(The “Chasam Sofer,” 1762-1839). Tephilah LeMoshe [poetry]. Including additional poems in the hand of his son, R. Shimon Sofer (the “Michtav Sofer,” 1820-83).

<<AN IMPORTANT MANUSCRIPT CONTAINING AUTOGRAPH POEMS BY BOTH THE CHASAM SOFER AND HIS SON, THE MICHTAV SOFER. WITH VARIANCES AND UNPUBLISHED MATERIAL.>> The Chassam Sofer composed these soulful poems in the days between Yom Kippur and Sukoth while absorbed by a high level of spiritual devotion. Although entitled Tephilah LeMoshe on the first page of this manuscript, most were later published under the title Shirath Moshe. The poem “Yedid Naphshi, Chelki Vetzur Levavi” that appears here on f. 24 is reproduced in Shirath Moshe HaShalem (Jerusalem, 2008) p. 54, and identified there as being in the hand of the Chasam Sofer. R. Shlomo Alexandri Sofer states at the beginning of Shir Chadash that the Tzaddik R. Yehoshua of Belz greatly praised his father’s poetry. The note in this manuscript from R. Shimon Sofer (f. 19) is slightly different from the published version in Shirath Moshe HaShalem (p. 102). <<*>> ff. 26-27 contain “Devarim Yekarim… MeRosh HaMedabrim Adoni Avi Mori VeRabi Maor Hagolah…” R. Moshe Sofer… Nine different interpretations and acrostics of the word “Bereishith.” With additional notations in a later hand noting the year and the comment “Bashinui Lashon Maran.” <<*>> f. 28 contains a poem for Chanukah by R. Meir Eisenstadt of Ungvar with the acrostic “Ani Meir ben Yehudah Chazak.” <<*>> The poems by R. Shimon Sofer (ff. 29-31) contain variances from the published versions, as well as an unpublished commentary. <<*>> The poem on f. 33 contains an unpublished introduction stating that R. Shimon Sofer composed it on the third day after the Brith Milah of his son Yoseph Eliezer in the year 1851. <<*>> f. 35 contains a slightly different version of this poem. <<*>> The final leaves (ff. 39-40) contain differing versions of the poem “Shachar Avakshecha” which was later published as “Shachar Ashachrecha.” This manuscript belonged to R. Shimon Sofer (Chief Rabbi of Cracow, son of the Chatham Sofer, 1820-83) and later to his son, R. Shlomo Alexandri Sofer of Sereth. See Shlomo Alexandri Sofer (Ed.) Shirath Moshe im Shir Chadash by R. Shimon Sofer (Vienna, 1902).