בשופר – גדול – יתקע!
Holy of Holies! The Shofar of the Man of G-D, Maran the Chassam Sofer, which sweetens all the decrees and removes all prosecutors. “Blessed are the people who know the Teru’ah, they will walk in the light of Your countenance!”
The sacred Shofar of Maran, Master of the Diaspora, Master of Masters, the holy and saintly Chassam Sofer – with which he blew and awakened the hearts of all his holy disciples, leaders and holies of Am Yisrael, to Teshuva and awe, has been kept throughout the generations, passing down in trembling awe.
The Shofar is completely Kosher Lemehadrin. Ornately carved, with a special inscription of the Passuk “תקעו בחודש שופר בכסא ליום חגנו כי חוק לישראל הוא משפט לאל-הי יעקב”.
The loftiness of blowing the Shofar – as brought down in the Chassam Sofer’s writings:
In Drashos Chassam Sofer for Rosh Hashana, we find hints of the lofty feelings and understandings he had regarding the secrets of the Shofar.
In one of the Drushim, we find as follows:
“The Teru’ah is a weeping of joy and cleaving to Hashem for having created us for His honor, and that He gave us the merit of being Jews…” (Or Zarua LaTzaddik, p. 147).
And again he writes in the Drashot: “It was instituted that the foundation of this Mitzvah is to hear the sound that emanates from the Shofar, and the sound is only in thought and mind, a moan and a weep without words,
and at the time of blowing the Shofar, each one hears the voice of the Shofar and thinks of repentance and prayer, and Hashem hears the sound of the Shofar and listens to the cry of Israel His nation with mercy.”
Who can compare to Maran, who writes that the sound of the Shofar encompasses two diametrically opposed truths – both moaning and weeping as well as a song of praise to Hashem; it is both a cry and a cheer simultaneously, with enormous power.
He additionally writes that the power of the Shofar lies in the air that comes out of it, as though Man says, “I give my last breath to Hashem”.
The importance of the Ba’al Toke’ah by the Chassam Sofer.
In the Sefer
‘Likutei Chaver ben Chaim’ is told: “One time a Ba’al Toke’ah by the name of R’ Shmuel Deutsch came to him in Pressburg, and asked of him (the Chassam Sofer) to teach him the intentions of the Shofar… and he opened the Chumash and showed him inside ‘A day of Teru’ah it will be for you’…”
Notable sources mention that Maran the Chassam Sofer taught the Ba’alei Toke’ah the proper intentions to have in mind, both the nuances of Halacha as well as the deep meanings.
It is told that when the Chassam Sofer arrived in Pressburg, there was already an expert Ba’al Toke’ah there, however, the Chassam Sofer instructed that he be replaced with another one who would be diligent about immersing in the Mikveh before blowing the Shofar. The appointed Ba’al Toke’ah said that the Mikveh was very cold, and that is why he does not immerse in it. The Chassam Sofer replied: “If you’re cold, you don’t blow”, meaning that blowing the Shofar must be done with burning enthusiasm.
This Shofar:
The Shofar comes from the vaults of the Rabbinical,
R’ Moshe Chaim Hakohen Leitner, who was a special “Ehrlicher Yid”, from the remnants of the survivors of Hungarian Jewry. A pious and honest man, full of Yiras Shomayim, who worked for his living. Member of the “Me’or Hagolah” congregation in Montreal, and closely affiliated with the
Gaon Rabbi Moshe Yaakov Werner – Rabbi of the “Chevras Tehillim” congregation and today Rosh Yeshiva Or Torah in Lakewood, NJ.
(See enclosed letter of reference from Rabbi Werner).
Approx. 45 years ago, R’ Moshe Chaim Leitner became aware that this pedigreed Shofar was being put up for sale by one of the largest international auction houses, and decided to purchase it – no matter the cost. He purchased it for himself as an enormous Zechus – not for investment purposes, but as a Segula for the recovery of his wife, Mrs. Rachel Leitner, who was a descendent of the Chassam Sofer. (Indeed, she made a full recovery, living an additional 25 years and surviving him).
Before making the purchase, R’ Moshe Chaim made extensive research to verify the authenticity of the Shofar, and reached the earliest sources regarding the Shofar, as well as the family who had kept it all those years – a family of scions of Maran the Chassam Sofer. He was able to prove, as conclusively as possible, that this is, indeed, the Shofar which Maran the Chassam Sofer held in his own hands, and which he had his Ba’alei Toke’ah use.
R’ Moshe Chaim was not satisfied with this, and approached the Israel Museum to request that their expert curators of Judaica examine it and give him their official opinion. They did so, and verified the time period when the Shofar was manufactured, and that its design and age are typical of those manufactured in Germany and central Europe during the late 1700’s. They also note its exceptional condition and level of preservation.
Over the years, R’ Moshe Chaim Leitner kept the Shofar in his safe, guarding the precious treasure, and only took it out during the month of Elul, when he would make the rounds of the Shuls in his neighborhood, bringing the merit of hearing this Shofar to the Jews around him. In addition, he would take it out on Pesach night, when the Shofar was placed in the center of the Seder table, beautifying the Seder as the most hallowed and sentimental item in the home.
For many years, R’ Moshe Chaim refused to entertain any offers to purchase the Shofar from him, no matter who it was who made the offer – including important people and exalted Rabbonim – or what the amount offered was. However, at the end of his life, he began to worry that the Shofar would fall into the hands of someone who was not strictly Torah observant, after his only Torah-observant daughter passed away before him. He therefore placed the Shofar in the hands of one of the leading Rabbonim whom he trusted, and who promised him that the Shofar would remain in trustworthy hands. Not long afterward, R’ Moshe Chaim Leitner passed away.
When this Shofar was brought to
C”K Maran Admor of Belz Shlita, he became extremely emotional and said “מ’זעהט אז ס’איז א חשובע שופר” (You can see that this is an exalted Shofar), and he took it and with great feeling blew a set of Tekiot in it – even though it was Chodesh Shvat.
Another of the Tzaddikim of our generation also spoke of this Shofar, extolling the immenseness of its holiness and power.
Also enclosed is a letter from a Shofar expert, testifying as to its Kashrus.
Shape and size of the Shofar:
As said, the Shofar is decorated and carved in unusual artistry. It is carved with the verse (Tehilim 81, 4): “תקעו בחדש שופר בכסא ליום חגנו כי חק לישראל הוא משפט לאלהי יעקב”. (an interesting note is that the word “בכסא” is written with an ‘א’, as some of the Midrashim and Rishonim explain the Passuk, and not with a ‘ה’ as the Mesorah of writing is).
Besides for the verse, the Shofar is also engraved with flowers, as well as a crown-like frame, all in beautiful and eye-catching artistry. The Shofar is extremely easy to blow, as can be easily seen and as testified to by expert Ba’alei Toke’ah.
The Shofar is approx. 38cm. (~15”) long. The width is that of a standard narrow Shofar. Strong color at its head, which gradually becomes lighter towards the mouthpiece.
The Shofar is kept in a special case, placed in a felt and extremely soft cloth frame, in a box with buckles and lock, all handmade by R’ Moshe Chaim Hakohen Leitner, who preserved the Shofar with awe for decades.
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