“This is the Burnt Offering which Burns…” (Leviticus 6:2)
80 years since the destruction of the holy community of Erloi, the end of Sivan 5704 (spring 1944)
In the months of spring 5704 (1944), the area between Oivilag and Oswada streets was set for use as a ghetto for Erloi Jewry.
About two thousand Jews crowded into this narrow ghetto, 4-5 families per apartment. The conditions were unbearably difficult, but they had not yet reached the terrible suffering that the Jews began to experience when they were brutally taken a month later to the village of Karchand, and thrown like animals into deserted and dirty dungeons.
The elderly Erloi Rebbe, the holy genius Rabbi Shimon Sofer z”l, the grandson of the Chatam Sofer and the author of the “Hitorerut Teshuva” book, was already 95 years old at the time, but had a clear and sound mind.
The Jews of Erloi were distraught and heartbroken; they came to their revered rabbi to ask for mercy, and he answered them: “It is a decree, and I am not permitted by Heaven to cancel it…”
On the eve of Shabbat, Erloi Jewry arrived to the village of Karchand, and according to the testimonies of survivors, the elderly rabbi ordered fasting on Shabbat (which is not normally permitted), in order to try to cancel the evil decree.
From there, the Jews were loaded into cars meant for horses wagons, eighty-ninety Jews in each wagon that was intended for six horses.
On the Monday of the week when the Torah portion of Shlach is read, Sivan 21, 5704 (June 12, 1944), Erloi Jewry arrived in Auschwitz. On the same day, the tzaddik (righteous man) and genius of Erloi, Rabbi Shimon Sofer, was murdered.
Along with him, his son, the holy Rabbi Moshe Sofer, the author of the “Yad Sofer,” was also murdered, may G-d avenge his blood.
Rabbi Moshe was a righteous person and a genius, and survivors gave over wonderous testimony about his last period in life.
On Sunday, Adar 24, 5704 (March 19, 1944), the Nazis conquered Hungary, and the Jews of Erloi, who were preparing to bake matzah shmura that week, had to look for a quiet place to bake the matzah (since the matzah bakery was confiscated by the Nazis). Rabbi Moshe went there with devotion, and on his return, while on the train, he was captured by the Hungarian gendarmes, who were doing the bidding of the Nazis.
The elegant appearance of the elderly rabbi ignited the murderous lust of the wicked, but surprisingly they did not want to hurt him badly. One gendarme approached him and demanded from him to say: “S’iz shlecht tzu zein a Yid” (it is bad to be a Jew). Rabbi Moshe knew that his life was in tangible danger, but he did not lose his composure. He sank into contemplation and said: “Shlechteh zmanim gayen yetzt iber Yuden” (hard times are now passing over Jews).
Two days before he was killed in sanctification of G-d’s Name, Rabbi Moshe was in the study hall and suddenly a heartbroken, tortured, and thunderstruck Jew burst in, and out of his grief and guilt he threw things upwards. Rabbi Moshe did not turn a deaf ear and shouted at him:
“G-d forbid that we should not despair and that we should not meditate on the measures of G-d; even if a sharp sword will be laid upon us, we must nto despair of mercy, and if we are destined to die, then with complete will we will give our souls over for the sanctification of G-d’s Name by saying Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad (Hear of Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One).
On Sivan 21 (June 12), Rabbi Moshe was killed along with his father and the members of his holy community. May G-d avenge their blood.
His son, the genius Rabbi Yochanan z”l, miraculously survived and rebuilt the Erloi community and its institutions in Israel and in the Diaspora.
The synagogue in Erloi
