Signed by The righteous Ga’on Rabbi Yissachar Ber Bloch, known as “Rabbi Ber Chassid”

The righteous ...

Signed by The righteous Ga’on Rabbi Yissachar Ber Bloch, known as “Rabbi Ber Chassid”

The righteous Ga’on Rabbi Yissachar Ber Bloch, known as “Rabbi Ber Chassid” (1730-1798), disciple of Rabbi Yehonatan Eibeshitz, exalted genius and holy divine giant who studied the concealed wisdom [to whom the Noda B'Yehuda sent his famous response regarding reciting “LeShem Yichud”]. Author of ‘Binat Yissachar’ (Prague, 1785) and glosses ‘Bnei Yissachar’ on the Mishnayot (Lemberg, 1869), son of Rabbi Shimshon Chassid of Hamburg, author of ‘Tosafot Chadashim’ on the Mishnayot. From 1868 served in the rabbinate of several communities in Moravia and Hungary. From approximately 1780 served as Av Beit Din of Chemnitz, [during that period he became closely associated with the Chatam Sofer who resided in Dreznice; they discussed Divrei Torah together and the Chatam Sofer even honored him with the arrangement of the marriage ceremony of his first marriage in 1787].

In 1793 relocated in order to serve as Av Beit Din of Boskovice and in the middle of 1797 became Av Beit Din of Mattersdorf, where he passed away in 1798. The G’aon Rabbi Moshe Sofer author of Chatam Sofer succeeded him in the rabbinate of Mattersdorf. His Chidushim are extensively referred to as “the Chassid Rabbi Ber Bloch” in books of the Chatam Sofer (see Personalities in Responsa of the Chatam Sofer, pp. 231-232). In the Chatam Sofer’s eulogy he refers to him as: “The great Chassid… after abstaining from all pleasures of this world died in holiness and purity”. His son, Rabbi Shimon Sofer Av Beit Din of Krakow, writes in approbation of Chidushei ‘Bnei Yissachar’ on the Mishnayot: “I have heard the Rebbe [Chatam Sofer] exalt his Torah and holiness”