Reb Akiva Eiger was born on Yud Daled Cheshvan, תקכ"ב (1761). After relocating several times, he was appointed as the Rav and Rosh Yeshivah of Poznan. He was one of the outstanding acharonim, and left a strong impact on the study of Gemara and Halacha. He was known to be very modest and exceptionally humble. He passed away on the Yud Gimmel Tishrei, תקצ"ח (1837).
In the summer of תקפ"ה (1815) the Mitteler Rebbe traveled to the health spas in Karlsbad at the instruction of his doctors. On his way there, he stopped in Poznan and met with Reb Akiva Eiger. In a letter to his son-in-law, the Tzemach Tzedek, he reports his impression of him:
“In Poznan I visited the elder gaon Reb Akiva whose last name is Eiger. He is a genuine person and knows nothing of worldly matters, wearing a simple kapota and torn shtreimel (though his wife and children are surprisingly dressed like the German Jews). He greeted us with great honor as he is humble and unpretentious with all people.
“I asked him for a bracha. He shared a thought on a possuk and I shared with him its kabbalistic meaning that I had heard from my father [the Alter Rebbe]. He enjoyed what I said, but had a hard time hearing.
“He asked me to tell him about my father, since he had heard of him. I gave him two volumes of my father’s Shulchan Aruch, Tanya, and my seforim. He accepted them gratefully and we parted with great honors.”
When Reb Akiva Eiger came to the city of Poznan to become Rav, he was brought in a chariot, harnessed to strong stallions. With him, sat his son-in-law, the Chasam Sofer, who had married his daughter two years prior. The entire city came out to great them and stood cheering at the sides of the road.
The Chasam Sofer, who understood that this entire honor was meant for his father-in-law, on his appointment as Rov, climbed down the chariot and joined the crowds at the road side. But after a bit of time, he looked up at the other side of the wagon and to his astonishment saw his father-in-law, Reb Akiva Eiger also walking at the side of the now empty wagon, convinced that all this honor was being given to his illustrious son-in-law...
