The Struggle

over Reform in
Rabbinic Literature
During the Last Century and a Half

ALEXANDER GUTTJVlANN
Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

Foreword by Rabbi Solomon B. Freebof

THE WORLD UNION FOR PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM

JERUSALEM NEw YoRK

p
 Selections fro1J1 Responsa Chatam Sofer 243

gress God's commandments. They publicly desecrate the Sab-

bath, and we have no power to stop them .... They established
for themselves a house of worship for Sabbath and festivals
SELECTIONS FROJ\1 bl".iln only as was recently done in Berlin.... In addition, they printed
a prayerbook for Friday night and Sabbath only, in which they
Chata1n Sofer made many changes.... Of the Birchot Hasbacbar (morning
benedictions) they only primed Elokai N esbamab in the
Responsa by Moses Sofer (1762-1839)
language of the peoples (i.e., German) in their letters (i.e., not
in Hebrew letters as done in Yiddish). [Then other omissions
and prayers said in Gennan are listed. J They also use tunes of
gentiles played on the organ. Though they read from the
Torah, they do not read the Haftarab, the prophetic portion.
Cbosben Misbpat, resp. '97 f
Instead, they employed a teacher who preaches sweet words
[ Cbatam Sofer prohibits a sbocbet, under the threa: o excom-
mixed with gall (lit. "wormwood") directed against the words
. . from readincr secular books. In his free nme he
mumcanon, " T 1 d ] Now 1f of our sages. Afterwards, the cantor reads a newly invented
d .n the holy books, the Torah and the a mu : .'
rea 1 that he transgresses what I .iust sa1·d, t h en his sbecbttab version of the Musaf prayer, not in accordance with either the
you find dh
Ashkenazic or the Sefardic custom. They omit the prayer for
(. h imal he slaughtered) is nevelab (nonkosher) an .e
1.e., t e an ) nd he s our return to our land. It is obvious that they do not want the
must not function as a reader (in the synagogue ' a .1
Redeemer to come so that we may return to Zion .... They
like a lion in the woods and like a braying donkey ....
(the reformers) went forth to lead the pious astray towards the
a ious rabbi who does not read secular books and who oes practices of the nations....
s a foreign language (but speaks Yiddish) ... smce this
vVe sent to the congregational leaders who were appointed
Ji{e putting an asberab (idol) into the Temple of ....
since the French (Napoleonic) war by the government to
monides borrowed from the books of the Greecs ". . .
proclaim in all our five synagogues the prohibition against
apologized that he did it lest the people of God seek wisdom m
praying from that prayerbook. vVe also prohibited them from
the books of others (non-Jews).
praying in other than the holy language. vVe also prohibited
any change of traditional custom.
Cbatam Sofer, Responsa, pt. 6, resp. 84 (Cf
. . Chamiel, Sinai,
b Rabbi \Ve found it necessary to present our words to the (gentile)
28), question addressed to Cbatam Sofer m 1819 y
authorities. However, the arrogant people of our generation
Baruch ben Meir of Hamburg.
(=Reform Jews) complained about us (lit. "acted as inform-
Points of complaint: h" h ers") that our decision was unlawful. Moreover, they went to
A number of years ago heresy spread among .some ig er-
the gentiles and desecrated His Holy Name. Recently a book
class people in our Jewish community. They willfully trans-
entitled N ogab Hatsedek was printed in Dessau without the con-
'4'

________________............____________
 SOURCES
sent of the congregational leadership. In it a view of the rabbi
of Lecrhorn (Livorno) is cited permitting the organ. Also
printed in it is a reply by Aaron Charin, rabbi (lit. betb
din," head of the Jewish court) of Arad, Hungary, wluch he
sent to Berlin. In it he permitted everything.... He also per-
mitted one to pray in the language of the nations, and. that the
organ be played on Sabbath by a gentile. He permitted
to read from the Torah without chanting.... Smee the gennle
authorities here are men of reason and knowledge, they in-
structed us to brincr evidence from the noted sages.... There-
fore we are asking"you ... to write us a reply (responsum) as
early as possible stating your consent in three matters:
, . No man has the authority to change the traditional text
of the prayers.
2. One must only pray in the holy tongue.
3. Playing the organ on Sabbath, even by a gentile, is pro-
hibited ....
Hamburg, Friday, 7 Kislev 5579 (1818)
Baruch, son of J\'lcir, head of the bet di11 of the congregation
of J'-Iamburg.
Cbata71!Sofer's Reply (Cbatm11 Sofer, Responsa, pt. 6, resp. 84).
Re your complaint that the temple of the reformers is closed
during the week and is only open on Sabbath: I wish it would
be closed on Sabbath, too, since they changed the liturgy that
has come down from the Men of the Great Synagogue, from
the sages of the Talmud, and from our sainted fathers ... and
also omitted the reference to the coming of the Messiah, the
restoration of Zion and Jerusalem ... and employ Christians
to play the harp and the organ ... on the Sabbath, which is
prohibited to us; and most of their prayers are in German.
Praised be God \ Vho, in His great mercy, showed us favor
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .________......t
Selections fro711 Respo11sa Chatam Sofer 2 45
before the gentile authorities, instructing the leaders of the
Jewish community (Hamburg) to solicit the opinion of the
sages, among them my opinion, about the above way of wor-
ship. My opinion:
It is well known that Daniel prayed three times daily ....
Also the priests, performing the (sacrificial) service, prayed
the A71lidah, etc., ... and for the restoration of David's dynasty,
even though they were under the Hasmonean rule and that of
Herod .... The Mishnah of Judah Hanasi and both Ta/11mdi111
contain an abundance of laws about the daily prayers ... which
have been said for almost two thousand years without any
objection. Now little foxes, the "darkies" (scum) of the di-
aspora (Reform Jews), rose to cause destruction and make
changes, though "no court can annul enactments of another
court unless it is greater in number (of its members) and in
wisdom" (M. Eduyotb 1:5). Even if the reason for an in-
stitution does not hold any longer, the institution is not invali-
dated. This is especially true with respect to the prayers which
have been said by the entire Jewish people.... No court can
be larger in number (than the court that ordained the prayers)
as the (highest) court is limited to seventy-one members.
[ Cbatam Sofer, in giving this view, cites Maimonides,
Mislmeb Torab, Mmmi71l, 2: 2. The Ra bad (Abraham ben
David of Posquieres, ibid.) claims that if the reason for an
enactment is not antiquated, not even the Prophet Elijah can
invalidate it. However, he differs with 1\1aimonides in the case
of an enactment which became antiquated, in which case the
enactment can be invalidated even by a smaller court. Here,
however, we have two reasons for the continuance of the tradi-
tional prayer service:]
1. The reason for Its continuance has not become m-
valid....
 SOURCES
2• Even if the reason wonld have become invalid, and the
Halachah wonld be in accordance with Rabad, a vote of the
saues of our crenerarion wonld be necessary ... (which would
" in the "rejection of the reforms).
result
If they (the reformers) would say that the reason for :he
reestablishment of David's dynasty and of the Temple service
has become invalid, since we now live peacefully among the
nations, with regard to this I have already said (see above) that
prayers for the rule of Judah (David's dynasty) were said all
durincr the (Jewish) rulership of the Second Temple. . . .
Ther:fore, such prayers would not offend our king and our
princes .... In fact, even they hope to possess the city where
their Messiah (Jesus) is buried (Jerusalem). Nehemiah was
second only to the king in matters of honor and great wealth,
but still sad about the desolation of the Jewish land. And the
kincr did not resent it. ... \Ve are like prisoners since the de-
srr:crion of the Temple. By God's grace we are treated kindly
by the crentile kincrs and authorities, ... and we have to pray
for their" welfare....
" Nonetheless, it is not a sign of ungrate-
fulness if we hope to return to our land .... all the nations and
kingdoms know that we pray and hope for the coming of our
Messiah ... bur never resented it. However, these men (re-
formers) either do not hope for, or do not believe in, the words
of the prophets in regard to the rebuilding of the Sanctuary
and in whatever the sages said in the matter. ...
I say that they flatter the gentiles saying: "\Ve are like you."
They (the reformers) throw thorns into their eyes in raking a
Christian ro play in their temple as Samson, the prisoner, played
in the temple of the Philistines against his will. \Ve have to
fear that the gentiles will say that the Jews are mocking us ....
Furthermore, if they say that the playing of the Christian is
as if done by a monkey (i.e., to be disregarded as an inte-
Selectious fro71l Responsa Chatam Sofer
gral part of the service), the result would be hatred between
us and the gentiles.... even though some rejoicing (by music)
is permitted in behalf of bride and bridegroom, yet in the syn-
agogue no rejoicing (by music) is allowed, especially not on the
Sabbath ....
As to their omission of the prophetic portion, this is con-
tradicted by an explicit J\fahnah (klegillab 3: 5) and cannot be
abrogated. . . .
The same holds true with respect to the use of non-Hebrew )
in public worship service. This is totally impossible. The State-(
ment of the Mishnah (M. Sotab 7: 1) that the Tefilab (silent)-'
prayer can be said in any language .... this can be done only
occasionally ... bur a permanent reader must not use a foreign
language in a public service ... for an accurate translation into
another language is impossible.... As to the objection that
ordinary people do not understand what they say in Hebrew ...
it is better to introduce the requirement of learning the mean-
ing of the prayers than introducing that they be said in a for-
eign language .... the holy language (Hebrew) is the language
that God speaks (Nachmanides, beginning of Ki Tisa in Ex-
odus); and our sages said that the world was created by using
the ho! y language. God gave us the Torah in Hebrew, there-
fore we cannot talk to Him in our ordinary (non-Hebrew)
language.
Therefore, what you said with respect to the holy synagogue
is law.... Ir is a law that it is prohibited to use their (the
Reform) prayerbooks, which are written in a foreign language.
The text has to be Hebrew and the versions have to be old (i.e.,
traditional), as printed long ago. The organ must nor be used,
certainly not on a Sabbath ... and I agree to prohibit (the
above innovations) to every Jew. . . .
Pressburg, Tuesday evening, second day of the New Moon,
Chanukah, (1818) 5559.
 SOURCES
Cbatam Sofer, responsum addressed to Akiba, rabbi of Posen
(Responsa, pt. 6, resp. 86) . Kippur.... Though it is possible to (excuse) those who have
[First, Cbata111 Sofer makes reference to a copy of !us responsum
to the (Orthodox) congregation of Hamburg dealing with
the practices of the new congregation (Reform), to the books
pi:::;i ;im Nogab Hatsedek and i1K Or Nogab, which
he abbreviates Ave11, meaning "sin."
Though he had already stated his view about the prohibition
of the oraan0
in the synagocrue
0
in his letter to the Hamburg. .
congregation, he has since found a further reason to prolub1t
the organ.] After the destruction of the Temple, in com-
memoration of the sorrow, only vocal music (singing) is al-
lowed in the synagogue, but not instrumental music as this is
more pleasant. There was no ::my ugav, (traditionally
stood as meaning organ) in the Temple, perhaps because tlus
word has a sexy etymology (love, lust, posterior)'. ... Ho\;-
ever, it was allowed in private homes, as correctly said by David
in Psalm 150:4 "Praise God with ... organ .... "
A more likely reason for the prohibition against the organ in
the Sanctuary is the fact that the ancient idol worshippers used
this instrument exclusively in their temples, even before our
Sanctuary was erected. K.ing David used the organ in his
private home jusr because the idol worshippers prohibited its
use in private homes and used it only in their temples.
[Cbatam Sofer was appalled to read in Nogab Hatsedek,
p. 7, that the organ should be placed in the women's (section
of the) synagogue.] It is known that women do not have the
wisdom (skill) to play the organ. It is very difficult to push
the (pedal of the) instrument, and (therefore) a Christian man
plays it. . . . . however, if they do not understand the words of the Sbema
[Cbatam Sofer then justifies the employment of a gentile on
Y om Kippur night to watch the candles:] If fire breaks out,
lives would be in danger. This is misunderstood by some people,
....................................................................
Selections from Respo11sa Chatam Sofer
and they ask the gentile to extinguish and kindle lights on Yom
the candles lit at Ne'ilab rime by gentiles, I do not permit it....
[Nogab Hatsedek, p. 25, ... claims that we do not have to
pray daily with a 71linyan (quorum of ten men). Cbatam Sofer
cites many passages from Talmud and Codes that praying daily
with a mi11y an is required by law.
Cbatam Sofer discusses at length the requirement to say the
Amidab twice, once silently and once aloud. . . . Among the
many details, it may be of interest that Sofer cites Sefardic
practices, among them one by Maimonides, that in Moslem
countries people are very particular in not spitting and talking
during the prayer service, etc.
Sofer stresses the prohibition of separation, that is, of having
different practices in one place (town). This includes customs.
Sofer criticizes the N ogah H atsedek, p. 24, for the author's
negation of the chanting which, in reality, goes back to Moses.
The Targum (Aramaic translation of the Torah), and
translation in general, is discussed next. The (reading of the)
Targum (in the synagogue) had been abolished because the
people did not understand Aramaic.] But why is the Torah not
translated in their language (the language of the land)? Be-
cause it is impossible to make a precise translation that truly
expresses the intention of Scripture .... And such a translation
in the synagogue would be equivalent to telling lies. At home,
one may translate the Torah into any language ....
The above respondent urges one to say the silent prayer in
Hebrew, but songs should be sung in pure German. I say,
though there is not much calamity in singing such songs,
l
and the Amidab, why do they not order the people to learn
and to understand Hebrew. Behold they did learn the languages
of the gentiles.
1:--,
 SOURCES
Selections from Responsa Chatam Sofer

[Sofer flails his (Libermann's) support of David's haters in matter lies in the hands of the great sages of our generation.
advising against praying for redemption, and only praying for [Then he adds:] If we had the power over them (the Reform
our peace among the nations, citing Jeremiah 29: 7, but forget- Jews), my opinion would be that we ought to separate them
ting about Isaiah 62:7.] from us. \Ve should not inter711arry with them. They are like
If he must complain, he should complain against the One Sadducees, Boethusians, Anan (founder of the sect of the
vVho made him a Jew .... and Saul (-Paul). They have their (religious practices,
[Sofer concludes the responsum with a tirade against Liber- 1.e., their sinful religious conduct and are heretics), and we have
mann.] our (true Jewish) ways. All this seems to be true theoretically
(lit. "from the viewpoint of [theoretical] law"), but not in
Cbata711 Sofer, responsum addressed to Abraham Eliezer, rabbi practice (i.e., in reality we cannot declare them as being a
of Trieste (Responsa, pt. 6, resp. 89) separate sect) since we do not have the royal permission and
[Chatm11 Sofer agrees with those who prohibit the customs edict. Besides, my words are in vain. Anyway, I wanted to com-
of the New Sect (=Reform). They permit the organ on the ply with your wish and wrote to the concrrecrations of Ham-
burg, Prague, and Brod to solicit the opinions " "of the great men
Sabbath played by a gentile organist.
However, the organ is an "Emorite" (heathen, non-Jewish) of the time and send their opinions to you.
law (practice) in the house of idol worship. The word ugav
(organ) may come from C'::ll)) (agavim) (= love, lust, pos-
terior) and therefore not permitted, just as urine is not per-
mitted. And just as it was not permitted in the Sanctuary (of
Jerusalem)·, so it is not permitted in the synagogue.
No instrument is pem1itted in the synagogue because of the
words of Scripture: "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a
foreign land?" (Ps. 137:4). This prohibition refers to the use of
instruments. Singing, however, is permitted.
The following appears in the same source:] A rabbi, Daniel
of Shimonta, had a question: A pregnant widow weaned
her child three months after birth and wanted to remarry.
I (the questioner) said, she must wait twenty-four months, as
is the law. But the rabbi of Arad permitted her to marry im-
mediately and expressed his readiness to perform the ceremony.
Our ancestors were fools in this respect, why shall I be a fool?
[Chatam Sofer agrees with the questioner and adds:] Should
there be some extenuating circumstances to permit it, the

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