Most controversial Teshuvas Chasam Sofer

 

---

Shabbos 133a מוהלין ופורעין ומוצצין   The Most Controversial Teshuvah of the Chasam Sofer Of the 1,246 printed Teshuvos Chasam Sofer, there is one Teshuvah that stands out as the most controversial ever written by the Chasam Sofer. This Teshuvah was intentionally omitted from the original printed editions of Teshuvos Chasam Sofer and remained unpublished until recently, when it appeared in the Biton edition. In this Teshuvah, the Chasam Sofer writes that מציצה בפה is not mentioned anywhere in Halacha, but is practiced only according to קבלה. He then adds, “אין לי עסק בנסתרות”—“I do not involve myself in mystical matters”—indicating that he does not attach particular importance to Kabbalistic practices. He further states that even if the משנה had explicitly required מציצה בפה, it would not necessarily apply today, since מציצה is not part of the מצוה of מילה itself, but rather a medical procedure. Therefore, if it can be safely performed in another manner—without using the mouth—it would be entirely permissible to do so. When this Teshuvah first became known, some Gedolim claimed that it was a forgery fabricated by opponents of מציצה בפה. However, this was later proven false. The original manuscript of the Teshuvah still exists and is currently in the possession of descendants of R. Yisroel Stern זצ״ל of London. The מהר"ם שיק and others argued that the Teshuvah was a הוראת שעה—a temporary ruling made under exceptional circumstances—and therefore cannot be used today as a היתר (leniency) to refrain from מציצה בפה. Although the Chasam Sofer himself does not describe it as a הוראת שעה and the wording of the Teshuvah does not suggest that it was one, Chassidic and Hungarian (Heimish) communities accepted the Maharam Schick’s interpretation. As a result, they do not rely on this Teshuvah as a basis for permitting Milah without מציצה בפה. On the contrary they are the biggest opponents of those not requiring מציצה בפה                         RIDDLE: This healthy baby has his Bris on the first day he was born (not on the 8th day) ?

d.