Chaim Sofer
Rabbi Chaim Sofer was a renowned Hungarian rabbi and "scholarly spokesperson for Orthodox Judaism during his time."
Biography
Chaim Sofer was born in Pressburg, Hungary, on September 29, 1821. His father was Mordechai Efraim Fischel. Sofer attended the famous yeshiva of Rabbi Moses Sofer in Pressburg, and was considered his "most distinguished student". He also attended the yeshiva of Rabbi Meir Eisenstaedter in Ungvar, Hungary.In 1844, aged 23, he was hired to teach high-school students in a yeshiva in Mattersdorf, Hungary. He subsequently served as the rabbi of the Orthodox Jewish communities in Gyömöre, Hungary Sajószentpéter, Hungary, and Munkacs, Hungary. While he was Chief Rabbi in Munkacs, Sofer was against introducing any "innovations" in Judaism. Nevertheless, he was not considered "conservative" enough and in 1879 was replaced by one of the Munkacs Hassidic rabbis.
In 1879, he was chosen rabbi of the Orthodox congregation in the newly merged city of Budapest, Hungary, where he officiated until his death. His position was replaced by Rabbi Koppel Reich. Sofer died in Budapest on June 28, 1886, and was buried in Pressburg, the city of his birth.
Notable rulings
- According to Halakha, abortion is permitted when the life of the mother is in danger. Sofer ruled that once the baby is "partially born", one cannot even injure the baby to save the mother, unless non-interference will mean both mother and child die.J. David Bleich, "Abortion in Halakhic Literature", Tradition, 1968, 10, p. 101.