The Torah world was plunged into mourning early Monday morning (Israel time), with the petirah of the Erlau Rebbe, Harav Yochanan Sofer, zt”l, in Yerushalayim.
Many tefillos were held since the Rebbe was hospitalized several weeks ago in the Hadasah Ein Kerem Hospital on behalf of the Rebbe. The name Harav Yochanan ben Tushena was on the lips of many, but, alas, the gezeirahwas sealed, and on Monday morning, surrounded by many members of the family, the Rebbe was niftar.
Harav Yochanan Sofer, the Erlau Rebbe, was born in Erlau, Hungary, in Teves 5683/1923.
His father, Harav Moshe Sofer, great-grandson and namesake of the Chasam Sofer, zt”l, was the son of the Rav of Erlau, Harav Shimon Sofer, known for his sefer Hisorerus Teshuvah. In his later years, Harav Shimon appointed his son, Harav Moshe, to serve as Rav of Erlau alongside him.
Harav Yochanan’s mother, Rebbetzin Tushena, was the daughter of Harav Moshe Yochanan Schoenfeld, Rav of Ermihalyfalva in Hungary. Thus, Yochanan was named for his maternal grandfather. He was the second child in the family.
In his early formative years, he learned under the tutelage of his illustrious father and grandfather. As abachur, he learned in the yeshivah of Harav Yosef Asher Pollack, mechaber of She’aris Yosef Asher, in the neighboring town of Verpelet. He also learned for three years in the yeshivah of Harav Chaim Aharon Dovid Deutsch, mechaber of Tvuas Goren, in Balassagyarmat.
