Chasam Sofer

 

Why the tragedy* happened? - הילולא דרשב"י In the"ספרים, "תורת משה", ו"דרשות  חתם סופר it's printed the הספד the Chasam Sofer held for the thousands of Yidden killed during the earthquake of the year 5597 in the Galil. The Chasam Sofer mentions a letter he received from the (פאת השלחן (ר' ישראל משקלוב זצ"ל claiming the reason for the earthquake was because of the שנאת חינם among the  three groups of Yidden living there (חסידים פרושים ספרדים) The Chasam Sofer, based on the Midrash, added another reason. He claimed the earthquake came as revenge of the city of Yerushalayim being forsaken and abandoned.  Most Yidden at that time lived in the Galil and left Yerushalayim abandoned. They went to Meron to the הילולא דרשב"י instead of being עולה רגל to Yerushalayim. *Earthquake of 1837