thoughts are to go to Eretz Yisrael!"
Rabbi Binyamin Shlomo Zalman Segal Spitzer (1826-1894) was the son-in-law of the Chasam Sofer and a disciple of the Maharam Schick, Ksav Sofer and Maharam As"h. From 1852, he served as rabbi and dayan and later as Av Bais Din of Kehillas Adas Yisrael in Vienna. He authored ‘Tikun Shlomo-Simlas Binyamin’ which includes discourses and chiddushim of various sugyos.
The Maharam Schick said of him that his sharp analysis was like Rabbi Yehonasan Eibishitz, and his authentic way in learning was like Maharam Banet (his son-in-law’s introduction to ‘Tikun Shlomo’).
See regarding this matter the Maharam Schick’s letter to Rabbi Zalman: Letters of Maharam Schick Vol. 1, Letter 41.
Vienna, 1871
Size: 21 x 34 cm. Condition: Good-fair condition, tears and small text losses. Stains and adhesions.
The last page features a signature of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Eckstein of Sighet-Cleveland (1884-1946), who was from the family of the saintly author of ‘Bnei Yissachar’. He was a disciple of the holy Gaon author of ‘Arugas HaBosem’, and among those close to the Rebbe author of ‘Atzei Chaim’. He maintained an important library. (Scholars of Transylvania p. 13).
