And so it was that the Kesav Sofer lived after that day another fifty years. The Kesav Sofer never fully returned to vigorous health. Physical ailments and pain continued to be part of his life; he was a ba’al yissurim, who’s suffering surely atoned for the generation and for us all.
Rav Yitzchok Aharon Landsberg, the Rav of Grossvardayan, testified during his hesped for the Kesav Sofer that he recalled him as a child. “When I studied in the Pressburg yeshivah, we all recognized his greatness. Even at nine years of age, he davened with tears. His manner and behavior was like a true tzaddik yesod olam – a righteous tzaddik who serves as a foundation of the entire world!”
At the Kesav Sofer’s bar mitzvah, following his wondrous derasha that was filled with his own novel insights (chiddushim), he received the customary derasha geshank gifts. Among these, was a singular silver box, gifted to him by the scholar, Rav Ber Frank. When the bachur opened up the box, he discovered wax candles. Puzzled, he turned to the rav and asked him what was the nature of so strange a gift?
“My child, these are your candles because they are the very same candles that the Chevra Kadisha prepared for your untimely passing all those years ago. And now they are yours. The “ner” (candle) changed to “ron” (joy): from candles for the dead, to a song of simchah and light (נר רן). The song of the morning star shall be your melody as your candle shines forth like the morning light. You will merit to illuminate the entire world like the noontime sun at its zenith!” The candles were kept in the family for years and passed down from generation to generation.
He was a humble child and hid his greatness from everyone. By age fourteen he was recording chiddushei Torah, on his learning and on the parshah, recording his insights in a secret journal. The Chasam Sofer studied late into the night and the young Shmuel Binyamin pretended to be asleep. When his father finally retired to sleep, the young Kesav Sofer got up to study in secret, avoiding the suspicion of his father who assumed his son had slept all night. In this way, he succeeded in hiding his great passion for Torah learning and his hasmada from everyone-- even his own father.
In תקצ''ב at age fifteen, he was exchanging letters with gedolei haposkim and his father’s talmidim. That year, his mother passed away. He found comfort from his mourning later that year, through his engagement to Chava Leah, the daughter of Rav Yitzchok Weiss of Gorlitz. They were married the following year תקצ''ג in Kamaran. Before the chasuna, he received his semicha and the title Moreinu from Rav Daniel Prostitz, Rav Mordechai Task, Rav Zalman, and from the rabbanim and dayanim of Pressburg. For six years, he was supported as he sat and studied in Pressburg under his father.
He passed away on Yom Rishon of Parshas Shemos 19 Teves, in the year תרל''ב after having served as rav of Pressburg for thirty years - the same exact number of years that his father had served as rav before him. (Chut HaMeshulash)
