Complete ten-leaf booklet handwritten by the Chatam Sofer, halachic and Talmudic sermons delivered on Shabbat HaGadol and the final day of Pesach 1811. Pressburg (Bratislava), 1811.
Comprises three parts. The first two parts (on the topics of Theodosius of Rome and the transfer of aroma in kashrut) were said on Shabbat HaGadol 1811, and the third part (on the topic of Techumin), was said on the final days of Pesach that year.
The booklet begins with a title page handwritten by the Chatam Sofer: "Sermon for Shabbat HaGadol 1811, here in Pressburg…". Headings on pp. 1a, 3a and 7b.
The present novellae were printed in the book Chatam Sofer on Talmudic topics, part I, Jerusalem 1891 (at the beginning of the book).
The manuscript is placed in a cardboard folder, with inscriptions by R. Zecharyahu Elefant documenting the provenance of the present manuscript: "Booklet handwritten by the Chatam Sofer, I received as a gift of Erev Shabbat… 1947, from my friend… R. Aharon Simcha Blumenthal… Zechariah Elefant, grandson of R. Moshe Avraham Eisenberger, who was a disciple of the Chatam Sofer and his close attendant"; "12th Adar 1955, the wealthy donor… R. Yehuda Leib HaKohen Rapaport… gave me a generous donation for the publication of the writings of the Shaarei Torah… and as a remembrance of friendship and love, I gave him as a gift the enclosed manuscript of the Chatam Sofer, and I am convinced that the booklet was handwritten by the Chatam Sofer, Zecharyahu Elefant, who is occupied with the publication of the writings of the Shaarei Torah".
[1], 9 leaves (17 pages handwritten by the Chatam Sofer + a title page in his handwriting; over 500 autograph lines). 23 cm. Good-fair condition. Most leaves complete, apart from minor marginal tears and wear. Open tears to leaf 1, affecting text. Open tears to title page and another leaf, not affecting text. Title page and leaf 1 detached. Stains. Strips of sellotape and dark tape stains to title page and final leaf.
Out of love and reverence for his teachings, descendants and disciples of the Chatam Sofer customarily preserve his manuscripts, as a segulah for Yirat Shamayim and salvation (see below).

The Handwriting of the Chatam Sofer – Segulah for Yirat Shamayim
R. Mordechai Banet reputedly stated that just seeing the handwriting of the Chatam Sofer is a segulah for Yirat Shamayim (fear of Heaven). R. Yosef Naftali Stern cited the following story in the name of his father-in-law R. Shmuel Alexandri Sofer, who heard it from his father the Ktav Sofer:
As an elderly man, the Maharam Banet dealt with a complex halachic issue concerning an agunah. The members of the Nikolsburg Beit Din wrote a long pamphlet on the matter and sent it to the Chatam Sofer, requesting his opinion. Upon receiving the pamphlet, the Chatam Sofer studied it for a short while and responded that same day. The Nikolsburg Beit Din was amazed at the speed of his response and began to peruse his answer. Maharam Banet took the letter from them, and upon seeing the Chatam Sofer's conclusion permitting the agunah to remarry, immediately instructed the Beit Din to issue the ruling permitting her remarriage, and resumed studying the Chatam Sofer's responsum. The members of the Beit Din thought that R. Banet had lingering doubts about the ruling, however, the Maharam Banet told them to continue with the proceedings to release the agunah and explained that he was looking at the responsum because just seeing the handwriting of the Chatam Sofer is a segulah for Yirat Shamayim.
Rabbi Aharon Kotler, who particularly cherished the teachings of the Chatam Sofer, often repeated this story.
This story is cited with minor variations in the name of the Satmar Rebbe, in Chaim Sheyesh Bahem (Mahadura Kama, Parshat Shemini, pp. 200-201): A Satmar Chassid presented his rebbe with a gift of a handwritten letter by the Chatam Sofer. At first, the Rebbe refused to accept the gift due to its great monetary value. He said that had the Chassid given the Rebbe its worth in money, the Rebbe would never have accepted the gift, and therefore refused the valuable manuscript. However, after the Chassid persisted, the Satmar Rebbe finally agreed to accept the letter. The letter by the Chatam Sofer gave him excessive pleasure and he read it over and over. On that occasion, the Rebbe recounted the story about the Maharam Banet, who while holding a handwritten responsum of the Chatam Sofer stated that although he understood its content immediately upon the first reading, "I read the words repeatedly because reading the handwriting of the Chatam Sofer is a segulah for Yirat Shamayim".
Rav Shach, dean of the Ponovezh Yeshiva, paid a consolation visit to an important rabbi in Bnei Brak who was a descendent of the Chatam Sofer. The rabbi's sons told Rav Shach that they possess an autograph leaf of the Chatam Sofer and he asked to see it, requesting that it be removed from its protective cover since actually touching the handwriting of the Chatam Sofer leads to fear of Heaven.
The manuscripts of the Chatam Sofer are also regarded as a segulah for protection and for deliverance from various difficulties. Upon traveling, R. Shimon Sofer, Rabbi of Krakow, would take manuscripts written by his father, the Chatam Sofer, as a segulah for protection. Many Holocaust survivors attribute the miracle of their survival to the holy writings of the Chatam Sofer which they carried with them. R. Yitzchak Zilberstein of Bnei Brak often mentions in his sermons that possessing writings of the Chatam Sofer is a segulah for healing and deliverance.